The Playoffs Make Fools Of Us All

The overwhelming majority of Sharks fans on HFBoards want to see Thornton gone.

On a completely unrelated note, check out Pavel Datsyuk's career playoff totals and compare them with Thornton's.

almost 3 years ago Jonathan Willis 4 comments 0 recs |

Comments

I’m not sure that’s as flattering a comparison as you’d imply, Jonathon. Datysuk certainly struggled his first 4 times through the playoffs, but he’s been good the last 2 and I’m sure he’ll be fine this year. Has the light ever really gone on for Thornton after the regular season? He looks lost out there again. I know a lot of that is “big man” syndrome (cue Dustin Penner), but in his last 7 trips into the playoffs, he’s been the man for his team during the season, and not quite that good in the playoffs. More to the point, his own coach has made it clear that he needs to get off the wall and create more in the middle of the ice. This is the same complaint leveled at him every single post season, and it still hasn’t taken. He’s not struggling quite as much as Marleau (6 shots in 4 games, ouch.) , but I think you’re gilding the lily a bit.

by Robert Cleave on Apr 24, 2009 9:15 PM MDT reply actions

And yet...

Thornton’s career PPG in the playoffs is better than Datsyuk’s. He’s been at or near 1 PPG in 6 out of 9 playoff appearances; in the other three he was a) an 18-year old rookie who only recorded 7 points in the regular season, b) nursing a serious injury and c) in San Jose for 2008-09.

I realize the frustration Sharks fans are experiencing, but I’m not nearly as convinced as they are that Thornton’s a serial playoff flop.

It's only my opinion, but it's right.

Writer for The Copper & Blue, OilersNation, and CanucksArmy.

by Jonathan Willis on Apr 24, 2009 11:09 PM MDT up reply actions

I think people’s memories of the 2nd round elimination games hurt his reputation as much as any thing:

05/06 at EDM – 24:58 TOI 0g 0a -2 5 shots
06/07 vs DET – 19:52 TOI 0g 0a -2 0 shots
07/08 at DAL – 47:14 TOI 0g 0a E 3 shots

92:04 combined TOI 0g 0a -4 8 shots in 3 win or go home failures. If you want to call that an unfair reflection, that’s fine, but combined with this season’s effort, I get why they’re upset. Also mind that if they go out, they’ll have done so with home ice advantage 3 out of 4 times, and the one time they didn’t (Detroit in 07) they were up 2-1. Thornton had 1 assist in the next 3 games that series, culminating in his 0fer in game 6. He isn’t the worst Shark out there, but he’s in a position of leadership, so expectations come with the territory.

by Robert Cleave on Apr 25, 2009 11:38 AM MDT reply actions

Datsyuk has crossed over from choker to champion because he has a Stanley Cup ring.

It would be one thing if Thornton was the only good player on the team, but he has been on arguably one of the most talented teams in the league.

by godot10 on Apr 25, 2009 1:02 PM MDT reply actions

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