I don't follow the Sharks much but do you think the Sharks would do well in using Big Joe more often on the PK in order to get him more involved in the play on a consistant basis during the regular season?
I doubt it. We have a good band of PKers ahead of Joe but perhaps someone else will offer a different opinion (Mitchell, Marleau, Michalek, Pavelski, Nichol etc...)
Thornton is actually a very underrated defensive player in my opinion. However I don't think it makes much sense to use him on the PK for any significant amount of time. He is so dynamic offensively that it just makes more sense to save his minutes. Plus he doesn't have enough breakaway speed to be a real threat offensively 5-4. If you are talking 5-3 however I think Thornton becomes a great option, long reach and great in the circle.
maybe I only get caught up with the media thing against Joe Thornton not performing in the playoffs, even though Claude Lemieux kinda talked against him not rising up in the playoffs, but there was the same problem with Datsyuk a few seasons ago and during the regular season Pavel played 0 time on the PK. Some coaches think that defense and PK playing in particular is all about effort and being involved in the play at all time and not about perimeter play like when you're on the PP. I'm not sure if Pavel's play in the playoffs turned around when Mike arrived, but it seems like his level of play rose when he started playings on the PK, just wondering if it could help Joe being the player he can be during the playoffs.
Back to JT on the PK. I see his role really as a playmaker, and that's not incredibly important on the PK. You want a one man breakaway, not as much two, no?
Though I could see some merit in forcing him to shoulder that responsibility and trying to get him to step up his game before the playoffs so he's used to it.
Yeah. Datsyuk is incredibly crafty with and without the puck. Thornton isn't so much without the puck
Thornton can be, his vision works on both ends of the ice. He just needs to want to play D, watch when someone gets on his nerves, he can shadow almost anyone.
Thornton can be, his vision works on both ends of the ice. He just needs to want to play D, watch when someone gets on his nerves, he can shadow almost anyone.
He's got good vision, but I think he's just pressured to do something.
Datsyuk and Marleau are quite different imo; Dats has incredibly soft hands and can deke the pants off of you, Marleau cannot. Dats has Thornton-like vision, Marleau does not. Marleau has better top speed. Marleau is bigger and (if he tried) could probably check more effectively.
Marleau seems like a stiff player, but I think he has great goal-scoring ability. That's what I like most about him is how he knows what to do when he has the puck or doesn't.
Despite last night, JT is usually not a shortie threat. He has one downfall on d zone faceoffs. He goes for the win in all instances; he never tries to tie up. A couple of years ago, he led the league in lost d-zone faceoffs that resulted in goals. He wins more than he loses on faceoffs, but the losses are biggies because they are clean losses.
His previous season ratings on PK at behindthenet are definitely not stellar. The Sharks have two stellar PK forwards in Marleau and Pavelski, both top 20 in the league last year on PK.
The last factor that was annoying to some fans was JT coming out after a loss and saying that they were too worn down from doing too much PK. After that statement, his limited PK time was cut.
Up to this point in this season he is the sharks MVP and its not arguable
I would argue, but won't in this thread. I find that absolute evaluation of relative value poor. There are at least 3 Sharks that are very close to being MVP.
JT/Heater PK combo is absolutely atrocious. They are on for 30 secods but that would be the 30 seconds where the opposition would actually create a dangerous chance.
JT's defensive awareness is absent. He backchecks, that's awesome; but when it comes to defending in your zone - positioning is way off and the style of play is way too passive. (same goes with Heater who's even worse)
