Last season the Sharks were near the bottom of the league in offensive production and in the summer they lost Patrick Marleau and his 27 goals to tonight's opponent, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
As we all know San Jose did very little to replace Marleau's production. The powers that be felt they had enough talent in the system to fill that void. At first I thought they were crazy, but as the season has rolled on - it's very clear they were spot on.
Timo Meier (8), Joonas Donskoi (8), Chris Tierney (8) and Tomas Hertl (10) each have at least eight goals; While Hertl (22) and Kevin Lebanc (20) are in the 20 point club. BTW, those point totals match their production from all of last season.
This new found balance in their attack team, a rejuvenated power play and a top end defense have allowed the Sharks to move seamlessly into the pots Marleau era.
I really feel like the Sharks are starting to hit their stride and tonight should be a good barometer for that. The Leafs and their plethora of weapons are in a bit of a funk. San Jose and that top ranked defense should thrive - even in those unfriendly confines of Toronto.
San Jose is 6-2-2 in their last 10, but there is no rest for weary. The Ducks are right on their tail and they too are heating up. Every point counts and even more so during this road heavy section of the schedule.
Enjoy seeing Marleau, but keep in mind that life after Patrick isn't so bad.
Thanks for reading, Steve