San Jose Sharks Slip Back To Fourth Place In Pacific

The San Jose Sharks continued their Jekyll and Hyde 2015-16 season with a 1-2-0 week where they alternated losses and wins. The Sharks were expected to bank some points with a four-game home stand against teams who San Jose should have done better against.

Instead, the Sharks floundered to a pair of losses against the Columbus Blue Jackets and a crushing loss against the revitalized Anaheim Ducks. While San Jose did pick up a nice win over the Florida Panthers, this Sharks team can’t seem to gain any traction since their red-hot 4-0 start. San Jose is just 3-7-0 in their last 10 games and they haven’t shown any signs of consistency throughout the first 14 games.

While the Sharks have been much better at five-on-five this season, their special teams have been flat-out terrible. San Jose possesses the league’s worst power play attack, one that has failed to score a goal at home this year. Also, the Sharks still have issues on the penalty kill where they rank 25th in the NHL. Both of those numbers will need to change if San Jose has any hopes of turning this around.

[table id=52 /]

Speaking of the Ducks, they’ve certainly turned things around after a terrible start to the year. While the Ducks still rank last in the league in goals scored, Anaheim does boast the league’s ninth-rated defensive unit, including the best penalty kill in the NHL. Those defensive numbers powered Anaheim to four straight wins, and they’ve recorded points in five straight following their overtime loss to the Arizona Coyotes last night. Watch out, the Ducks might be finding their stride as they finally move out of the cellar in the Pacific.

More from Sharks News

• Norris Trophy odds show Erik Karlsson a step above the rest
• Red hot Couture provides a much needed boost
• Sharks return to SAP in sight
• Ryan Donato shines in his revenge game
• Tomas Hertl is off to a hot start

The Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks continue to maintain their position atop the Pacific, but they are doing it in different fashion. The Kings went 2-2 in their games last week, riding high after an eight-game winning streak that put them atop the division.

Meanwhile, the Canucks have lost three-straight games, but Vancouver has lost five games in overtime already this year, which is how they’ve been able to maintain their standing. Even when they’re losing, they’re at least gaining one point.

Unfortunately for the Edmonton Oilers, the one thing to look forward to was the play of rookie sensation Connor McDavid, but now, following a broken clavicle, McDavid will miss a majority of the season. The Oilers are in a familiar spot, finding themselves in last place as they’ve only managed to win five of their first 15 games in the early going. Not the kind of start Todd McLellan was looking for.

Next: San Jose Sharks Recall Melker Karlsson

The Sharks have a big game tonight against the New York Islanders, a team who snapped San Jose’s four-game winning streak at the beginning of the season in a game where the Sharks held three one-goal leads. San Jose wants to put forth a solid effort because they head to the East Coast for a six-game road trip, their longest of the season. Let’s see what kind of response this Sharks team puts forth.