Sharks Relying on All Lines to Dominate Series
April 20, 2014; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks center Joe Pavelski (8) is congratulated by defenseman Dan Boyle (22), left wing James Sheppard (15) and center Tommy Wingels (57) for scoring a goal against the Los Angeles Kings during the third period in game two of the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center at San Jose. The Sharks defeated the Kings 7-2. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The San Jose Sharks are winning; winning by landslides. Scoring six goals in Game One and seven goals in Game Two has the hockey world shocked.
Last year, throughout seven games, the Sharks only scored 10 goals against Jonathan Quick. They now have 13 goals in two games.
The success is stemming from not relying solely on top lines. Everything from the coaching to the goaltending and beyond are taking factors in these wins.
“I’ve never won a Stanley Cup but I’ve been to the finals twice and the teams that have won, you could tell it’s not two or three guys,” Raffi Torres said. “It’s six D, four lines, great goaltending and obviously solid coaching. Those years that I’ve gone pretty deep, everybody was a part of it, everybody stuck their hand in the water at some point to help out.”
Using all lines successfully has been the key to success so far in the series. The Sharks want to play a fast, focused game and have been working to align the roster appropriately over the years. Coach Todd McLellan stated that “We’ve got to get the puck going. It’s been a focus of our organization over the last few years to up the speed element. We want to play a fast game. We feel that’s what we need to do to have success.”
And it’s working. All four lines scored during Game 2. This depth is what will keep the Sharks in control of the series.
Game 1 Scorers:
Joe Thornton, Tomas Hertl, Patrick Marleau, Raffi Torres, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Brent Burns.
Game 2 Scorers:
Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau, Logan Couture, Mike Brown, Raffi Torres, Joe Thornton and Justin Braun.