By Stephanie Lee, San Jose Sharks Correspondent 

Pickles. Mammoths. Tacos. Mystery Houses. An American with a  Silver Medal. Those are just some of the things that a Sharks fan might find around HP Pavilion in San Jose.

Thursday night ended up like no other night at the Tank. The San Jose Sharks beat the Detroit Red Wings by the score of 5-2 for the fifth time in a row, getting scoring from the most unlikely of places.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic, aka Pickles, tallied a career-high four points (1G, 3A). That tied the record in the Sharks organization for most points by a defensemen. The last Sharks defenseman to score four points in a game was Rob Blake, who tallied four assists against the Washington Capitals on November 22, 2008.

What might have been more interesting was the Sharks fourth line producing more goals and points then the top two lines (1G, 4A). Brad Winchester and Andrew Murray picked up their first points as Sharks, and Torrey Mitchell added his second goal in just a week.

Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski also scored for the Sharks, and Antti Niemi made 40 saves on the night.

If the last few NHL seasons were any indication as to what we can expect if we are discussing an NHL head coach, one situation that is certain is that someone will be fired prior to the 2010-11 NHL All-Star game.

This off-season alone we have already witnessed transition throughout the league at the head coaching position.

Rich Tocchet was relieved of his duties with the Tampa Bay Lightning for Guy Boucher. The Atlanta Thrashers and Columbus Blue Jackets both appointed new soldiers to man the fort as bench bosses as well.

However, we do not feel that will be the only movement made from NHL teams.

When looking around the league, outside of Barry Trotz and Lindy Ruff – the longest tenured coaches remaining within the NHL – there are many new faces in many new places.

This season, expectations are high for many clubs not considered a team in transition.

One team in which a window – or time frame if you will – has been placed upon to win a Stanley Cup are the Washington Capitals.

Bruce Boudreau – Three straight Southeast Divisional titles and that’s right, the head coach of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Washington Capitals could possibly find himself on the unemployment line.  Since taking over the helm in Washington early in the 2007-08 season, Boudreau has established himself as one of the top regular season bench bosses.  His .664 winning percentage is tops of any NHL coaches over that time period.  Washington’s decision to not sign unrestricted free agent goaltender Jose Theodore leaves the Capitals with two 22-year-old net minders in Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth.  The two young backstops have a combined 54 NHL regular season games to their credit, so experience could be an issue.  Boudreau’s problems have come in the postseason, where all four series that he has coached have gone the full seven games, and his Capitals have won just one of those series.  And remember Washington owner Ted Leonsis’ blog after last year’s seven-game first round loss to the Montreal Canadiens that seemed to question some of Boudreau’s tactics.

However, even with his .664 winning percentage something seems to be missing either from the on-ice product or from coach himself. The window has begun to close, and at this point it is not too far from being closed and locked.

John Tortorella – Despite leading his team to a 7-1-2 mark over the course of the season’s final 10 games, the 50-year-old New York Rangers head coach saw his Broadway Blueshirts miss the postseason in a shootout on the last day of the 2009-10 campaign.  Even though the most significant off-season signing may well be forward Alexander Frolov, Tortorella may be in trouble if the Rangers appear that they cannot make any postseason noise after the team has missed the playoffs in two of the past three seasons.

The common factor here – Tortorella was the coach of this club for the past two seasons after taking over for Tom Renney. Though he did help an already talented club enter the playoffs in ’08-’09, they exited as quick as they entered.

Say what you will about the supporting cast for Marian Gaborik and Henrik Lundqvist but this Rangers club, again on black and white, is capable of being a constant threat within the Eastern Conference each year. If the season begins and there are more L’s over W’s, expect yet another change in New York.

Ron Wilson – After four consecutive 40+ win seasons with the San Jose Sharks, Wilson’s first two years in Toronto were forgettable, non-playoff efforts.  But with GM Brian Burke’s retooling of the Leafs over the past nine months, adding players like defenseman Dion Phaneuf, goaltender J.S. Giguere, and forwards Kris Versteeg, Colby Armstrong, and Clarke MacArthur, Toronto will definitely have higher expectations heading into the 2010-11 season.  And that means that if the club is not performing to the level that Burke feels it should, Wilson could have good reason to be looking over his shoulder. Also, believe what you will about the Tomas Kaberle reports that he and coach Wilson simply are not on the same page and this adds salt to the wounds.

Yes the team was blundered by injuries last season, but is it truly Wilson to blame here or do we need to point the finger directly at Burke? The tricky situation is figuring out just that. Burke has attempted to re-tool his team by the signings and trades mentioned above and feels confident enough to be a competitive club this year which in turn puts all the pressure on Wilson to make this team gel and perform up to Burke and company’s expectations.

Claude Julien – After last season’s playoff collapse, one must wonder how long of a leash Julien has attached to his name. After completing his third full season as head coach of the club, adding three straight playoff births, it might not be as short of a leash as some of the other coaches but something has to give.

Since taking over the team at the start of the 2007-08 season, Julien and his Bruins have not had a losing record. However, though plagued by injuries last season, it was his worst season with the club as they posted a record of 39-30-13.  Add to that the historic playoff blunder and assume as we are that Peter Chiarelli is keeping a close eye on Julien and his progress to start the season.

The Bruins have not been to the Conference finals since the 1991-92 season and have not earned the chance to play for the Stanley Cup since 1989-90. Teasing their fanbase for the past three years, last season plunged the knife through the hearts of the organizations faithful.

Julien, at one time, helped a disgruntled forward in Michael Ryder re-ignite his scoring touch, only to have it disappear the next (last) season. As we have been creating a common theme within this writing, sometimes the players just lose touch with their coaches and their ears no longer truly hear what the coach has to say. If such is the case in Boston, there could very much be a change as soon as January. Would we hold our breathe on this one? No, but stranger things have happened, especially around the NHL.

Todd McLellan – The San Jose Sharks – on black and white – for years have been considered a powerhouse and dominant team throughout the regular season.  However, their playoff failures have been the only consistency in their game. McLellan stepped in, replacing Ron Wilson, and has had the same success…err…situations arise. Yet no one points the finger at the coaching in San Jose.  Most use Joe Thornton as the scape goat when such is not the case, especially this past playoff season.

In two full seasons with the Sharks, McLellan has a record of 104-38-22 which is good for a winning percentage of .634 – during the regular season. He has coached his team to the quaterfinals in 2009 and the conference finals in 2010. But it was these very same Sharks that were – according to the experts – on the Stanley Cup path both years under McLellan and prior.

With two major player personnel changes from the organization this season, Rob Blake‘s retirement and Evgeni Nabokov bolting for the KHL, there are new faces swimming with the regulars.  Stanley Cup Champion goaltender Antti Niemi as well as goaltender Antero Niittymaki will be called upon in likely a #1a/#1b type scenario to attempt to carry this team to the promise land yet again this season. If there is another early playoff exit by the Sharks again this season, the finger will need to be pointed and the axe dropped.

Paul Maurice – It may come as a strange situation for some of you readers to see Maurice on this list. It’s not that Marucie is a bad coach, it seems to be more of the fact of the matter that with the team in transition, the players ears may be closing to the coaches mouth.  Anytime you lose the confidence of your team – they simply can not follow a simple game plan or the thoughts of the head coach – there needs to be a change.  Although last season the ‘Canse were plagued by injuries and issues, there is going to be a close eye on Maurice to start the season. Will he be able to have his team respond from an off year and show positives and signs of life throughout the first portion of the season?  Of course, only time permits the answer to that question.

The season is right around the corner. Thus far, it truly has the makings to be a very exciting season at that.  Who will be the first NHL coach axed in your opinion, if any? Here is to hoping for solid seasons all around and know that we do not wish any ill will among any of those employed by the National Hockey League – from staff, to players, to coaches, to upper management and beyond.

Anthony Curatolo
NHLHS NHL Writer
acuratolo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @HockeyGuy_AC

Dave Strehle
NHLHS NHL Writer
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

Chris Chelios retired yesterday as Christina Roberts so eloquently broke down, but this piece has been coming for a while. For some people, myself included, a player like Chelly came from our childhood. I remember getting excited by unwrapping the special card in the pack, you know the one with him and Brian Leetch each sporting All-Star jerseys (the Eastern Conference wore San Jose Shark teal, still weird). He brings back the memories of old and makes you feel old. Heck, when Chelios was a rookie Reagan was in office.  Reagan.

A look at the career of Chelios makes you think of the other excellent players who hit free agency this season and to this point still remain unsigned.

Jere Lehtinen may be mulling over his role in Dallas and can probably imagine there would be no room in Detroit.  Despite his age, he still needs to consider his future simply because he feels he can play while the rest of the league would rather gamble on a younger player.  In a time pre-dating the salary cap, a player regardless of recent performance could at least strike a one-year deal– albeit most of them were signed by the New York Rangers and enjoyed the twilight of their careers in the Big Apple.

Paul Kariya decided he would take the year off due to post concussion syndrome making the hockey world wonder if we have seen him lace them up for the last time.  We somewhat saw this coming, unlike that blindside hit to the back of the head from Patrick Kaleta.

His former teammate Teemu Selanne seemed adamant  in returning as he continues his string of retirement holdouts and one-year contract continues but he is a rare breed.  While Doug Weight seems to share his philosophy with his one-year extension the two share one trait: their team actually wants them.

The Pittsburgh Penguins no longer wanted Bill Guerin despite his 21 goals last season, they felt the kids could do better.  While Guerin still looks for employment and does not consider the R word, Lehtinen refuses to complain about the situation.  It simply seems like teams will let the old men walk and decide to stick it out with the kids.

Generally speaking the average age of an NHL player, especially forward, has dropped since the lockout.  As teams get younger, there becomes casualties.  Sadly these casualties may be future hall-of-famers.

It is a sad day when there is no room for Chris Chelios, Paul Kariya, Jere Lehtinen, Mathieu Schneider or Slava Kozlov. At the very least they could offer solid veteran leadership and a 13th forward/7th defenseman type role.  Will more players start to take the same route as say Rob Blake and Scott Neidermayer?  Or more importantly: Do you think there is still room for these guys or would you rather see a fringe prospect play this role?

As the fifth oldest team in the league, the San Jose Sharks sit atop the Western Conference. Their average age of 28.04 years, places them as the third oldest in the Western Conference.

Their age has not hindered their overall team play and production, however, several players are affected by their age, both old and young.

To begin, the oldest player on the team, Rob Blake (40) missed eleven games this season. His sub par offensive numbers fall in comparison to his last few seasons. He scored five goals and added fourteen assists in forty-nine games this year, but something seems amiss in the forty-year old.

His time in the NHL may appear limited as the captain of the Sharks does not seem like the “top-four defenseman” quality anymore. His speed decreased in the last season. His age definitely hinders him, but at the moment (and not counting his last few games) the only thing he offers is wisdom and advice. The players can get that from their coach, or another player that can keep up with the game

Like Blake, fellow defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic’s numbers are abysmal compared to his previous seasons. Playing in only his fourth NHL season, Vlasic became known as a reliable defenseman, who will add plenty of assists to his points column. Vlasic broke out of the pack last season with thirty assists in eighty-two games. This year, he has ten in fifty-four games.

Though young talent is the increasing power behind many NHL teams, Vlasic may be one of the players on the trade block for the Sharks.

Continuing on with the defense, Dan Boyle is the number one guy for the Sharks. Physical, strong on both sides of the puck, and experienced, Boyle can handle the pressure of the top defense pairing, game in and game out.

Offensively, Boyle’s production should either tie last season’s point totals, or surpass them.

Up front, Joe Thorton, first in scoring on the Sharks, at age thirty, developed into a passer this season. His total goals are down a little from last season, but he currently has fifty-nine assists in sixty games. He only had sixty-one assists in eighty-two games last season.

Some speculate that Blake may be on his way out of the San Jose organization, and if the Sharks do trade him, Thorton will be a great candidate as the new captain.

On the other end of the spectrum, Devon Setoguchi (23) had an amazing offensive season last year on a line with Thorton and Patrick Marleau. Everyone expected his numbers to rise with the help of Dany Heatley, but instead, his production fell.

Though Setoguchi is only in his third NHL season, with his wonky consistency, he is expendable to the Sharks, and may also be on the way out the door.

Then, there is Heatley, who the Sharks acquired from the Ottawa Senators. Joining the Sharks seemed very controversial for Heatley, but his numbers are even better than last season, and are on pace to tie or pass the 2007-2008 season points.

Heatley ranks second on the Sharks in points, but he seems to have a niche in San Jose.

Former captain, Marleau, sits in third in points for the Sharks, but the Sharks relieving him of his captaincy led him to a successful offensive season. Last season, he set a career high in goals with thirty-eight in seventy-six games. This season, however, he has thirty-eight goals in just sixty games played. He is on pace to finish better, than last season.

Conversely, their goaltending does not face the same problem as the forwards and defense. Evgeni Nabokov, age 34, though on the older end, has thirty-four wins (in fifty-one games played). Tied for second in the league in wins, Nabokov probably will not match his career record for wins (46), but he is one of the largest reasons for the Sharks’ success this year.

Regardless of age, the Sharks hold first place in the Western Conference, four points ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks. Their finish last year was very similar to this season thus far, but their post-season failures outweigh all their regular-season success.

Can the Sharks go further than the second round this year? They have the talent to go far, or else they would not sit in second place in the league, and first in their conference. The Sharks, however, need to fix a few gaps in their lineup before the playoffs, or they are doomed for another post-season flop.

Katlyn Gambill
NHLHS Featured Writer
kgambill@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @freezethepuck

Central

• GM Stan Bowman believes the Hawks goaltending will stand up to a cup run.  ”I’m not worried about the goaltending. It has been our strength really all year. I know we play a good team defense as well, (but) without solid goaltending we wouldn’t be where we’re at. Internally we’re comfortable.”  I guess they will stick with Cristobal Huet and Antti Niemi down the stretch.
• The Blue Jackets came from behind to defeat Boston 3-2.  The team received an extra boost with 18 of their fathers in the stands.
• Chris McCosky of The Detroit News wonders where the Wings would be without Drew Miller, Jimmy Howard, Patrick Eaves and Darren Helm.  ”We wouldn’t have any wins if it weren’t for those guys,” coach Mike Babcock said. “It’s not like our big guys have been scoring like crazy.”  Looks like the Wings feature a new wave of younger, scrappy grinders.
• The Predators fell to Phoenix 4-2 with the help of their former player and draftee Scottie Upshall.  In just his second career game against the team who drafted him Upshall scored a hat trick, essentially defeating them single handedly.
• The Blues dug their own grave allowing three powerplay goals to the Senators.  They came in to Ottawa with the best penalty kill on the road.

Northwest

• With last night’s loss the Flames now dropped six in a row. George Johnson of The Calgary Herald believes the Hawks play in a league of their own.
• Cody McLeod scored 15 goals last season but fails to find his scoring touch.  Coach Joe Sacco believes his player still plays his role effectively.  ”It’s tough, because that’s not his responsibility,” Sacco said. “He’s doing a lot of other things very well for us. He’s been very physical, and he’s a guy his teammates can count on to show up and play hard every game. He’s actually been very good on the penalty kill too.
• Jim Matheson of The Edmonton Journal looks at the bright side of Sam Gagner and his slow development curve.
• The Minnesota Wild come from behind to win seemingly every game.  Fresh off a concussion Brent Burns returned to the team to help the Wild attempt a fifteenth come-from-behind victory.
• The Canucks played without Sami Salo, Willie Mitchell and Kevin Bieksa but still got the W against the Stars.  As Roberto Luongo said: “It happens every year.“

Pacific

• Even with their improved place in the standings, the Ducks still cannot solve the Sharks.  Ryan Getzlaf thinks the powerplay made the difference.  ”Our power play has got to be a little bit better than that,”  Getzlaf said.
• Alex Auld allowed a shorthanded goal when he misplayed the puck and gave it to Alex Burrows.  ”It’s tough when you give up one like that. You have to learn from these things and move on,” Auld said.
• Rich Hammond of LAKings.com muses over Dustin Brown and Jon Quick defeating their Olympic teammate Ryan Miller.
• The Coyotes received valiant efforts from their leading scorer Scottie Upshall and backbone Ilya Bryzgalov to defeat the Predators 4-2.  ”It’s a game that means so much,” Upshall said. “This game for us was a big momentum builder, and it said a lot for the way this week has gone, and the questions you guys have been asking about what’s going on.
• Rob Blake and Marc-Edouard Vlasic both scored goals with Dan Boyle out.  ”They were partners until tonight,” coach Todd McLellan said. “Then we broke them up and they both scored goals.”

Alexander Monaghan
NHLHS Editor
amonaghan@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @NHLHotStove