It was quite a week for everyone’s favorite trade-bait, Kevin Labanc*. Not a bad week, overall, with just one stinker result against the Caps. That, and some junior goalie was thrown to the wolves because the Vancouver Canucks are a joke of an organization. But anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, Kevin Labanc is on fire and that’s only a good thing for the Sharks going forward. Now if DeBoer would just never pair Braun and Vlasic again.

*This podcast does not advocate trading Kevin Labanc.

Erik Karlsson played in the All Star Game, but then missed the next three regular season #sjsharks games. What’s up with that? We discuss that as well as the return of #Pickles and the sudden elevation of Dylan Gambrell. We also talk about the the salary cap, the Austin Matthews contract, and so much more.

It was not the best week for the #sjsharks, so we don’t spend a lot of time on the games themselves. Instead, we talk goaltending v. defense, Erik Karlsson and the All-Star game, and, briefly, the Edmonton Oilers firing Peter Chiarelli (and the impact that will likely have on the Pacific). Stay tuned for a brief discussion of Wins Above Replacement/Goals Above Replacement as well). Go Sharks!

There’s been a narrative in the #sjsharks media that the fans turned on Melker earlier in the season, and so whenever he scores a goal in the last few weeks, it’s apparently a repudiation of that hate. I think, among educated fans, no one really hates Melker. We talk about this and coaching, the 4-0 week, defeats of two other teams in the NHL’s top 4, and a lot, lot more. It’s kind of a long podcast for us. But, dammit, there was so much to say.

Go Sharks!

The #sjsharks scored 17 goals this week. That’s good.

They gave up 13 goals this week. That’s bad.

And, as many of those goals against were of the wtf variety, this week has been a nice microcosm of what frustrates the fans (and probably the players and coaches) about the year so far.

All the above and some talk about the actual games. Go Sharks!

Everyone wants to know what’s wrong with Marc Edouard. Certain members of the Sharks media think he’s being a whiny baby, but we think that’s really stupid. This week, we spend a good amount of time on why we think there’s more to MEV’s defensive problems than petulance. Then we talk about the #sjsharks continuing to underachieve and why we are sad that the coaching staff still hasn’t paid for it. Here’s hoping the team makes a New Year’s Resolution to be better in 2019.

You know how we mentioned that everything was or was not better last week? Well, having won five of six, including this week, many of our fellow fans have concluded that the #sjsharks are fine and don’t need no stinking fixing. Even if the goalie’s save percentage is still .900 after the intervention of a stanchion and what could only be a slip-and-slide embedded to the right of the crease. Anyway, we talk about where this team really is right now (the same place they were two weeks ago) and who knows, really, where it will go. Hopefully they can just keep up the lucky winning they’ve recently exhibited.

Go Sharks!