Sheng’s Daily: The Results Are In

“Women weaken legs.”

That’s what fictitious trainer Mickey Goldmill told Rocky Balboa in 1976’s Rocky. Is that so different than what Mike Milbury said last week?

I dove into those waters yesterday at San Jose Hockey Now.

In other San Jose Sharks news…

Sonia Tydingco from NBCSN Bay Area and Sharks Twittermission talks about what goes into producing Twittermission and having fun with co-hosts Brodie Brazil and Curtis Brown. (Teal Town USA)

Just for fun — MUHAHAHAHA — a few days ago, I put this out:

START

BENCH

CUT pic.twitter.com/FSmUqNGMTd

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) August 22, 2020

These were the informal results:

No.

Fight me.

— fuzzerkker, muppet (@bezzerkker) August 22, 2020

How dare you make me choose.

— Adam Serrano (@AdamSerrano) August 22, 2020

pic.twitter.com/y12nhxxIop

— Mjölk (@choklad_mjolk) August 22, 2020

I’m benching Sheng for posting this blasphemy

— SnipeCity420 (@SnipeCity420) August 22, 2020

People were torn between starting Joe Thornton or Joe Pavelski — and granted, my bit of rabble-rousing didn’t clarify when to judge them — in their primes or now? But most people took Jumbo in his prime and who can argue with the 2006 Hart Trophy winner?

That relegated Pavelski to the bench and Patrick Marleau to worse, which surprised me, because Marleau at his prime was a true two-way game-changer and he played center. Perhaps there was some recency bias?

So for my vote — sorry, Little Joe.

Around the NHL…

Barry Trotz reacts to Todd Reirden’s firing. (NYI Hockey Now)

Five predictions for Pittsburgh’s off-season. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

Five takeaways from Boston’s Game One triumph over Tampa Bay. (Boston Hockey Now)

Rob Simpson says goodbye to Toronto and the NHL bubble. (Florida Hockey Now)

Philipp Grubauer is out indefinitely, while Erik Johnson is doubtful for Game Two. (Colorado Hockey Now)

Marc-Andre Fleury spoke after his agent chirped Peter DeBoer. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

But most of all, Vegas loves to chirp its opponents. (The Athletic)

Marc Bergevin’s best opportunity to improve Canadiens is in front of him. (Sportsnet)

Jack Han on flipping the traditional three-forward, two-defensemen setup to a 2F3D. (The Hockey Tactics Newsletter)