San Jose Sharks: 10 Reasons They Can Win The Pacific

October 11, 2014; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks goalie Alex Stalock (32) makes a save against Winnipeg Jets right wing Dustin Byfuglien (33) during the second period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

1. Goaltending

This is the key to success for every team in the league, and the Sharks are in a very enviable position. They have two goalies in Alex Stalock and Antti Niemi who could be starters. Up to this point I don’t see any reason to change what the Sharks are doing in net. I’ve stated previously that I believe that both Niemi and Stalock would thrive sharing the net this year. Both goalies have been very impressive so far, each with one shutout, and neither having lost in regulation so far. This could very well be the Sharks’ biggest strength this season and it will be a huge factor in determining how far the Sharks can go. If both Niemi and Stalock can maintain the level of play that they’ve shown through four games this season, then this will be a very tough team to beat.

October 19, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks center Patrick Marleau (12), center Joe Pavelski (8, center) and center Joe Thornton (19) celebrate after Pavelski scored a goal against the Calgary Flames during the second period at SAP Center at San Jose. The Sharks defeated the Flames 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

2. Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau

At times I wonder if Sharks fans realize how lucky we are to have these two future Hall of Fame players suit up for our team. It’s easy to lay blame on them for previous failures, as they have been the leaders in San Jose for quite some time. Yet, there are no two players on the Sharks more vital to the success of this team than Thornton and Marleau. Night in and night out they are the Sharks best forwards on the ice. When I say night in and night out, I mean it too. Since coming to San Jose in the 05-06 season, Thornton has missed a total of 5 games. Since Marleau was drafted by the Sharks in 1997 he has only missed 31 games in his whole career with the team. That type of durability is hard to find in any sport, especially one as fast paced and physical as hockey.

There is no denying the impact that these two have on the ice, as well as the locker room. Both players were named alternate captains this season and that speaks volumes about their character after everything the organization put them through during the offseason. Personally, I support these two as leaders of this team, along with Pavelski and Vlasic now. Fans can carry on about who they think should be captain or alternate all they want. The fact of the matter is no opinion outside of the ones in the locker room really matter, these are our leaders and they earned their positions. Sharks fans should have the usual high expectations for these two this season, and they will keep this team in contention for a division title this year.

Oct 8, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks center Tommy Wingels (57) scores a goal on Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick (32) during the second period at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

3. Improved Forward Depth

The Sharks top two lines have been consistent and productive for years, but what this team has lacked in the past has been depth scoring and consistent play from the 3rd and 4th lines. This year however, the Sharks have a young and very talented third line that currently features Tye McGinn, Chris Tierney, and the ever improving Tommy Wingels. I get the feeling that were it not for a hand injury suffered blocking a shot in the preseason finale, that Barclay Goodrow would have been occupying Tye McGinn’s spot on the 3rd line due to the chemistry he had playing with Tierney during the preseason. When Goodrow is healthy he will likely take over a role on the third line which should only serve to bolster that unit even more. Those who have read my previous post about Goodrow know my thoughts about him as a player, he is extremely driven and is an excellent two way forward.

Should Goodrow return and play on the 3rd line with Tierney and Wingels, that would bump McGinn down to a fourth line role. McGinn will undoubtedly remain on the roster, and should provide a needed boost to a Sharks’ fourth line has not been very impressive this year, outside of the John Scott goal. Andrew Desjardins would benefit from playing with McGinn, and that would likely mean that Mike Brown would no longer be a regular on that line assuming Adam Burish earns the only remaining spot. All this is of course speculation, but it does seem like a very real possibility. Should this come to fruition, then the Sharks would arguably be among the top 5 deepest teams in the league.

October 11, 2014; San Jose, CA, USA; Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele (55) fights for the puck with San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (44) during the first period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

4. Youth and Experience Defensively

Right now the Sharks have a very good group of young blueliners with a lot of NHL experience amongst them. This has been a group that has gotten exponentially better since Larry Robinson’s arrival in San Jose. Brent Burns has been red hot so far with 6 points in the first 4 games this year. Marc-Edouard Vlasic is healthy and playing extremely well shutting down opponents top lines this season. Jason Demers and Justin Braun have both been impressive as well, and both players have shown further improvement so far this year. Speaking of Demers and Braun, it is worth saying how much those two have shown noticeable improvement in their game since Larry Robinson was brought on in the summer of 2012. In addition to this group, Mirco Mueller has been very effective in his debut with the Sharks. Playing solid mistake free hockey as well as showing a lot of fight, and a physical aspect to his game that is missing in a lot of young defenders. This seems to be the Sharks’ core group, but Scott Hannan and Matt Irwin both have seen ice time this season, and the final spot on the roster seems to be up for grabs.

It should be noted that in the two games Matt Irwin has appeared in this year he has 2 goals and 1 assist. However, Irwin is also the only member of the Sharks defense with a negative plus/minus, posting a -1 in his two games. Hannan has not scored a point yet this season, but he does have a plus/minus of +2 in the three games he has played. Irwin is still somthing of a defensive liability on the Sharks blue line, and that has kept him out of the lineup so far this year. What Irwin does bring to the table is a very good shot on the power play, and that unit has struggled heavily thus far. Whichever player the Sharks decide to dress on any given night, this defensive unit should be the backbone of the Sharks this season. Offense wins fans, but defense wins championships, and this looks like a championship defense to me if they can stay consistent.

October 11, 2014; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks goalie Alex Stalock (32), center Tomas Hertl (48), and defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (44) celebrate after the game against the Winnipeg Jets at SAP Center at San Jose. The Sharks defeated the Jets 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

5. Closer Locker Room

By now everyone has heard about the statements made by Patrick Marleau about the new atmosphere in the Sharks locker room. It can’t be overstated how important in it is for every player on the team to be on the same page. The reason for the LA Kings success isn’t because they have the most talented team in the NHL, it is because they have the closest team. The Sharks last season by their own admission did not feel very close with one another as teammates.

“The main thing is, everybody has a voice and has to use it.”-Patrick Marleau

That was a major focus during the offseason, and so far it seems like the Sharks are playing like more of a team this year than they have in the past. The type of chemistry it takes to be successful in the postseason doesn’t come quickly however, and this is something that San Jose must continue to emphasize and develop during the entire season. As the locker room chemistry continues to strengthen, so will their play on the ice. This is more important than any personnel decision that is made by the management, if the Sharks want to beat out teams like LA and Anaheim for the division crown, then they have to do it playing as a team.

Oct 14, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns (88) skates with the puck as Washington Capitals left wing Marcus Johansson (90) chases in the first period at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

6. Brent Burns

I briefly touched on Burns’ phenomenal start to the season, but he deserves a category of his own here. So far this season, Burns has been a catalyst for the Sharks offense, and has been very solid defensively as well. I for one thought his return to defense would be an easy one for him to make, but I didn’t expect to see this type of performance from him. Burns has a rare talent to play any skater position on the ice, but it seems like he is most effective on the blue line working to set up the rush and quarterback the power play from the point. This is a player that can do it all from delivering a big hit, playing shutdown defense, getting in on the attack and using his explosive shot to torment opposing teams. It seems as though Burns is already feeling right at home and at this pace, could be a Norris trophy candidate when the season is finished. As evidenced last season when he was out of the lineup due to injury, the Sharks were a much better team with Brent Burns on the ice than without. If he stays healthy this season he’ll play a vital role in this team’s push to win the division.

Nov 10, 2013; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; San Jose Sharks assistant coach Larry Robinson prior to the game versus the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports

7. Larry Robinson

Make no mistake about it, Larry Robinson has a monumental role in this organization, and the Sharks have already begun to reap the benefits. No area of the Sharks game has felt the Larry Robinson effect more than the penalty kill. In the 2011-2012 season, one year prior to Robinson’s arrival, the Sharks PK was 29th in the league with an abysmal 76.9 PK%. The very next year the Sharks PK leaped up to the 6th best in the league with a vastly improved PK percentage of 85%. Last season was more of the same as the Sharks finished 6th for a second straight year and posted a PK percentage of 84.9%. This season the penalty kill has looked strong again, they faced arguably their toughest test of the season against the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders both on the road. Robinson has turned the league’s worst PK unit into one of the best, but his impact doesn’t end there.

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Several young players for the Sharks have seen their development speed up rapidly since Robinson’s arrival, most noticeably, Jason Demers, Justin Braun, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and Tommy Wingels. Vlasic was always an undervalued defenseman, but if you had told any hockey fan in 2011-2012 that he would be gold medalist on team Canada for the 2014 Sochi olympic games, I don’t think many would have believed you. Not to take anything away from all of the aforementioned players who all have put in a lot of hard work to improve their play, but there is a pattern worth noting that Larry Robinson has brought the best out of the Sharks young talent. Should he continue to do so this season, the Sharks have a lot of young players on the roster who could wind up being difference makers when it matters most.

Sep 23, 2014; Stockton, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks right wing Barclay Goodrow (89) center celebrates his second period goal with teammates center Chris Tierney (50) and left wing Nikolay Goldobin (82) during their NHL Preseason game at the Stockton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports

8. Young Players Stepping Up

Right now the Sharks have more young talent on the roster than any time in recent memory. Tomas Hertl, Matt Nieto, Tommy Wingels, Mirco Mueller, Chris Tierney, Tye McGinn, and Barclay Goodrow. These are all young players who have improved their play drastically in recent years. Tommy Wingels looks to be a 30 goal scorer this season, Hertl will continue to see top line minutes with two of the best playmakers in the game in Thornton and Pavelski. Nieto has shown how much the chemistry between himself and fellow linemantes Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau has developed by making some really nice plays this season. Mirco Mueller continues to improve his already impressive defensive game, and has been becoming more of an offensive threat from the blue line as well. Tierney and McGinn are both new in this locker room and already seem to have meshed well with the rest of the team and are playing extremely well on their line with Tommy Wingels thus far. Goodrow played extremely well with this team during the preseason, and when he returns from his injury he should continue to do so. The emergence of these young players is a big reason the Sharks can win the division this season, and could finish near the top of the Western Conference standings.

Oct 14, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; San Jose Sharks center Joe Pavelski (8) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Washington Capitals in the second period at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

9. Veteran Leadership Improvements

So much was made about the captaincy situation leading up to the start of the season. The result? No captain was named, the Sharks instead opted to name four alternate captains to lead the team. Those players were Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. These are all veteran players who have leadership experience, all of them were chosen for a reason. In my opinion, these four were the best players to assume leadership roles. Pavelski and Vlasic have both earned the right to lead this team, and appear poised to do so for a long time to come. Thornton and Marleau were often the subjects of unfair criticism, especially after last season. Both Thornton and Marleau are good leaders and both deserved to retain their roles on this team.

For Sharks fans who will inevitably disagree with me on this, I’ll ask you to take a look at the LA Kings the first three games of our series against them last season. On the bench you saw Jonathan Quick going around to all of his teammates to pick them up and keep them focused. I don’t see a letter on his jersey. Jarret Stoll and Drew Doughty were two other Kings players who helped rally their team, no letter on their sweaters either. Yet for those three games I didn’t hear anyone question Dustin Brown or Anze Kopitar. The point here is that leadership doesn’t fall on just 3 players shoulders, sometimes other players have to step up and lead as well. This season the Sharks locker room philosophy has changed and is more favorable for players who want to step up and help lead the team.

Oct 8, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings right wing Dustin Brown (23) and San Jose Sharks defenseman Mirco Mueller (41) battle for the puck during the third period at Staples Center. The San Jose Sharks defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

10. They Want It More

Simple enough reason to have on this list. The Sharks can win the Pacific Division this year because they want it more than any other team. You could see it in their eyes when they were playing LA opening night that they were out to send a message. This team has gotten younger, faster, and more talented. After last season, every player in this locker room has a chip on their shoulder that isn’t going to go away. This team is more motivated than ever to win games and be at the top of the division when all is said and done. Every hockey team wants to win, and every individual player is motivated to play their best, but the Sharks as a whole are now more driven than ever to win. Like every team, they’ll face adversity, but expect this group to respond much better to it than they have in the past.