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| Todd McLellan - NHL |
Todd McLellan is actually a content guy as of late. For the first time seeing that he began coaching the Sharks in 2008, his team is much more or less officially expected to lose a playoff series. They will be the lower-seeded team Sunday in Canada once they face off against the Vancouver Canucks, who had the most effective record inside the NHL this season.
"I believe a lot of people see us as an underdog," McLellan stated the other day, barely hiding his delight -- and provoking a rare question to the coach of a team that continues to be so productive:
How big an underdog would he such as the Sharks to be?
"I do not know," McLellan responded. "How massive are underdogs?"
I guess the following part will be uncomplicated, then. I'm picking the Canucks to win in six games.
It isn't at McLellan's request. It is for the reason that the Canucks have shown more than the past month that they're able to back up their great regular-season record. They've a terrific core of defensemen who will give the Sharks fits, a pair of icy-eyed skilled Swedish twin forwards and also a gritty American centerman in the top of his game.
Not that Vancouver will roll. The Canucks as well as the Sharks are the two greatest teams left inside the playoffs. This series will be the de facto Stanley Cup finals. And I anticipate the Sharks to come up just somewhat brief, primarily right after draining themselves in Thursday's epic Game 7 against Detroit though Vancouver has been resting since Monday.
McLellan, obviously, knows precisely what he is doing by casting
his Shark guys as scrappy, plucky guys whom no one expects to win. He has in no way been capable to play that psychological card. Ever due to the fact the NHL lockout ended, the Sharks have flown the flag as a perpetually underachieving team.
As McLellan noted: "We have this anchor that everyone throws at us, fairly or unfairly."
It is a bit of both. The Sharks are the only team in this year's conference finals who had been also there last year, which usually means something. Also, given that 2004, just 3 NHL teams -- the Sharks, Red Wings and Flyers -- have already been in a position to reach the conference finals three times. By comparison, Vancouver hasn't been there even once given that 1994. So it is totally incorrect to label the Sharks as miserable flops worthy of scorn.
Simultaneously "... well, any follower of our beloved Los Tiburones can finish the following sentence. For all of their impressive regular-season victories and their better-than-reputed playoff achievement, the Sharks have nevertheless to reach the Stanley Cup finals. Let alone win the massive, silver beer mug. And until they do, they may often have that sentence to finish.
Vancouver, incidentally, is in very much the identical scenario -- while the franchise does have two appearances in the finals. As the only western Canadian team in no way to win a Cup, even though, the Canucks is going to be feeling the heat from all more than British Columbia. That is why McLellan believes that "maybe we'll play additional free" together with the Sharks players no longer getting reminded everyday that they really need to validate their promise.
The Sharks have shown the hockey globe considerably fine stuff over the past month. Coming back from a four-goal deficit to win Game three in Los Angeles. Grinding out those four one-goal victories over Detroit, such as the stomach-acid special Thursday. And you get the sense that, as opposed to some Sharks teams in the past who seemed to anticipate that their talent entitled them to win a playoff series, this 1 understands that it requires sustained effort to obtain the job done.
Joe Thornton has led the parade in that department, by the way. I stick towards the statement that was written here final autumn when there was speculation soon after Rob Blake's retirement about who really should take over the team's captaincy: To me, there is no way the Sharks will win the Stanley Cup unless of course Thornton will be the captain.
So far, he has proved me perfect. Thornton has led on and off the ice, from his defensive commitment for the calm words inside the dressing room just before each overtime. He would never ever concede this, but at age 31 as a husband and new father, Thornton also is realizing that there are only so many kicks in the can left. There is no guarantee the Sharks will ever get a chance once more.
His teammates understand it, too. Just after the Detroit clincher, a person asked Joe Pavelski if he felt a sense of relief.
"There's no relief," Pavelski said. "We've been right here before. There's a higher job ahead."
The job is going to be a bear. The Sharks had only a single win in four meetings with Vancouver within the normal season, and that was in a shootout. Those two Swedish twins, Henrik and Daniel Sedin, will probably be making life rugged for the Sharks' defensemen. Daniel will be the twin probably to win probably the most Beneficial Player award this season. He led the league this season in scoring the very first aim of games -- with 12 -- and was a clutch performer.
Meanwhile, Vancouver's top playoff scorer is Ryan Kesler, who joined Pavelski because the prime heart-and-soul players on the USA Olympic team in 2010. Kesler will plant himself in front of the goal and dare any individual to move him out. Let's just say Sharks goalie Antti Niemi is going to be growing pretty acquainted with Kesler's back
The Sharks have a chance to counteract all this if Thornton can get Patrick Marleau to keep raising his game and if Devin Setoguchi keeps firing accurately in the net. But they'll need to have secondary scoring, as well, plus more magnificent function from Niemi.
It ought to be a entertaining and riveting series. But the underdog will not win this time. Hope that cheery forecast tends to make McLellan smile.
Playing profession
Just after living in Goodeve, Saskatchewan and Melville, Saskatchewan in the course of his childhood, McLellan started out his playing profession together with the Saskatoon Blades from the Western Hockey League from 1983 to 1987. Within the 1986 NHL Entry Draft, he was drafted by the New York Islanders inside the fifth round. He played a total of 5 games at the NHL level, spending the majority of two seasons together with the Islanders' American Hockey League affiliate, the Springfield Indians. Even so, recurring shoulder injuries dating back to his junior hockey days ended McLellan's North American playing profession right after the 1988-89 season. He returned residence to study in the University of Saskatchewan for a year, ahead of resuming his playing career for S.IJ. Utrecht from the Eredivisie within the Netherlands. In the course of his 3 seasons there, the team hired a brand new coach, who moved in with McLellan and created him a player-coach, which McLellan recognizes as the cause he became interested in coaching.[2]
[edit] Coaching profession
Following his stint as a player-coach with SIJ Utrecht, McLellan returned to Canada in 1992. He went into full-time coaching in 1993, getting hired as the coach from the North Battleford North Stars with the Saskatchewan Junior League. In 1994, McLellan was hired as the head coach and basic manager of the Swift Existing Broncos with the Western Hockey League. In his six seasons with Swift Present, the Broncos qualified for the WHL playoffs in all seasons. McLellan himself was named WHL Executive with the Year in 1997 and Coach of the Year in 2000.[2]
Following his successes in the junior level, McLellan was hired by the expansion Minnesota Wild to coach their minor league affiliate, the Cleveland Lumberjacks from the International Hockey League. Immediately after the IHL folded in 2001, McLellan and his staff were transferred for the Wild's new minor league affiliate, the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League. As coach from the Aeros, McLellan led Houston to the Calder Cup in 2003.[2]
In 2005, Mike Babcock chosen McLellan to serve as his assistant with all the Detroit Red Wings. In Detroit, McLellan was tasked with handling the Red Wings' forwards and managing the team's power play, also as reporting player performance to head coach Babcock. Beneath his watch, the Red Wings had the top-ranked power play inside the NHL, finishing 1st in energy play efficiency in 2005-06 and third in 2007-08. McLellan would also realize his 1st Stanley Cup using the Red Wings in 2007-08.[2]
On June 11, 2008, the San Jose Sharks hired McLellan to become their new head coach, replacing Ron Wilson.[3] He would finish up the head coach for the Western Conference All-Star team, and lead the Sharks to their to begin with Presidents' Trophy with an NHL-leading 117 points to finish the common season, and finished third in voting for that season's Jack Adams Award, behind winner Claude Julien and Andy Murray.
Just after living in Goodeve, Saskatchewan and Melville, Saskatchewan in the course of his childhood, McLellan started out his playing profession together with the Saskatoon Blades from the Western Hockey League from 1983 to 1987. Within the 1986 NHL Entry Draft, he was drafted by the New York Islanders inside the fifth round. He played a total of 5 games at the NHL level, spending the majority of two seasons together with the Islanders' American Hockey League affiliate, the Springfield Indians. Even so, recurring shoulder injuries dating back to his junior hockey days ended McLellan's North American playing profession right after the 1988-89 season. He returned residence to study in the University of Saskatchewan for a year, ahead of resuming his playing career for S.IJ. Utrecht from the Eredivisie within the Netherlands. In the course of his 3 seasons there, the team hired a brand new coach, who moved in with McLellan and created him a player-coach, which McLellan recognizes as the cause he became interested in coaching.[2]
[edit] Coaching profession
Following his stint as a player-coach with SIJ Utrecht, McLellan returned to Canada in 1992. He went into full-time coaching in 1993, getting hired as the coach from the North Battleford North Stars with the Saskatchewan Junior League. In 1994, McLellan was hired as the head coach and basic manager of the Swift Existing Broncos with the Western Hockey League. In his six seasons with Swift Present, the Broncos qualified for the WHL playoffs in all seasons. McLellan himself was named WHL Executive with the Year in 1997 and Coach of the Year in 2000.[2]
Following his successes in the junior level, McLellan was hired by the expansion Minnesota Wild to coach their minor league affiliate, the Cleveland Lumberjacks from the International Hockey League. Immediately after the IHL folded in 2001, McLellan and his staff were transferred for the Wild's new minor league affiliate, the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League. As coach from the Aeros, McLellan led Houston to the Calder Cup in 2003.[2]
In 2005, Mike Babcock chosen McLellan to serve as his assistant with all the Detroit Red Wings. In Detroit, McLellan was tasked with handling the Red Wings' forwards and managing the team's power play, also as reporting player performance to head coach Babcock. Beneath his watch, the Red Wings had the top-ranked power play inside the NHL, finishing 1st in energy play efficiency in 2005-06 and third in 2007-08. McLellan would also realize his 1st Stanley Cup using the Red Wings in 2007-08.[2]
On June 11, 2008, the San Jose Sharks hired McLellan to become their new head coach, replacing Ron Wilson.[3] He would finish up the head coach for the Western Conference All-Star team, and lead the Sharks to their to begin with Presidents' Trophy with an NHL-leading 117 points to finish the common season, and finished third in voting for that season's Jack Adams Award, behind winner Claude Julien and Andy Murray.
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