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San Jose Sharks Blogger •
Over a month into the NHL regular season, teams around the league are settling in for their marathon run to the postseason. Some (Rangers, Avalanche) are cooling off after hot starts, others (Red Wings, Islanders) are rebounding after stumbling out of the gate, while a couple (Coyotes, Sabres) are seeing opponents adjust to their defensive gimmickry. Parity is the new black, and those lucky souls with the NHL Center Ice package are treated to some outstanding games every night.
The San Jose Sharks have also found their groove after a turbulent start, reeling off wins and taking their familiar place among the league leaders. Teams are always rising and falling, and power rankings shift with the same unpredictability as Ron Wilson’s line juggling, but the Sharks are joined by the Penguins, Capitals and Blackhawks as teams that should contend for the top spot the entire season. Most of you have five digits on each paw. Today, November 4, there are five reasons the Sharks have set themselves apart as the league’s best team.
No, I have a cold. You know, the runny nose and the sore throat.
I went out in that storm there last week to start my car.
I didn't have my jacket on, I think it's settled in my kidneys.
Players around the league have been dropping like the German infantry this season, knocked out of the lineup by swine flu, head hits, broken bones and Willie Mitchell. It seems every team in the league is missing at least a couple roster players due to injury or illness, and there’s an alarming number of star players on the shelf at the moment, including Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchuk, Marc Savard, Evgeni Malkin and Roberto Luongo.
The Sharks have had to soldier on without Joe Pavelski, who broke his foot on October 3, and Torrey Mitchell, who has been two weeks away from returning for the last eight months. Playing without your second and third line centers is difficult enough, but the Sharks have also seen Devin Setoguchi and Ryan Vesce drop out of the lineup, sending the forward lines into disarray and pressing new faces into action.
Every team deals with injuries, but they’re judged on how they battle through them. In the past, the Sharks have been guilty of using injuries as a crutch, an inconvenient excuse for diminished play. We saw Jonathan Cheechoo limp along month after month, blaming poor starts or scoring droughts on a multitude of maladies. It turns out he just wasn’t very good at hockey.
This time around, the Sharks have actually improved as the injured list has expanded, and that’s going to benefit the team down the road. They’re still not as forthright as we’d like, opting for vague timelines and descriptions, but people tend to stop asking for daily injury updates when the team is winning hockey games, and that’s what the Sharks are doing these days despite the adversity.
Big crowd out there tonight. Let's really try to win this one, eh, boys?
That man traveled 15 hours by bus to say that?
Living in beautiful Northern California comes at a cost, in the form of real estate, bridge tolls, gas prices and Ray Ratto. Playing for the Sharks also comes at a cost, in the form of ridiculous travel. I’m not sure if it’s the result of the Olympics or a boozy schedule maker, but San Jose has one of the wonkiest schedules in the league this season, and that contributes to some crazy travel.
The Sharks only play 10 home games in October and November, contributing to a brutal travel schedule during the first two months of the season. They’ve already played 10 of their first 15 games on the road, and will play 18 of their first 28 away from HP Pavilion before December. The Sharks only play seven road games in December and January, but that opening stretch is very difficult and tests the team right out of the gate.
As if that wasn’t tough enough, the Sharks have already made two coast-to-coast trips. They wrapped up a six-game trip last week, returned home for five days, and then hopped on the charter for a trip to Carolina on Saturday. You don’t catch many breaks on the West Coast, and the Sharks have two more six-game road trips on the docket before the season ends.
Adding to the travel demands, the Sharks have played a condensed schedule during the first month of the season, playing 15 games in 32 days. Remarkably, the Sharks went 10-4-1 through their first 15 games, refusing to use the injuries or air miles as excuses to take nights off.
Who are these guys? I never even heard of 'em?
I got a good deal on those boys. The scout said they showed a lot of promise.
Anyone remember the short-lived Uncle Buck television series? It was based on the movie, with the same characters but different actors. That’s kinda how I thought the Sharks season would turn out, replacing Christian Ehrhoff, Brad Lukowich, Travis Moen, Jonathan Cheechoo, Mike Grier and Brian Boucher with cheaper, less talented alternatives and disastrous results. So far things have worked out pretty well, and it’s scary to think what the Sharks might have accomplished if they’d been healthy during the past month.
However, the roster overhaul did increase the degree of difficulty for the Sharks, who have welcomed a number of new veterans and unproven rookies this season. We’ve already seen 11 players suit up who didn’t play a game with the team last season, including Dany Heatley, Thomas Greiss, Jason Demers, Kent Huskins, Benn Ferriero, Manny Malhotra, Logan Couture, Scott Nichol, Jed Ortmeyer, Frazer McLaren and Steven Zalewski.
All those players have had to adjust to new roles, new teammates and a new system, making the Sharks’ accomplishments even more impressive. It’s hard to find another team that saw more roster turnover during the summer, but San Jose’s early success is a testament to Todd McLellan and his coaching staff, who employ a simple, aggressive game plan with great results. The season could still end up being a cancelled-after-22-episodes train wreck, but the Sharks are off to a nice start.
Peterborough lost tonight, so as of now we're in the play-offs!
Sergeant, I would like to see the bail just a little more reasonable...
If the playoffs started today, we would most likely see Patrick Marleau’s play tumble off a cliff. Oh relax, I’m just kidding. All joking aside, we would see four Pacific Division teams in the postseason, second only to the Atlantic Division, which would be represented by all five teams. That’s some impressive competition, adding to the resumes of both the Sharks and Penguins.
The powerhouse clubs won’t meet until Saturday night, but no conversation about the best teams in the league can take place without mentioning them. Washington is right up there but their defense is a mess, the Sabres were routed by the Islanders on Friday, and the Avalanche also looked terrible last Friday, so we can center the discussion on the Sharks and Penguins.
There isn’t much separating Pittsburgh (24 points in 15 games) from San Jose (21 points in 15 games), although one of the differences has been strength of opposition. The Sharks have played 11 of their 15 games against teams that are either in the playoffs or tied for eighth in their conference. Only nine of the Penguins’ 15 games have been played against playoff teams.
Both clubs are dealing with injuries at the moment, both are on a pedestal and get the best effort from the opposition most nights, and both have been great through the first month of the season. However, the Sharks get the edge because they’ve played tougher opposition with a more difficult travel schedule.
What about Florida, eh, Reg?
Well, we gotta win.
We won three games in a row, Reg.
Yeah. We're on a roll.
We're on a roll. We're gonna win.
When examining which team is the best in the league today, you have to look at the trends. The Sharks are certainly the league’s hottest team, having won five straight and seven of their last eight games. In addition, San Jose has outscored its opponents 14-4 over the last four games, portraying the enviable picture of dominance against some stiff competition which includes the Flyers, Kings and Avalanche.
Although the win-loss record is impressive, you also have to look at how the Sharks have been winning games lately. It’s true they’ve received some outstanding individual efforts early this season, and the NHL’s three stars for the week have contained San Jose players three of the first four weeks – Heatley, Marleau and Evgeni Nabokov. However, there’s been an increased team effort and more balanced production over the last couple weeks.
As the Sharks found out during the postseason, you need to have guys like Jamie McGinn, Brad Staubitz, Douglas Murray and Kent Huskins chipping in with offense. Obviously you don’t expect them to score every night, but those contributions help take pressure off the big guns and improves confidence throughout the lineup. Plus, who doesn’t love seeing Staubitz score? Come on, it’s better than watching an elderly woman race down the aisle on The Price is Right.
After a wobbly start the Sharks have found their legs and they’re beginning to run. Are they the best team in the league? Maybe not in April, but as of November 4 I think they fit the bill. Hopefully, they remember it’s a marathon rather than a sprint.
***
The SharksBuzz Postgame Show has to compete with Game 6 of the World Series tonight, but that’s not going to slow us down. We’ll be going live at approximately 6:30 p.m., breaking down the San Jose-Columbus game and taking your calls at (724) 444-7444, talkcast ID# 74909.
ryan.garner@hockeybuzz.com
The San Jose Sharks have also found their groove after a turbulent start, reeling off wins and taking their familiar place among the league leaders. Teams are always rising and falling, and power rankings shift with the same unpredictability as Ron Wilson’s line juggling, but the Sharks are joined by the Penguins, Capitals and Blackhawks as teams that should contend for the top spot the entire season. Most of you have five digits on each paw. Today, November 4, there are five reasons the Sharks have set themselves apart as the league’s best team.
No, I have a cold. You know, the runny nose and the sore throat.
I went out in that storm there last week to start my car.
I didn't have my jacket on, I think it's settled in my kidneys.
Players around the league have been dropping like the German infantry this season, knocked out of the lineup by swine flu, head hits, broken bones and Willie Mitchell. It seems every team in the league is missing at least a couple roster players due to injury or illness, and there’s an alarming number of star players on the shelf at the moment, including Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchuk, Marc Savard, Evgeni Malkin and Roberto Luongo.
The Sharks have had to soldier on without Joe Pavelski, who broke his foot on October 3, and Torrey Mitchell, who has been two weeks away from returning for the last eight months. Playing without your second and third line centers is difficult enough, but the Sharks have also seen Devin Setoguchi and Ryan Vesce drop out of the lineup, sending the forward lines into disarray and pressing new faces into action.
Every team deals with injuries, but they’re judged on how they battle through them. In the past, the Sharks have been guilty of using injuries as a crutch, an inconvenient excuse for diminished play. We saw Jonathan Cheechoo limp along month after month, blaming poor starts or scoring droughts on a multitude of maladies. It turns out he just wasn’t very good at hockey.
This time around, the Sharks have actually improved as the injured list has expanded, and that’s going to benefit the team down the road. They’re still not as forthright as we’d like, opting for vague timelines and descriptions, but people tend to stop asking for daily injury updates when the team is winning hockey games, and that’s what the Sharks are doing these days despite the adversity.
Big crowd out there tonight. Let's really try to win this one, eh, boys?
That man traveled 15 hours by bus to say that?
Living in beautiful Northern California comes at a cost, in the form of real estate, bridge tolls, gas prices and Ray Ratto. Playing for the Sharks also comes at a cost, in the form of ridiculous travel. I’m not sure if it’s the result of the Olympics or a boozy schedule maker, but San Jose has one of the wonkiest schedules in the league this season, and that contributes to some crazy travel.
The Sharks only play 10 home games in October and November, contributing to a brutal travel schedule during the first two months of the season. They’ve already played 10 of their first 15 games on the road, and will play 18 of their first 28 away from HP Pavilion before December. The Sharks only play seven road games in December and January, but that opening stretch is very difficult and tests the team right out of the gate.
As if that wasn’t tough enough, the Sharks have already made two coast-to-coast trips. They wrapped up a six-game trip last week, returned home for five days, and then hopped on the charter for a trip to Carolina on Saturday. You don’t catch many breaks on the West Coast, and the Sharks have two more six-game road trips on the docket before the season ends.
Adding to the travel demands, the Sharks have played a condensed schedule during the first month of the season, playing 15 games in 32 days. Remarkably, the Sharks went 10-4-1 through their first 15 games, refusing to use the injuries or air miles as excuses to take nights off.
Who are these guys? I never even heard of 'em?
I got a good deal on those boys. The scout said they showed a lot of promise.
Anyone remember the short-lived Uncle Buck television series? It was based on the movie, with the same characters but different actors. That’s kinda how I thought the Sharks season would turn out, replacing Christian Ehrhoff, Brad Lukowich, Travis Moen, Jonathan Cheechoo, Mike Grier and Brian Boucher with cheaper, less talented alternatives and disastrous results. So far things have worked out pretty well, and it’s scary to think what the Sharks might have accomplished if they’d been healthy during the past month.
However, the roster overhaul did increase the degree of difficulty for the Sharks, who have welcomed a number of new veterans and unproven rookies this season. We’ve already seen 11 players suit up who didn’t play a game with the team last season, including Dany Heatley, Thomas Greiss, Jason Demers, Kent Huskins, Benn Ferriero, Manny Malhotra, Logan Couture, Scott Nichol, Jed Ortmeyer, Frazer McLaren and Steven Zalewski.
All those players have had to adjust to new roles, new teammates and a new system, making the Sharks’ accomplishments even more impressive. It’s hard to find another team that saw more roster turnover during the summer, but San Jose’s early success is a testament to Todd McLellan and his coaching staff, who employ a simple, aggressive game plan with great results. The season could still end up being a cancelled-after-22-episodes train wreck, but the Sharks are off to a nice start.
Peterborough lost tonight, so as of now we're in the play-offs!
Sergeant, I would like to see the bail just a little more reasonable...
If the playoffs started today, we would most likely see Patrick Marleau’s play tumble off a cliff. Oh relax, I’m just kidding. All joking aside, we would see four Pacific Division teams in the postseason, second only to the Atlantic Division, which would be represented by all five teams. That’s some impressive competition, adding to the resumes of both the Sharks and Penguins.
The powerhouse clubs won’t meet until Saturday night, but no conversation about the best teams in the league can take place without mentioning them. Washington is right up there but their defense is a mess, the Sabres were routed by the Islanders on Friday, and the Avalanche also looked terrible last Friday, so we can center the discussion on the Sharks and Penguins.
There isn’t much separating Pittsburgh (24 points in 15 games) from San Jose (21 points in 15 games), although one of the differences has been strength of opposition. The Sharks have played 11 of their 15 games against teams that are either in the playoffs or tied for eighth in their conference. Only nine of the Penguins’ 15 games have been played against playoff teams.
Both clubs are dealing with injuries at the moment, both are on a pedestal and get the best effort from the opposition most nights, and both have been great through the first month of the season. However, the Sharks get the edge because they’ve played tougher opposition with a more difficult travel schedule.
What about Florida, eh, Reg?
Well, we gotta win.
We won three games in a row, Reg.
Yeah. We're on a roll.
We're on a roll. We're gonna win.
When examining which team is the best in the league today, you have to look at the trends. The Sharks are certainly the league’s hottest team, having won five straight and seven of their last eight games. In addition, San Jose has outscored its opponents 14-4 over the last four games, portraying the enviable picture of dominance against some stiff competition which includes the Flyers, Kings and Avalanche.
Although the win-loss record is impressive, you also have to look at how the Sharks have been winning games lately. It’s true they’ve received some outstanding individual efforts early this season, and the NHL’s three stars for the week have contained San Jose players three of the first four weeks – Heatley, Marleau and Evgeni Nabokov. However, there’s been an increased team effort and more balanced production over the last couple weeks.
As the Sharks found out during the postseason, you need to have guys like Jamie McGinn, Brad Staubitz, Douglas Murray and Kent Huskins chipping in with offense. Obviously you don’t expect them to score every night, but those contributions help take pressure off the big guns and improves confidence throughout the lineup. Plus, who doesn’t love seeing Staubitz score? Come on, it’s better than watching an elderly woman race down the aisle on The Price is Right.
After a wobbly start the Sharks have found their legs and they’re beginning to run. Are they the best team in the league? Maybe not in April, but as of November 4 I think they fit the bill. Hopefully, they remember it’s a marathon rather than a sprint.
***
The SharksBuzz Postgame Show has to compete with Game 6 of the World Series tonight, but that’s not going to slow us down. We’ll be going live at approximately 6:30 p.m., breaking down the San Jose-Columbus game and taking your calls at (724) 444-7444, talkcast ID# 74909.
ryan.garner@hockeybuzz.com
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