The San Jose Sharks begin their 2016-17 campaign tonight at home against the hated Los Angeles Kings. It will be the first meaningful game at the SAP center since the Pittsburgh Penguins hoisted the Stanley Cup there almost four months ago.
It's been a long four months and thankfully hockey is back.
The Sharks are historically fast starters having won their first three games in each of the last four seasons, including opening night road wins over LA in each of the last two. Tonight they have the pleasure of opening at home with the additional bonus of raising the Western Conference banner.
It should be an emotional night for the Sharks players and fans. While many of the faces on the San Jose roster are the same, it will be the first time Shark fans get a chance to see newcomers Mikkel Boedker and David Schlemko in action. Plus an old friend in Devon Setoguchi will be in the building wearing the enemies colors.
Setoguchi played for the Sharks from 2007 to 201, but hasn't played in the NHL since 2014. He earned a one-year two-way deal with the Kings following a successful PTO bid.
The Sharks are coming off the most successful season in franchise history. They won the Western Conference, advancing to the clubs first ever Stanley Cup Final. They erased past playoff failures when they eliminated these same Kings in five games. It's arguably the clubs biggest playoff series win. By dispatching the Kings in the fashion they did it set the tone for the rest of the incredible run.
Can tonight be more of the same? The Western Conference champs hope to build off the playoff success.
The Sharks and their fans have very high xpectations for the 2016-17 season and rightfully so. Under the guidance of head coach Pete Deboer, San Jose has catapulted themselves to the top of the Western Conference hierarchy.
But with elevated expectations comes a bevy of new questions. These are just a few of the story lines I'll be watching for in 2016-17.
- How will the Sharks respond to Deboer in his second season behind the bench? (Deboer coached teams (Fla and NJ) have shown a tendency to drop off from season to season.) - Can a 37-year-old Joe Thornton keep up his MVP caliber of play? - Can Martin Jones improve on his impressive first season as a number one? - Can Joonas Donskoi find another level? - Can Logan Couture stay healthy? - Will Tomas Hertl improve on a career year in 2015-16 (21g 25a)? - Will anybody read my blog? - Can the Sharks win the Pacific Division for the first time since 2010-11? - What impact will playing for a winner have on Mikkel Boedker? - Can the Sharks vaunted offense (4th in NHL last season) get better? - Will Brent Burns cut his beard? - Will the Sharks penalty kill be better than the 21st ranked PK from of last season?
And on and on and on. What story will the Sharks write next? Good news is...the waiting is over. The puck drops tonight at the tank.
Per dailyfaceoff.com, The Sharks lines should look somethings like this...
Forwards: Joe Pavelski - Joe Thornton - Tomas Hertl Mikkel Boedker - Logan Couture - Joonas Donskoi Patrick Marleau - Chris Tierney - Joel Ward Melker Karlsson - Tommy Wingels - Matt Nieto Defense: Paul Martin - Brent Burns Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Justin Braun Brendon Dillion - David Schlemko Goalies: Martin Jones Aaron Dell
Missed a previous Blog? Click Below! Sharks added attention to the penalty kill pays off - in preseason EA Sports NHL 17 season simulation gives Sharks a little love