Comments on: Has Joe Thornton really ever been a ‘choker’ since he came to San Jose?

By: tommytd

tommytd — Sun, 22 May 2011 22:07:17 +0000

Looks like they’re about to choke again but at least they’re still playing! The Blackhawks are on the golf circuit! LOL

By: bcjim

bcjim — Sun, 22 May 2011 17:01:08 +0000

“Choker” may or may not be the right term but the fact is the Sharks, like the Caps in the east, have been tearing up the regular season and flopping in the postseason. Unlike the Caps stars, Thornton has been in the league since what 98? 99? You seem to be on a crusade to pump of Jumbo Joe’s image for reasons unknown, but only a finals appearance (at least) is really going to help him. No one denies he is a great player and any team would welcome him but he has a distinct lack of postseason hardware.

By: James O'Brien

James O'Brien — Sun, 22 May 2011 16:40:02 +0000

You can selectively isolate a bad set of stats for almost any player who played a lot of playoff games, though.

Let’s look at the other “selectively choosing two series to make a point instead of looking at the big picture” perspective.

In two series against the Detroit Red Wings – the best franchise in the NHL/far from an eighth seed – Thornton put up these numbers:

Six points in seven games in 2011; Eight points in five games in 2010. That’s a whopping 14 points in 12 games against a team that features Nicklas Lidstrom. If that counts as choking, then I’d love a roster full of Thorntons.

Again, you can manipulate stats all you want, but in the end his playoff numbers are strong. Some people just really want to hold onto the belief that he’s a choker. That’s fine, it just ignores the big picture.

By: lovesthebj

lovesthebj — Sun, 22 May 2011 14:48:23 +0000

This article is very poorly thought through. Total points per game / number of games in no way considers how Jumbo Joe has come up small in critical games for years. He’s had quality defence, high scoring wingers, great goaltending and good health for years, and can’t deliver.

64 pts in 72 playoff games glosses over his performance in big games against tough opponents, when your team needs your top line center to produce. For example, 2009 playoffs against Anaheim. 6 game series and he finished with 1 goal, 4 assists and a -3. But the goal in 2 of those assists were in game 5, and the rest of the series he was invisible, including game 6 where he didn’t register a point.

And then last year against Chicago, 4 game sweep by the Blackhawks where Thornton had 1 assist and was a -4 for the series.

Regardless of how many points he puts up against 8th seed 1st round opponents when the Sharks could pile up the goals, when it’s really counted you couldn’t count on Thornton. And that’s the definition of ‘choker’.