I was just checking out the boxscore from the Edmonton-San Jose game and had a few quick lunchtime (at least here in the Bay Area it's the noon hour) observations in terms of playing time:
*Perhaps the coaching staff is still methodically working him into the flow of the game, but Scott Gomez had just 12 minutes, 54 seconds of TOI, his lowest in four games as a Shark so far. He did manage three shots-on-goal after not being credit with any such shots in the two previous games. Gomez isn't supposed to be a scorer, but when at his best a solid playmaker who in theory should be producing goals for the Sharks' secondary lines. He has one assist thus far, but you would think at the first sign of a team-wide slump, Gomez will begin earning third-line rather than the fourth-line minutes he's produced so far. Three minutes of time spent on the power play prevented Gomez from getting Adam Burish-level TOI.
*Another surprisingly low minutes played label goes to Tommy Wingels, who I expect to be a scoring contributor, especially with the assumption he'll eventually get significant time as a wing on a Gomez-centered line. Wingels was on the ice for just a team-lowest 8:33 (19 seconds less than Burish), and has yet to make the kind of impact he showed signs of last season. Sophomore slumping or not, it's a little bit of concern when the James Sheppard's (12:18) and Andrew Desjardins's (11:04) are getting significantly more playing time, almost exclusively in even strength situations. Wingels' TOI has dropped for five consecutive games after playing nearly 16 minutes in the season opener.
*Welcome back Dan Boyle, who even at 36 looks like one of the team's most important players. After missing the third period of the Vancouver game Sunday and then sitting out the Anaheim on Tuesday with the flu, Boyle gutted out over 27 total minutes, far more than anyone else, including nine-plus combined on the power play and short-handed. He got five shots-on-goal on Edmonton's Devan Dubnyk and seems a good influence as a defense pairing with rookie Matt Irwin. With Jason Demers now back on the active roster, it will be interesting how soon he gets back on the ice with the Sharks' blueliners looking mostly solid, Irwin included. Brent Burns presumed return to active duty will only add depth to whoever ends up sitting on the bench as a healthy scratch most nights. Justin Braun and Douglas Murray could be the odd men out once the Sharks are fully healthy if Irwin continues to play at a successful level.
*Perhaps the coaching staff is still methodically working him into the flow of the game, but Scott Gomez had just 12 minutes, 54 seconds of TOI, his lowest in four games as a Shark so far. He did manage three shots-on-goal after not being credit with any such shots in the two previous games. Gomez isn't supposed to be a scorer, but when at his best a solid playmaker who in theory should be producing goals for the Sharks' secondary lines. He has one assist thus far, but you would think at the first sign of a team-wide slump, Gomez will begin earning third-line rather than the fourth-line minutes he's produced so far. Three minutes of time spent on the power play prevented Gomez from getting Adam Burish-level TOI.
*Another surprisingly low minutes played label goes to Tommy Wingels, who I expect to be a scoring contributor, especially with the assumption he'll eventually get significant time as a wing on a Gomez-centered line. Wingels was on the ice for just a team-lowest 8:33 (19 seconds less than Burish), and has yet to make the kind of impact he showed signs of last season. Sophomore slumping or not, it's a little bit of concern when the James Sheppard's (12:18) and Andrew Desjardins's (11:04) are getting significantly more playing time, almost exclusively in even strength situations. Wingels' TOI has dropped for five consecutive games after playing nearly 16 minutes in the season opener.
*Welcome back Dan Boyle, who even at 36 looks like one of the team's most important players. After missing the third period of the Vancouver game Sunday and then sitting out the Anaheim on Tuesday with the flu, Boyle gutted out over 27 total minutes, far more than anyone else, including nine-plus combined on the power play and short-handed. He got five shots-on-goal on Edmonton's Devan Dubnyk and seems a good influence as a defense pairing with rookie Matt Irwin. With Jason Demers now back on the active roster, it will be interesting how soon he gets back on the ice with the Sharks' blueliners looking mostly solid, Irwin included. Brent Burns presumed return to active duty will only add depth to whoever ends up sitting on the bench as a healthy scratch most nights. Justin Braun and Douglas Murray could be the odd men out once the Sharks are fully healthy if Irwin continues to play at a successful level.
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