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• San Jose Sharks seek supplemental scoring

  February 03, 2013

  San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan keeps tinkering with his offensive lines, seeking ways to create more supplemental scoring.
  
  His top line is a handful. Patrick Marleau scored 14 points in his first seven games playing with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. That trio fueled the team’s impressive 7-0-1 start.
  
  With opponents focused on the Thornton line, McLellan would like his No. 2 and No. 3 lines to sustain more pressure in the offensive zone. That needs was evident in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Predators Saturday night.
  
  He has some pieces to work with. Playmaking center Scott Gomez arrived as a free agent after washing out in Montreal. Forwards Martin Havlat and James Sheppard started the season in good health for a change, offering McLellan more options.
  
  Sheppard, the ninth overall in pick in the 2006 NHL Draft, hadn’t played in the league since 2010. He suffered a catastrophic knee injury in an off-ice accident after that season.
  
  The Sharks acquired him from the Minnesota Wild for a third-round pick and sent him to the American Hockey League this season to rebuild his career. He remains a project, but he has the skill set to fit with other skilled players.
  
  McClellan looked at Sheppard on the second line with Logan Couture and Ryane Clowe Saturday night. Havlat joined Gomez and 900-year-old Michal Handzus on the third line.

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• More locked-out NHL stars excelling in Europe

  December 26, 2012

  As the lockout dragged on, more NHL players joined European teams. Earlier we gave you our first-team honorees.

  Here are our second and third NHL refugee all-star teams – and some honorable mentions -- for players toiling overseas:
  
  SECOND TEAM
  
  W – Jaromir Jagr, Rytiri Kladno, Czech Republic: A minor groin strain slowed this would-be Dallas Stars newcomer for a spell, but he has 18 goals and 23 assists in his first 27 games back home.
  
  W – Ilya Kovalchuk, SKA St. Petersburg, Russia: He started quickly to earn the KHL’s player-of-the-month honors in October. The New Jersey Devils star has scored 14 goals and 20 assists in his first 29 games.
  
  C – John Tavares, SC Bern, Switzerland: In 25 games he has scored 16 goals and added 23 assists. The Spengler Cup Tournament gave him a taste of international play. “You can really feel the mystique of this tournament,” Tavares told reporters. “The history, the crowds . . .”
  
  D – Marek Zidlicky, Rytiri Kladno, Czech Republic: Jaromir Jagr’s teammate-for-now has three goals and 22 assists in 25 games.
  
  D – Sergei Gonchar, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, Russia: In 32 games he has three goals and 20 assists. Penguins have taken note and may make a trade pitch for him.
  
  GT -- Semyon Varlamov, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, Russia: He had three shutouts in his first 14 games while posting a 1.56 goals-against average and .952 save percentage. The Colorado Avalanche hope to see similar form should the NHL resume playing.
  
  THIRD TEAM
  
  W – Henrik Zetterberg, EV Zug, Switzerland: The veteran Detroit Red Wing has scored 13 goals and added 16 assists in his first 20 games.
  
  W – Ales Hemsky, HC CSOB Pojistovna Pardubice, Czech Republic: He has always been a pass-first player for the Edmonton Oilers. But in his 25 games overseas this season he scored 14 goals and added 17 assists.
     
  C – Tomas Plekanec, Rytiri Kladno, Czech Republic: Playing with Jagr sure is fun! He has 20 goals and 22 assists in his first 28 games. He seldom scores like that for the Montreal Canadiens.
  
  D - Victor Hedman, Barys Astana, Russia: The super-sized Tampa Bay Lightning youngster flashed his puck-moving skills while earning 18 assists (to go with one goal) in his first 26 games.
  
  D – Mark Streit, SC Bern, Switzerland: In his first 29 games the New York Islanders star scored seven goals and added 18 assists.
  
  GT – Tuukka Rask. HC Skoda Plzen, Czech Republic: If the NHL resumes, he will assume the starting role for the Boston Bruins. He sharpened up those skills while earning one shutout in his first 17 games with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage.
  
  HONORABLE MENTION
  
  W – Chris Stewart, ETC Crimmitschau, Germany: In 15 games he scored 6 goals and added 14 assists. Earlier the St. Louis Blues power forward played five games (earning one assist) for Bili Tygri Liberec in the Czech Republic.
  
  C – Pavel Datsyuk, CSKA Moskva, Russia: In his first 27 games the Detroit Red Wing has nine goals and 23 assists.
  
  C – Nicklas Backstrom, Dynamo Moskva, Russia: In his first 18 games the No. 1 Washington Capitals center has 10 goals and 15 assists.
  
  C—Jason Spezza, Rapperswil-Jona Lakers, Switzerland: In his first 28 games the New York Islander has nine goals and 21 assists.
  
  C – Joe Thornton, HC Davos, Switzerland: He drives San Jose Sharks fans crazy by refusing to shoot more pucks on goal. In first 30 games overseas this season he scored 8 goals and added 23 assists.
     
  C -- Daniel Briere, Eisbären Berlin, Germany: Could he enjoy a bounce-back season for the Philadelphia Flyers? Maybe. He scored seven goals and added 23 assists in his first 19 games.
  
  C – David Krejci, HC CSOB Pojistovna Pardubice, Czech Republic: In 22 games this would-be Boston Bruins center scored 14 goals and added 11 assists.
  
  D – Lubomir Visnovsky, HC Slovan Bratislava, Russia: In 26 games he scored six goals and added eight assists.   
  
  GT -- Cory Schneider, Ambri-Piotta, Switzerland: In his first seven games he posted a 2.82 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage. The potential Vancouver Canucks starter is playing in the Spengler Cup with Fribourg Gotteron.

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• The high trade price for Rick Nash

  June 16, 2012

  Against all odds, Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson kept his job despite the spectacular failure of his team. He spent a lot of payroll dollars to lose a lot of games.
  
  Now Howson will be the NHL’s most popular man as the draft nears. Several teams are bidding on power forward Rick Nash, a player the Blue Jackets are committed to moving as part of a badly needed overhaul.
  
  The New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks seem like the front-runners, but don’t rule out the Toronto Maple Leafs or Carolina Hurricanes.
  
  What sort of package would it take to land Nash? The team apparently is asking for two proven players and a couple of prospects or draft picks in exchange.
  
  The Blue Jackets need to start over in goal, which is why an Antti Niemi/Joe Pavelski/picks/prospects offer from San Jose could have some appeal. The Sharks figure to make major changes after their playoff flop and Niemi, a Cup winner in Chicago, was one of their major culprits. The versatile Pavelski would offset some of the offense lost with Nash’s departure.
  
  The Rangers have some young forwards with upside, but only Ryan Callahan has emerged as a proven scorer. Brandon Dubinsky has scored more than 44 points just once in his career, yet the New York media props him up as an amazing trade piece. Actually he is a really good third-line forward.
  
  Chris Kreider showed some promise after coming out of the college ranks to score five playoff goals in 18 goals. Derek Stepan had one goal and eight assists in 20 playoff games. Artem Anisimov had three goals and seven assists in 10 playoff games. Are they future impact players or merely supporting cast candidates?
  
  Should Zach Parise re-sign with the New Jersey Devils, Howson would gain a ton of trade leverage. Then his demands for four or five significant pieces would not seem so extreme.

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• San Jose Sharks mull change to Todd McLellan's staff

  May 20, 2012

  Sharks general manager Doug Wilson refuses to confirm that head coach Todd McLellan will back next season, although that will almost certainly be the case.
  
  What is the hold-up?
  
  The San Jose Mercury News suggests there are ongoing discussions about the make-up of the entire staff. A number of former NHL players appear to be in line for an assistant coaching job with the team, including Bryan Marchment, Dirk Graham and Mike Ricci.
  
  In particular, the Sharks braintrust is mulling over how to repair the team’s disastrous penalty killing effort. That was the purview of assistant coach Jay Woodcroft, who is the on the discussion points.
  
  It appears McLellan will get one more chance to move the Sharks into Stanley Cup contention. But it also appears his staff could have a different look.
  
  Marchment, Graham and Ricci were all gritty NHL players. They were somewhat dirty players, too, so perhaps hiring one of these guys would help make the Sharks less pleasant to play against.

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• Plenty of NHL coaches are on the hot seat

  April 02, 2012

  Some NHL teams are getting ready to start the playoffs. Others are getting ready to fire their coaches.
  
  And some general managers will see how their teams fare in postseason play before making any decision on their bench leaders.
  
  This has been a tumultuous year for NHL coaches and more change may be in order. Here are some of the coaches we’re wondering about:
  
  Randy Cunneyworth, Canadiens. Montreal GM Pierre “The Ghost” Gauthier named him as interim coach after firing Jacques Martin. Now Gauthier has vanished as the ownership-dictated overhaul is about to begin. Cunneyworth did nothing during his brief regime to suggest he should remain. Fans are clamoring for the favorite son Patrick Roy to step behind the bench.
  
  Todd Richards, Blue Jackets: He courageously stepped in for Scott Arniel on an interim basis this season. With GM Scott Howson likely to get cashiered, Columbus figures to hit the “restart” button with a new coach as well as a new front office. Try as he might, Richards wasn't able to wring a whole lot more out of this disappointing bunch.
  
  Jack Capuano, Islanders: His team packed it in down the stretch. His exasperation peaked when he rolled out five defensemen on a shift while sending a message to his unenthusiastic forwards. Under normal circumstances that would signal “lost command” to ownership, but Charles Wang owns this team. Wang being Wang, he told the MSG Network that Capuano and his GM, Garth Snow, were safe. Long-suffering Isle fans groaned.
  
  Brent Sutter, Flames: The losing finally got to one of the calmer Sutter brothers. Brent blew up after a recent loss and had to be calmed by GM Jay Feaster. Calgary needs to start over from scratch, since cornerstone players Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff are high-mileage veterans and the franchise hasn’t developed its next generation of talent. Sutter has an expiring contract.
  
  “You feel like you could have done more,” Sutter recently told Calgary reporters. “You feel like, ‘OK what more could you do? What else could you do to help them?’ You feel bad for them. You feel bad for the organization. You feel bad for the fans. You feel like you let everybody down.”
  
  Todd McLellan, Sharks: His job security has been a popular Bay Area sports topic for some time now. This big-salaried team has been a baffling underachiever. With San Jose threatening to miss the playoffs entirely, fan unrest is about to boil over. The Sharks paying proven scorers big dollars to not score this season.
  
  Dale Hunter, Capitals: He agreed to try the whole NHL head-coaching thing on an interim basis. His contract runs only until season’s end. He is free to return to his OHL franchise in London, Ont., when the season is done. Hunter has kept the Capitals in playoff contention, but Washington’s goals are much greater. Is Hunter the man to get Alex Ovechkin and Mike Green back on track? Or is he better off returning to coach teenagers?
  
  Lindy Ruff, Sabres: New owner Terry Pegula spent a ton of money hoping to build a Stanley Cup contender. What Buffalo got instead was a team struggling to stay in the playoff hunts. Injuries played a huge factor in this team’s midseason swoon. The team’s belated rally put Ruff in a more favorable light. Buffalo is within two points of the last playoff spot. But if Ruff misses the playoffs, will he finally lose his Coach for Life standing?
  
  Joe Sacco, Avalanche: His three-year deal expires after this season. While Sacco has kept Colorado in the playoff hunt with a lot of youngsters in his mix, he hasn’t done enough to earn a contract extension. His team sits in 10th place entering the final week of the regular season, so he needs to win his last two games of the season to help himself.
  
  Tom Renney, Oilers: He has done solid work as orientation leader for the various high-end Edmonton prospects. But after finishing miles below .500 the past two seasons, he is not big fan favorite in that part of Alberta.
  
  “The circumstances around the Oilers are little bit different than they were in the past. We are rebuilding,” Renney told the Edmonton Journal last month. “The bottom line is this team has to keep improving and we should be evaluated at the end of the year. The team (players) and I’d certainly include myself in there. I have no problem with that. I’ll stand up front and centre and discuss my body of work, honestly.”
  
  Mike Yeo, Wild: Is he a fiery first-year coach or an out-of-control, in-over-his-head coach? When Minnesota went south after a fast start, Yeo couldn’t stop the bleeding. Injuries hurt his cause and logic dictates that Yeo will get a second season at the helm. But his mercurial behavior makes you wonder if he has what it takes to lead Minnesota back into playoff contention.

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• Martin Havlat returns to life, gives Sharks more bite

  March 18, 2012

  The San Jose Sharks didn’t land big gun Rick Nash at the NHL trade deadline. The team wasn’t able to import significant offensive help.
  
  But this week the team added some badly needed scoring help for the stretch run and the playoffs. Martin Havlat finally recovered from a torn hamstring muscle – just in time to add a much-needed offensive boost.
  
  He scored twice, including the overtime game winner, as the Sharks topped the Red Wings 3-2. This was just his second game back to active duty.
  
  Havlat’s return changes the look of this team.
  
  “He's such an important part of our hockey club, and I don't think we even realize yet how much of an impact he can have,” coach Todd McLellan told reporters after the game. “He is a smart, smart player. He doesn't waste a lot of energy on the ice, he positions himself well.”
  
  Havlat isn’t flashy, but he is highly skilled.
  
  “He's a very dynamic, top-end forward,” Sharks captain Joe Thornton told reporters after the game. “I didn't think he'd make this much of an impact in two games, but he just looks fabulous out there.”
  
  Havlat struggled earlier this season after arriving, scoring just two goals and adding just 13 assists in his first 25 games. This continued his career-long pattern of needing time adjust to a new team.
  
  San Jose acquired him from the Wild for winger Dany Heatley. Now the club may finally get the desired payoff for that move.

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• San Jose Sharks are sinking fast

  March 08, 2012

  So what’s wrong with the San Jose Sharks?

  They have fallen from the ranks of Stanley Cup contenders. At the moment, they are fighting just to make the playoffs.
  
  “We're not winning games,” coach Todd McLellan told the San Jose Mercury News. “That's what's wrong. It's as simple as that.”

  OK then. Here are some additional details on this team's stunning collapse:
  
  

  • On the most recent road trip the Sharks staggered to a 2-6-1 mark.
  • The Sharks have sputtered offensively, scoring three or fewer goals in each of their last 10 games.
  • They scored just four times in the recent four-game homestand. Their power play went 0-for-8.
  • Their top five scorers -- Joe Thornton, Logan Couture, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski and Dan Boyle -- combined for just three assists on the homestand.

  
  McLellan returned to the bench after recovering from a concussion suffered in a freak accident on the bench. But at this point, it’s not about coaching for the Sharks. It's about what is happening (or not happening) on the ice.
  
  “We've met enough,” McLellan said. “I've met with individuals, met with groups, met with everyone that needs to be met with. They know how to do it. They just have to do it.”
  
  Rogers Sportsnet columnist Mark Spector wondered if the Sharks’ opportunity to win a Stanley Cup has come and gone.
  
  “Certain fans are going to look at it a certain way. 'There's a window. They might have missed that window.' I don't look at it that way at all,” Boyle told him. “No, I don't think our ship has sailed at all. This is our time; we just have to correct ourselves here.
  
  “A month ago we were sitting comfortably at the top of our division. Everybody goes through a rough patch, but you've got to try and keep the lows short, and ride the highs. Right now we're on way too long a skid here. But, no. I don't think the ship has sailed.”

  We shall see. The Sharks head back to the road in hopes of making up some ground in the hyper-competitive Western Conference.

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• San Jose Sharks have lost their bite

  March 04, 2012

  When the Rick Nash Sweepstakes resume after the season, the San Jose Sharks will be front and center in the bidding.
  
  That team could have a fascinating offseason. In the meantime, though, the Sharks need to refocus and resume winning some games.
  
  San Jose is 3-8-1 in its last 12 games. As a result, the Phoenix Coyotes have moved into the Pacific Division lead with Dallas and Los Angeles also in hot pursuit.
  
  “It's tough to put a finger on it, but we're obviously in a funk, and we've got to get out of it,” defenseman Douglas Murray told reporters “We've got to work hard -- the same old cliches -- but we've got to get it going. Enough is enough.
  
  “It's the same as always, if we knew the solution, we'd take care of it. You talk about it, but you've just got to go out and do it. It's easy to talk, but you've just got to get it done on the ice.”
  
  San Jose offensive struggles were magnified during a 3-1 loss to the visiting St. Louis Blues. The return of center Logan Couture to active duty didn’t make much of a difference.
  
  “They give up the fewest amount of shots per game in the league, we knew we were only going to get 6-7 Grade-A scoring chances,” center Joe Thornton said of the Blues. “They block a lot of shots, that's the way they play. So you knew you weren't going to get a lot of chances. We thought it was going to be a 1-0, 2-1 type game.”
  
  The absence of coach Todd McLellan to a concussion – the result of a freakish incident on the bench – has complicated matters for the Sharks. Assistant coach Matt Shaw has been filling in.
  
  “It's always work and resolve and the attitude that we're going to overcome any bumps in the road,” Shaw told the San Jose Mercury News. “It's not a magic wand or a switch.”

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• San Jose Sharks add grit, but not Rick Nash

  February 27, 2012

  The Sharks made a big play for Blue Jackets power forward Rick Nash but didn’t come close to striking the deal before the trade deadline.
  
  San Jose GM Doug Wilson was going to part with young gun Logan Couture, so that was that. The Blue Jackets management team stuck wouldn't come down on its demands.

  “It's based on supply and demand,” Wilson told the San Jose Mercury News. “The prices seemed to be very high.”
  
  Wilson settled for trading handy third-line forward Jamie McGinn and two prospects to Colorado to get pesky T.J. Galiardi and gritty Daniel Winnik.
  
  “We were looking for speed, grit, tenacity and penalty-killing,” Wilson said. “We think we got that in these two players.”
  
  San Jose stumbled through a 2-6-1 road trip, so the group needed a shake-up. Before now and the playoffs, the club should also add offensive winger Martin Havlat – who has resumed skating after recovering from hamstring surgery.
  
  “When everybody gets into their proper roles, we have a very good hockey team,” Wilson said. “Once you get all the pieces to the puzzles settled, we like our team a lot. But it doesn't matter what it looks like on paper, it's what's on the ice that counts.”

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• NHL GMs Eye Trade Targets

  January 26, 2012

  National Hockey League general managers use their down time during All-Star break to assess their own teams and check in with their rival team executives.
  
  Expect to hear lots of rumors during the next few days as a result. But which players could actually move in a trade?
  
  And which players could actually impact the playoff races? Here are 10 players that fall into that category:
  
  Mikhail Grabovski, C, Toronto Maple Leafs: He is the classic example of the sort of supplemental scorer that often hits that market before the trade deadline. He is a good player, but not great. He scored 29 goals last season and has 16 this season. He is steaming toward unrestricted free agency while making $3.1 million this season. Might Toronto turn the page to clear salary cap space for a bigger acquisition? Perhaps.
  
  Nikolai Kulemin, W, Maple Leafs: He could become available as well. He scored 30 goals last season but has just five so far this season. He is headed to restricted free agency after earning $2.2 million this season. Again, is GM Brian Burke willing to continue committing notable cap space to him?
  
  Antoine Vermette, C, Columbus Blue Jackets: He has scored 19 or more goals five times in his career. He is a decent No. 2 center on a bad team or a No. 3 center for a decent team. He has struggled this season, but his offensive malaise is understandable with Columbus tanking so badly. Vermette has three years left on his contract paying him $3.75 million per year, so teams lacking cap space will have to maneuver to make a trade fit.
  
  Andrei Kostitsyn, W, Montreal Canadiens: Here is another classic supplemental scorer. He has delivered three seasons of 20 or more goals. He is on pace for another 20-goal finish this season. He is headed to unrestricted free agency after earning $3.25 million this season. Montreal GM Pierre Gauthier is on very thin ice, so it will be interesting to see if he would deal this player for a draft or try to extend him with a new deal.
  
  Martin Havlat, W, San Jose Sharks: He suffered a torn hamstring tendon hopping over the boards for a line change. Prior to that, he scored just two goals in his first 26 games for San Jose. Would the Sharks try to dump his salary to clear cap space for another move? If so, teams willing to take on the remaining three years (at $5 million per) could get a Top Six forward without giving up much.
  
  Mason Raymond, W, Vancouver Canucks: The National Post notes that in his last 171 games since Jan. 1, 2010 -- including the playoffs – he has scored 33 goals. He is a former 25-goal scorer with great speed, but he has not made an impact in Vancouver this season after returning from a broken bone in his back. He makes 2.6 million this season and will be restricted free agent after the season. All of that makes him an obvious trade target.
  
  Antero Niittymaki, GT, Sharks: He cleared waivers, so his fate could remains unresolved. He carries a $800,000 cost, so any team claiming him must believe he can make an impact. He has played showcase games in the AHL since returning from long-term injured reserve, but he hasn’t played in the NHL. He has recovered from hip surgery, but he has accumulated a lot of rust. Last season Niittymaki was 12-7-3 with a 2.72 goals-against average last season after falling into the back-up role behind Antti Niemi. “I know they’ve been working hard to find a place for me to play,” he told the San Jose Mercury News. “It’s probably not as easy as it sounds because I’ve been out with the (hip) surgery and I’ve only played games in the minors.”

  For a look at other additional trade targets, check out my story on STLToday.com.

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• Cammalleri, Other Wingers Pick Up Scoring Pace

  January 16, 2012

  Once upon a time Mike Cammalleri was a 39-goal scorer in the NHL. He will try to regain that form in Calgary after arriving from Montreal in a trade.
  
  His goal totals have plunged to 26 and 19 the past two seasons. In his first 35 games this season he scored just nine goals and added just 13 assists. Before his trade to the Flames, he picked up his pace with 11 points during a 15-game span.
  
  “It hasn’t been a great year-production-wise, no doubt,” Cammalleri told Calgary reporters. “I don’t think it does any good to try to figure out in front of the cameras what it specifically was or wasn’t. I’m just going to worry about playing as hard as I can tomorrow. I have full confidence in my ability to produce.”
  
  Sure enough, he scored in his first game for the Flames.
  
  Here are some other established winger looking to pick up their scoring pace during the season’s second half:
  
  Patrick Marleau, Sharks: An ever better San Jose power play -- with Brent Burns offering a second hammer on the blue line – should have positioned Marleau to do his usual damage. But the reconfigured Sharks struggled with the man advantage at even strength. This left you to wonder if Marleau’s epic 44-goal season as a fluke. But he scored 16 points during a 14-game span after scoring just 20 points in his first 28 games.
  
  Alexander Semin, Capitals: He has been all over the map in his career, highlighted by a 40-goal season featuring a plus-36 rating and 66 PIMs in 73 contests. After scaling back its offense last year, Washington tried to crank it back up this year. Then Dale Hunter arrived as coach to reemphasize defense. Semin had 14 points in a 17-game span after scoring just 10 points in his first 22 games. There is hope after all!
  
  Matt Moulson, Islanders: He has had back-to-back seasons of 30 goals while playing with John Tavares. But how much of that is Moulson and how much is Tavares? During the first two months he scored 12 points in 22 games. Since then he has scored 13 goals with 13 assists in 20 games.
  
  Bobby Ryan, Ducks: His earlier connection Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf created expectations for a 35-goal, 70-point season with a nice PIM element. That was the NHL’s best unit last season. After scoring 23 goals on the man advantage over the two previous seasons, he recorded just five in 2010-11. Maybe that was a warning signal. His downside appeared to be 30 goals with a nice PIM element . . . and then the bottom fell out this season. He posted a disappointing 13-8-21 line in 37 games. He picked up in pace in December, scoring six goals and adding three assists in 13 games. In his first seven games this month he has scored four goals and added three assists.
  
  Nathan Horton, Bruins: He recovered from a concussion suffered in the playoffs, but that incident raised the threat of reinjury. He scored 14 goals in his last two regular season games and scored 17 points in 21 playoff games, so he was trending well coming into the season. He earned 41 PIMs in his first 35 games, yet he scored just 22 points and earned a minus-2 ranking. But in his first six games in January, he had five goals, two assists and a plus-6 rating. The fog is lifting.
  
  Chris Stewart, Blues: After moving to St. Louis, he scored 15 goals in his final 26 games. Nobody expected him to keep up that pace, but lack of first-half productivity was baffling. He earned 50 PIMs in his first 35 games, but he scored just seven goals and added just seven assists. He was bad all three months. But he had three goals, two assists and a plus-3 rating in his first six January games.
  
  Ales Hemsky, Oilers: He scored 64 points in 69 games over the last two seasons. When he’s healthy, he is capable of being a point-per-game player. Edmonton’s rapidly evolving offense seemed to guarantee his success, but he scored just 11 points in his first 24 games. His role increased when injuries picked off Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. He has a goal and four assists in his last seven games as other NHL teams began scouting him.
  
  Shane Doan, Coyotes: This reliable power forward should have been good for 50 to 70 points, depending on how the young Phoenix forwards came together. Keith Yandle’s development as a power-play quarterback also improved his potential. then Doan scored just 12 points in 29 games in November and December. So that hat trick he scored at home against the Islanders Jan. 7 came out of nowhere. Can he jump start his offense for the stretch run?
  
  Michael Grabner, Islanders: He scored 26 goals in the final 44 games to emerge as a significant scoring threat. He scored 34 goals overall and was plus-13 as a rookie last season. But can he sustain that? The Islanders have a breakout offensive team, so he seemed like a decent bet. But he had 10 goals but only 16 points and is minus-12 after 35 games. In his last six games he had three goals and an assist.

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• Offensive Defensemen Surging In Second Half

  January 14, 2012

  Several elite NHL defensemen were merely so-so during the first half of the NHL season. And some of them are picking up their pace:
  
  Alex Pietrangelo, Blues: His 43 points in 79 games last season were just a starting point. He possesses 50- to 60-point potential. He scored just five goals and added just eight assists in his first 38 games. After scoring two points in 14 December games, he scored eight points in his first five games of January.
  
  Dan Boyle, Sharks: He has a steady 50- to 60-point scorer, great on the power play. He averaged a team-high 26:14 per game last year, including a team-high 4:17 with the man advantage. The addition of hard-shooting Brent Burns should have made him even better this season. But scored just two goals and dished 14 assists in his first 35 games this season. Then he scored seven points during a five-game span.
  
  Jack Johnson, Kings: He broke out with 25 power-play assists for the talented LA squad last season. But he remains a plus-minus liability; he was minus-57 in his first 200 games. In his first 38 games he scored just five goals with eight assists with a minus-9 rating. Then he scored seven points in his last six games.
  
  Lubomir Visnovsky, Ducks: He is coming off a career-high 68-point season for a strong offensive team and a REALLY strong power play. His plus-18 rating, 11.8 percent shooting percentage and 13 even strength goals were also career highs. He scored 15 goals the year before. But he scored just five points in his first 19 games. Since then he has scored eight points in 11 games.
  
  Drew Doughty, Kings: LA caved and gave him the money that he wanted. Now he needs do MUCH better than his 40 points in 76 games last season. He scored 59 points the year before. The reduction was due in large part to his power-play scoring rate falling from 4.31 points per 60 minutes to just 2.57 points/60. He scored just 15 points in his first 35 games this season with a minus-3 rating. But he scored eight points during a span of 12 games.
  
  Brent Burns, Sharks: He brought 15- to 20-goal potential to an already potent power play. This guy can shoot the puck and San Jose should take advantage of that. But he had six goals, six assists and a plus-10 rating in his first 37 games. Then he had a goal and two assists during his last three games.
  
  Alex Goligoski, Stars: Last season he scored 15 points in 23 games after moving over from Pittsburgh. But then the Dallas power lost Brad Richards to free agency and Goligoski scored just 10 points with a minus-4 rating in his first 29 games this season. Then he scored goals in back-to-back games and added an assist.
  
  Filip Kuba, Senators: He posted a 3-6-9 line in his first 30 games. He earned a plus-9 rating and scored twice on the power play. After scoring just four points during a 19-game span, he scored four points with a plus-8 rating in his next six games.
  
  Mark Streit, Islanders: He offers 60-point skill on an emerging offensive team. If his repaired shoulder holds up, he’ll be an elite weapon. He scored just two goals to go with 17 assists in 37 games. He scored just 11 points during a 28-game span. In his first five January game he had four points and a minus-1 rating.

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• McLellan Shuffles Lineup, Unplugs Offense

  December 11, 2011

  Is Patrick Marleau really a third-line player?
  
  Sharks coach Todd McLellan must think to. He moved Marleau, now scoreless in six games, to the No. 3 grouping with 900-year center Michael Handzus. Marleau didn’t pout about playing with the career checker.
  
  “Zeus is just a really good player,” he told the San Jose Mercury News after his relegation. “He’s got such a great skill level that he can play on a first or second line. When you’re out there with somebody smart and skilled like him, it’s fun.”
  
  Are Brad Winchester and Jamie McGinn really the ideal linemates for Jumbo Joe Thornton?
  
  McLellan gave that some thought. He prepared for Saturday night’s game by looking at different combinations. Winchester and McGinnn aligned with the playmaking Thornton on the second line during the pre-game skate.
  
  He experimented with Joe Pavelski and Marleau flanking Handzus. That left Ryane Clowe, Logan Couture and Martin Havlat making up the No. 2 line disguised as the No. 1 line.
  
  During the game, McLellan moved Handzus onto the power play and bumped Pavelski back to the point for the first time this season.
  
  These were masterstroke by McLellan, who tinkered with his offensive chemistry against an opponent known for its tight checking. By trying to blend size and grit through his attack, the coach succeeded only in diminishing his scoring potential.
  
  The results were predictable: a 1-0 loss to the Blues Saturday night at Scottrade Center. San Jose went 0 for 6 on the power play and mustered just 24 shots overall.

  For more on this story and other NHL news and links, check out this story on STLToday.com.

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• A Vigororous Re-Torts From New York

  November 01, 2011

  Sharks center "Jumbo" Joe Thornton has never been considered one of the NHL’s Bravehearts. A player his size should dominant play night after night . . . yet he plays a fairly passive game in most games
  
  So this salvo at the Rangers after a 5-2 San Jose loss at New York seemed a bit out of place: “They were probably the softest team we played on the trip. We should have had these two points.”
  
  As you would expect, Rangers coach John Tortorella was taken aback by that insult. His response: “It surprised me, and I've never heard a player say that. Joe's a heck of a player, but here's a player popping off about our team, and Joe hasn't won a god d--- thing in this league. He could go down as a player, being one of the better players in our league never to win anything. So what he should do is just shut up. It was uncalled for, it was classless, and I've never had it happen like that before.”
  
  Too bad these teams don’t see more of each other, eh?

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