Behind Enemy Lines: The San Jose Sharks!

In this recurring post, I ask some questions to a staff writer or editor of an opposing team’s FanSided Blog.  This week, I interviewed one of the writers (Felix Chow) of the San Jose Sharks blog, Blades of Teal!

Apr 21, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks defense Marc-Edouard Vlasic (44) skates away from Columbus Blue Jackets celebrating goal by center Mark Letestu (55) during the first period at HP Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

U&B: What has been the biggest strength of the San Jose Sharks so far?

Felix:  Offense. The Sharks have tremendous scoring depth on their roster. They are more than capable of putting pucks to the back of the net, as shown in their 9-2 rout of the New York Rangers. Before the recent injuries, the Sharks had one of the best top lines in the League with the Captain, Joe Thornton, centering rookie sensation Tomas Hertl and Brent Burns. Joe Thornton remains one of the Sharks foundation players and one of the best playmakers in the League. Tomas Hertl led Slavia Praha, his team in the Czech Extraliga league, in goal scoring and broke through in the NHL with six goals in two games. Brent Burns, ever since he was transformed by Head Coach Todd McLellan as a forward, has been an offensive machine for the San Jose Sharks.

Going down the list, you have Logan Couture – a highly talented two way player – playing with Patrick Marleau, another Shark foundation player who has the ability of being a difference maker in a game, and Tyler Kennedy, who was shipped over from the Pittsburgh Penguins for his shoot-first mentality and to provide offense for San Jose. And then you have Joe Pavelski, one of the smartest players on the team and one of the most underrated forwards in the League, of whom I’ll talk about in your next question.

Apr 21, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks goalie Antti Niemi (31) goes up for a catch while Columbus Blue Jackets winger Nick Foligno (71) waits for a scoring opportunity during the second period at HP Pavilion. Blue Jackets won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

U&B: Who should the Columbus Blue Jackets be wary of?

Felix: Joe Pavelski. Before he was kept off the score sheet for three games (vs. Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, and Calgary Flames), he scored half of the Sharks goals and was on a tear starting from his hat trick against the Tampa Bay Lightning and throughout the first three games of their four-game Home stand. In the fourth and final game of that home stand, he didn’t put the puck to the back of the net but he still ended that night with two assists.

He broke his three-game scoreless streak by scoring a short-handed goal against the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night.Since then, he’s been kept off the score sheet but look for him to try to make an impact. He is just so good with and without the puck. He’s a very talented player on both sides of the ice. He sees the ice well and is able to make smart plays and smart decisions. His hockey IQ’s off the charts. There are not enough good things that can be said about him.

February 11, 2013; Columbus, OH, USA; San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture (39) takes a shot on goal as he is slashed by Columbus Blue Jackets center Derick Brassard (16) at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

U&B: Who do you see as the biggest threat TO the Sharks FROM the Blue Jackets?

Felix: I honestly don’t watch the Blue Jackets enough to really tell you, but from the stats sheet and what I have seen from the highlights, I’m going with Ryan Johansen. Though he has plus-minus of zero after the game against the Anaheim Ducks, he leads the Blue Jackets in goal scoring with 23 goals on the season and is tied for third on the team in assists. He seems to be a player that just loves to go hard to the net to score and that’s where all the good things happen.

U&B: What is one area in which your team has struggled this season?

Felix:  Consistency. Although we still have fared considerably better than last year when we won seven straight and then spiraled downhill just to barely make the playoffs, consistency is still an issue with the team. At the latter half of last season, Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson shipped a few veterans out to make room for a speedier team without losing much of our physicality. They found their new identity as a faster team. Recently, though, it’s seemed they’ve lost that speedy part of their game.

February 11, 2013; Columbus, OH, USA; San Jose Sharks defenseman Matt Pelech (42) and Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Jared Boll (40) fight in the first period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

Why were they a faster and more dangerous team starting out? They went after the puck hard. They used our speed and size to help them win the races to the puck and win the battles along the board. They hounded the puck like dogs on raw meat. As a result, they were able to go hard on the forecheck against the opposing teams’ defense. Most importantly, though, they never backed down from simplicity. You don’t win games making fancy plays and dangling around five guys to score a goal anymore. You make simple plays on and off the puck. You read smart defensively.

That hasn’t been the case so far as we passed the half way mark of the season. Of course, injuries are in part to blame. No one’s making excuses on this team, but there are important guys who’ve been shelved on the Injured Reserve list like Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl, Raffi Torres, and Adam Burrish – guys who can make a positive impact on this team. Recently, they’ve got guys called up from their AHL affiliate – the Worchester Sharks. Bracken Kearns has three goals this season. Eriah Hayes scored his first NHL goal against the Calgary Flames on their past road trip to end the team’s two-game scoreless drought. Guys have been trying to step it up together as a team and help out their goalie Antti Niemi, but the execution just has not bent here for the Sharks on a constant basis.

February 11, 2013; Columbus, OH, USA; San Jose Sharks right wing Ryane Clowe (29) tries to carry the puck as Columbus Blue Jackets center Derek MacKenzie (24) knocks it away at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

U&B: What are your expectations for this game?

Felix: For this game, I would say goal tending is going to be one of the main factors to watch out for. The Jackets have Sergei Bobrovsky, the former Flyer who won the Vezina trophy as a Columbus Blue Jacket. He’s been absolutely phenomenal so far. If starter Antti Niemi starts this game he’s going to have to find a way to match that effort by Bobrovsky. If the back-up, Alex Stalock, starts I think he’ll have no problem with matching Bobrovsky’s effort in net. All the Sharks would have to just do is tighten up defensively, which leads me to the next factor in the game.

The San Jose Sharks are going to have to be prepared for a lot of attack at the net. The Blue Jackets are a finesse team with a little bit of physicality in their game. When they set up in the offensive zone, they love to eventually move that puck into the high slot area and hang around the net. What the Sharks are going to have to do is not allow that time and space for them to free wheel. From all those factors that I listed, I would expect this to be a fairly low-scoring game.

A huge thank you to Felix for answering these questions! You can follow him on twitter here. Be sure to check out our Game Day Posts and follow along on Twitter during the game.  Come back soon for another edition of “Behind Enemy Lines!”