Thornton quarterbacks Sharks
WebPosted Sat., Apr. 22, 2006
Sharks
coach Ron Wilson says Joe Thornton is to hockey what Joe Montana
is to football. (Canadian Press)
Coach Ron Wilson tosses out a football analogy to illustrate Joe
Thornton's significance to the San Jose Sharks. It's the kind of
comparison most Bay Area sports fans can appreciate, even those not
versed in hockey.
'I don't know if people in Silicon Valley know what we have here," Wilson recently told The Associated Press.
"We almost have a Joe Montana, Steve Young-type of quarterback right here throwing to one of the best receivers around. That's the equivalent."
It's easy to see why Wilson compares Thornton with the former San Francisco 49ers greats. The two Hall of Fame quarterbacks were the foundations of their offences and both had a consistent flair for making those around them better – just like Thornton.
The strapping forward made a major team-altering impact upon arriving in northern California earlier this season via a trade with the Boston Bruins. The former first overall draft pick thrived with his new club from the get-go, racking up points in bunches on the way to claiming the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer.
Thornton tallied 20 goals and 72 assists in 58 games with the Sharks. The offensive eruption gave the St. Thomas, Ont., native a league-best 125 points at season's end and helped propel the young Sharks from the depths of the Western Conference into a first-round playoff date with the Nashville Predators.
Thornton's presence also bred a new level of poise and self-assurance not seen at the Shark Tank in some time.
"Joe has brought a sense of confidence in our offensive game, something we were lacking before," teammate Alyn McCauley recently told the Globe and Mail.
"When he first came, the guys upped the intensity level to where it ought to be for the entire 60 minutes."
The Sharks went on a tear with Thornton in the lineup, posting a 36-15-7 record to roll into the post-season as one of the most dangerous teams in the league. In contrast, the Bruins, Thornton's former club, stumbled through the season and missed the playoffs by 18 points.
Thornton insists he harbours no hard feelings toward the Bruins, where he played seven-plus seasons before the Nov. 30 trade. He's simply happy they shipped him to a desirable destination.
"I'm just glad they sent me out here to play with [Jonathan Cheechoo] and the Sharks," Thornton said earlier this week during a teleconference. "They treat me real nice out here.
"I love northern California. I couldn't ask for a better place to play."
Changing Cheechoo
Thornton accomplished another stunning feat in San Jose this season. The 26-year-old centre played a vital role in transforming one-unheralded winger Jonathan Cheechoo into the NHL's leading goal scorer.
In Cheechoo, Thornton found a favourite target, just as Montana and Young enjoyed a special connection on the gridiron with wide receiver Jerry Rice.
Thornton and Cheechoo gelled immediately. Skating on the Sharks' No. 1 line, the pair embarked on one of the most impressive scoring binges in recent memory.
Cheechoo finished the 2005-06 campaign with a league-best 56 goals – the most by any NHL player since Pavel Bure netted 59 for the Florida Panthers five years ago. Thornton assisted on 38 of the 49 goals Cheechoo scored in the 58 games the duo played together.
So, how'd they do it? For Thornton, it's not really a matter worth dissecting in great detail.
"t's just been real easy for us to play together," Thornton told AP. "I don"t try to analyse it too much."
Ever the passer
Thornton isn't just adept at locating his teammates on the ice. He's also proficient in passing on much of the praise heaped his way during his career season.
"You just got to give it to the right people. That's what I've been doing," Thornton said.
"It seems like everybody I pass to right now is scoring goals. I really can't take all the credit for that. Everybody has been playing so well, it's been helping me out tremendously."
But even after blossoming into the NHL's top assists man, Thornton hasn't ruled out altering his game in the near future.
The six-foot-four Thornton, who has never registered more than 200 shots in a season, is considering firing the puck at the net with more frequency.
"My father every day tells me to shoot more," Thornton said. "Phil Esposito tells me to shoot more every day, too. I have to. I realize that. As I get older, [shooting more] will be more part of my game."
NHL goaltenders beware. The quarterback may soon decide to start taking it into the end zone himself.
with files from the Associated Press