San Jose Sharks Preparing Themselves For Playoff Hockey

The San Jose Sharks have been playing their best hockey of the season, but the four games on this road trip will provide a great barometer for the style of hockey the Sharks will face come playoff time.

In recent days, San Jose has squared off against the Anaheim Ducks and St. Louis Blues, two teams that like to play a grind-it-out kind of game, and the Sharks have more than held their own. While a couple of mistakes cost them against Anaheim, San Jose played a perfect road game in dispatching the Blues on Thursday night.

The Sharks will face another physical test tonight when they take on the Nashville Predators, a team that also likes to play a hard-nosed style of game. Before returning home next week, San Jose will face one final playoff test against the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.

Despite the tall task in front of them, the Sharks seem well-equipped to handle the challenges in front of them. For one, San Jose is as healthy as they have been all season with the return of Logan Couture and their defense has been able to find a rhythm as a unit.

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Also, the Sharks have been a confident group since the beginning of January, posting a 9-3-2 record in 2016 as they have assumed the second place position within the Pacific Division.

One of the biggest signs of San Jose’s turn around has been their ability to score at 5-on-5. Last season, the Sharks ranked 21st in scoring at 5-on-5, one reason why Peter DeBoer wanted to make that a point of emphasis.

After struggling in the early going, San Jose has been one of the best teams in the league, ranking sixth in the league in goals at even strength. Couple that with the league’s fifth-ranked power play, and the Sharks are showing the kind of offensive prowess that is dangerous come playoff time.

Furthermore, San Jose’s best players have been leading the way as Joe Pavelski (51 points) and Joe Thornton (42 points) have been dominant. They haven’t been alone though as youngsters such as Joonas Donskoi, Tomas Hertl, Matt Nieto and Chris Tierney have been producing as well. The expanded depth up front is critical this time of year as rolling four lines is essential as the season winds down.

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While the Sharks certainly have plenty of work remaining over the last 32 games of the season, San Jose has positioned themselves well for the stretch run. They are being tested in playoff-style games at the moment and are managing to show well against some of the top contenders in the West.

The Sharks have found their stride and the key now is to make sure there’s no drop off in execution and performance leading into final two months of the season.

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