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Seems pretty straightforward, but that’s part of Ryan’s approach as he tries to show that he belongs in the NHL: Be consistent, make the simple play and stay in constant communication with arguably the league’s most dynamic defenseman.
“He talks a lot out there,” Ryan said of Burns. “He’s always talking to me on the bench. You’ve obviously got to watch what he’s doing,Authentic Jonathan Drouin jersey, and I try to talk a lot too so we help each other out, and try to read off of him as well. If he’s going to be jumping up,Authentic Victor Hedman jersey, I’ve got to stay back.”
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Recovering from a setback he had last week following offseason ankle injury, Martin is not expected to join the Sharks on their five-game road trip that begins later this week. So the next 10-12 days clearly presents a huge opportunity for Ryan to show that he can play at this level.
He’s been steady so far, averaging 20:24 of ice time in his first two NHL games as he and Burns have formed some quick chemistry. The pair will be back together Tuesday as the Sharks (1-3) host the Montreal Canadiens (1-3-1) looking to finish their five-game homestand on positive note.
“He’s a calm,Authentic Nikita Kucherov jersey, same way he plays, cool guy,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said of Ryan. “Doesn’t seem like anything rattles him,Authentic James Van Riemsdyk jersey, he doesn’t seem overwhelmed up here at all or the situation he’s in. I think that’s how he plays on the ice. That’s what you like about his game.”
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Here are three things to know going into Tuesday’s game.
THE FORMULA FOR SUCCESS VS. CAREY PRICE: The Sharks are just one of a handful of NHL teams that can say they’ve gotten the better of Canadiens goalie Carey Price, who is just 2-6-1 in his career against San Jose.
The Sharks got two wins over Price and the Canadiens last season, including a 4-2 win on Dec. 16,adidas Auston Matthews jersey, 2016 where they scored four goals on 18 shots. Price was pulled at the 6:44 mark of the second period when Melker Karlsson scored to make it 4-0.
Past success will not necessarily mean much Tuesday, but the formula for a win against Price isn’t any different from what it would be against other elite goalies.
“He’s like anyone. If he sees the puck,” Sharks captain Joe Pavelski said Tuesday morning. “If you get a little bit of a screen and get second and third opportunities, he’s going to stop it. He’s one of the best at that, that’s where we’ll get a lot of our goals.”
DeBoer said the Sharks have to do a better job on their zone entries, putting the puck in a place where Price won’t be able to play it as often. DeBoer felt that was a big part of Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders, when Thomas Greiss made 40 saves in a 3-1 Islanders win.
“One of the best in the league,” DeBoer said. “Last game against the Islanders, a big part of our pre-scout this morning was making sure he doesn’t get it, one of the areas we didn’t do well was (dumping) the puck. I thought the other goalie touched it way too much. That’s something we’ve got make sure we fix tonight, because he will make you pay for it and eliminate our forecheck.”
PLAY THE BODY, TIMO: Timo Meier has fond memories of playing against the Canadiens, as he scored his first NHL goal at the Bell Centre in that 4-2 win last December.
Still, young guys like Meier have to prove themselves on a nightly basis, and Meier showed what he could do in one sequence against the Islanders.
Early in the second period, Meier bodied Nick Leddy off the puck in the corner to the right of Greiss. Meier took control and tried to beat Greiss on the short side. Greiss made the save, Meier skated toward the bench and the Islanders eventually cleared the zone.
Perhaps Meier could have shown a bit more patience with the puck and tried a higher-percentage shot. Still, that’s the template for how Meier has to play.
“That’s his game, he can escape,” DeBoer said. “He’s a big powerful man. He can create space for himself. He’s got quick feet, he’s a hard guy to handle down low and he also isn’t afraid to shoot the puck and get it to the net.
“Those are all elements that we’re looking for. He’s got to continue to keep getting better every day.”
Meier will no doubt be the physical presence on a line Tuesday with Chris Tierney and Mikkel Boedker.
“I want to be a physical player out there, I want to create offense with my physicality and protect the puck, but at the same time,” Meier said. “It’s just about going out there, earning my ice time very shift and helping the team.”
DONSKOI NEEDS TO MAXIMIZE HIS ICE TIME: Getting a regular shift hasn’t always been easy for Joonas Donskoi through the first four games of the season. Donskoi had two assists against Buffalo last week, but is last among 21 Sharks skaters with just 11:24 of ice time per game.
DeBoer on Tuesday stressed the importance for Donskoi to maximize the ice time he does get. Donskoi isn’t really asked to kill penalties and his power play time is limited as part of the second unit.
“He came in great shape. It’s never for lack of effort. He works his tail off out there,” DeBoer said. “We need some production out of those guys. He’s got to turn the minutes he’s getting into positive results. That’s what we’re looking for, not just from him but all those guys.”
Donskoi missed 21 games last season because of recurring shoulder issues,adidas Jonathan Drouin jersey, but is one of the players that benefited from a long offseason. He’s on a line Tuesday with Ryan Carpenter and Jannik Hansen.
“It’s great to play when you’re healthy,” Donskoi said. “My body feels good,adidas Victor Hedman jersey, my legs feel good. That was the No. 1 thing when I was getting ready for the season.
“There’s a lot of things I can improve in my game. I still have to be stronger. I think I can create more chances in the offensive zone. Just overall, get more positioning and get more chances.”
It’s already bad news that the New York Rangers (1-5-0) and San Jose Sharks (1-3-0) enter Tuesday’s games with a single win apiece.
There’s a simple reason why those slow starts should sting a little extra, though: these teams are squandering home-heavy stretches,adidas Nikita Kucherov jersey, or at risk of doing so.
There are some reasons to believe in both the Sharks and Rangers,Authentic Auston Matthews jersey, with their long track records of recent regular-season success headlining such arguments. It’s worth noting that the Rangers have played two road contests versus four at home, so the situation isn’t too extreme. Yet.
Things could get ugly in a hurry, starting with a real challenge in hosting the Pittsburgh Penguin at Madison Square Garden tonight:
By the end of October,adidas James Van Riemsdyk jersey,a creaky start could cost them seeding. At worst, the Rangers will have played 10 of 41 home contests. At best, they may look back at this when pondering how they missed the postseason.
(It doesn’t help their cause that they’re in the brutal Metropolitan Division,Authentic Daniel Sedin jersey, either.)
Beyond the established track record, the Rangers boasted a better record on the road (27-12-2) than at home (21-16-4). While they were better at home in 2015-16, the Rangers can also point to recent history as an act that travels well. In 2016-17, they were also 19-17-5 in away games then, too.
So, it’s not all bad for Alain Vigneault & Co., but they could make life much easier for themselves (and maybe see openings to rest Henrik Lundqvist more often) if they take advantage of these opportunities.
San Jose ends a five-game homestand against the mercurial Montreal Canadiens tonight. A 2-3-0 mark in such a run wouldn’t be the end of the world, while going 1-3-1 or 1-4-0 would hurt.
While the Rangers look to October as a time where they need to create some breathing room, adidas Daniel Sedin jersey, the Sharks need to take better advantage of future homestands, as their schedule seems to rotate road trips and runs of home games.
This veteran group readies for a five-game road trip, then they play eight of nine at home from Oct. 30 – Nov. 20.
Significant members of both the Sharks and Rangers have “been there before.” Players such as Joe Thornton, and Rick Nash might view October as insignificant; they’ve each likely been on teams that shook off bad starts, Lundqvist, even if it meant squandering bountiful opportunities at home.
You can understand a certain level of complacency, but you never know when you’ll no longer have the spring in your step to make it up that hill once again.
The next month or two isn’t “make-or-break” for the Rangers or Sharks, wins and standings points weigh the same during an 82-game season, at least in a literal sense. Then again, so why not stock up while the schedule bends in your favor?
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