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Sharks Gameday: Yep, Still Injured

"I can't wait to be checked against the boards again!" (AP Photo/Mark Avery)

More photos » Mark Avery - AP

"I can't wait to be checked against the boards again!" (AP Photo/Mark Avery)


San Jose Sharks (10-4-1) at Columbus Blue Jackets (7-5-1), 4:00 PST
Reminder -- this game's on the NHL Network!

You may have heard the news that Joe Pavelski, Devin Setoguchi, and Torrey Mitchell are skating and with the team. You may have also heard that news of their imminent return is a bit premature.

One of the most frustrating things about last season's Sharks was that we never got to really see the full team at its peak. Even when things were going well in the beginning, Mitchell was still out and the third-line center position was a mish-mash of what it was supposed to be. Then when all the crazy injuries hit, the team never found its identity again.

I get the sense, though, that this season is different. Rather than being shown something, then having it taken away from us, this lays the groundwork to build the team through early adversity. I don't really mind a soft October as long as bad habits and disturbing trends can be properly addressed. The fact that Patrick Marleau can keep generating offense when he's paired up with what amounts to a checking line is pretty impressive. In terms of eliminating bad habits, San Jose's team defense has slowly gotten better, and perhaps part of that is health on the blueline -- Kent Huskins finally recovering from his foot injury (though there have been plenty of times when he commits an awful turnover and I thought "THAT'S what Sleek was talking about ) and Dan Boyle healing from his broken thumb.

Would you rather start from the top and stumble towards the finish or work out the kinks early on and build towards something better? Well, I suppose ideally you'd want to start strong and finish strong but that rarely happens. Unfortunately, there's no one-for-one injury karma that says no other key Sharks will get hurt because Pavelski, Setoguchi, and Mitchell missed the early part of the season. We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed. I can't wait to see what this team finally looks like when Voltron can finally come together (Patrick Marleau: "And I'll form...the head!"); sometimes injury-returnees mess up team chemistry, but I'm confident that this should have no such ill effect.

For tonight's game, the big concern is obviously containing Rick "Don't Call Me Steve" Nash. Steve Mason has yet to regain his form from his outstanding rookie season, but the Blue Jackets have more scoring depth than last season -- their top-six scorers show a pretty even balance over 13 games with 20 points (Nash), 12, 10, 9, 9, and 8. Their power play is healthy at over 20%, though the Sharks should try their damndest to goad the Jackets into taking bad penalties (paging Scott Nichol), as Columbus' penalty kill is weak at 79%.

Which leads to the inevitable question: are Steve Mason's numbers really bad because the Columbus penalty kill sucks or is Columbus' penalty kill percentage really bad because Steve Mason really sucks? Kinda makes your head hurt, don't it?

Prediction: Sharks 4, Jackets 3. Goals by Boyle, Clowe, Thornton, and Demers.

(By the way, no Gameday post tomorrow for the Wings game. Our dog is getting her leg amputated, so I'll be a bit preoccupied. If you have any extra good karma to spare, please send it her way.)

0 recs  |  Comment 21 comments

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Comments

Display:

Lions, of course. I don’t acknowledge the cars Voltron in my world.

by Mike Chen on Nov 4, 2009 1:02 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

awww poor doggie

and

GO SHARKS!

Ever get the feeling we are on a collision course with reality? (boycott Hollywood!)

by ang6666 on Nov 4, 2009 9:11 AM PST reply actions   0 recs

Kent Huskins finally recovering from his foot injury (though there have been plenty of times when he commits an awful turnover and I thought "THAT’S what Sleek was talking about )

Well, Huskins is best hidden, but he’ll still open your eyes every once in a while, sometimes surprisingly amazing, sometimes surprisingly awful. Still, he’d be welcome back on the mess we got going in Anaheim — I’d take occasional excellence out of anyone these days.

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Nov 4, 2009 11:34 AM PST reply actions   0 recs

hey montador u want to come back to?

Ducks blow old goats right now but....GO DUCKS!!! for shits and giggles!!

by SPADE-IN-VICTORHELL on Nov 4, 2009 12:54 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Hey Mike,

Hope everything works out for the best with your family dog tomorrow. I’m sending my best BoC MoJo™ her way for tomorrow!

2009-10 LA Kings Hockey: Where Smyt Happens!!

by DodgerBlueBalls on Nov 4, 2009 11:51 AM PST reply actions   0 recs

Sending good wishes

I hope all goes well with your dog. Sending any good karma I may have your way.

by hockeychic on Nov 4, 2009 1:15 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

A little mojo right here for ya Mike. Best of luck tomorrow.

McGinn and Couture have been called back up for tonight, by the way. David Pollak reported it this afternoon.

Fear The Fin: Where Selling Your Soul Is The Likely Solution

by Mr. Plank on Nov 4, 2009 1:18 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

hey look on the bright side he could be on an album cover and be famous?

im not sure if this helps or is in bad form

Ducks blow old goats right now but....GO DUCKS!!! for shits and giggles!!

by SPADE-IN-VICTORHELL on Nov 4, 2009 1:21 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

I thought about that Alice In Chains album when we first got the news that amputation was needed. Her bad leg is a back one, though, so it’s not quite as pronounced.

Thanks for the well wishes, guys. Hopefully all goes well and I’ll back for a Gameday on Saturday. Hell, if all goes well, I’ll actually be at that game.

by Mike Chen on Nov 4, 2009 2:44 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Good luck and best wishes.

When I'm not battling in California:
Cycle Like The Sedins

by jamestobrien on Nov 4, 2009 8:32 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

best wishes

If it’s any comfort at all, I used to have a three-legged dog too (hind leg as well) and she learned to adapt to it really well – I hope the best for yours too.

...Thornton to Murray. HE SCORES!!! DOUGLAS MURRAY! With his first goal of the year. What's he doing way up there??? - Randy Hahn

by DownRUpLYB on Nov 5, 2009 11:03 AM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Columbus color guy: (Without the C) Patrick Marleau is skating better than he has in years.

Um…did you see how the dude played last year when he was healthy?

by Mike Chen on Nov 4, 2009 4:45 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

This is the same guy

That calls Pickles “Vuh-lassic”

I trust nothing he says.

by Evilducks on Nov 4, 2009 6:53 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

The “C” is heavy, I guess.

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Nov 4, 2009 9:59 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Insert obligatory Rob Blake joke here.

by Mike Chen on Nov 4, 2009 10:13 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Insert obligatory Rob Blake is a joke here.

Fixed!

Craig Conroy stole my H1N1 vaccine...

by DodgerBlueBalls on Nov 5, 2009 3:10 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

The "C" is heavy, I guess.

He’s more aerodynamic now.
I caught some KNBR yesterday and Drew Remenda was on with Fitz and Brooks where they discussed the C-less Marleau.

...Thornton to Murray. HE SCORES!!! DOUGLAS MURRAY! With his first goal of the year. What's he doing way up there??? - Randy Hahn

by DownRUpLYB on Nov 5, 2009 11:09 AM PST up reply actions   0 recs

would you rather start from the top...

I feel like I speak for all Ducks fans at this point when I say YES

And no give backs on Huskins. We’ve got enough shakey D men as it is.

by GordonBombay on Nov 5, 2009 6:06 AM PST via mobile reply actions   0 recs

wait let me take that back

If the Sharks have a need for some truly spectacular farm equipment. Say, a Cotton Gin, then do I have a trade for YOU!

by GordonBombay on Nov 5, 2009 6:19 AM PST via mobile up reply actions   0 recs

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