Mar 14, 2015; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton (19) comes back on the ice during the third period against the Chicago Blackhawks at SAP Center at San Jose. Chicago won 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
What a crazy week it’s been for the San Jose Sharks who not only saw their best player and general manager go at one another, but also saw their playoff hopes continue to dwindle.
While the Sharks have played better hockey of late, the fact of the matter is they can’t make any real progress against their competitors. On top of that, Joe Thornton and Doug Wilson appear to be at a crossroads with their working relationship and things don’t look particularly good in South Bay.
San Jose has 13 games remaining and now must embark on a seven-game road trip throughout the Eastern Conference, while standing four points out of the final playoff spot at the moment. There’s plenty of work to be done, both on and off the ice, for the Sharks, but the next two weeks will likely tell the tale of how this San Jose team will be defined.
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Week in Review
The San Jose Sharks are coming off a pretty good week considering the type of talented teams they had to face. The Sharks began the week by defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins, 2-1, in a highly entertaining game. Tommy Wingels scored the game-winning goal in the eighth round of the shootout and goaltender Antti Niemi was the star of the night in making 39 stops.
Three nights later, it was Niemi again who was at the forefront for the Sharks as he made 35 saves in a 2-0 shutout victory over the Nashville Predators. The Sharks used goals from Tomas Hertl and Wingels for their second consecutive victory, and fourth in their last five games.
Then, the bombshell would drop on Friday when Thornton responded to comments that Wilson made before the Nashville game while speaking at a season-ticket holder event. The news would dominate the NHL headlines as the Sharks prepared for a matinee matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks.
San Jose would come out strong against Chicago and the two teams were tied at two heading into the third period. However, it was the Blackhawks who asserted themselves in the third period, scoring four straight goals to roll to a convincing 6-2 win over the Sharks.
Looking Ahead
The Sharks now embark on a seven-game road trip, beginning with a swing through Canada. San Jose opens their season-defining road trip with perhaps their most important game of the entire two-week trek. The Sharks visit the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night, trailing the Jets by four points for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. If San Jose has any shot of getting back into the playoff picture, they must win this game in regulation in order to close the gap.
Two nights later, San Jose will head to the epicenter of the hockey universe when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs have been an utter disaster this year, but with the Sharks needing all the points they can get and struggling against lesser opposition, they can ill-afford to take them lightly. Plus, I’m sure the Toronto media will have a frenzy talking up the Thornton-Wilson feud even if the Sharks will dismiss it.
Finally, the Sharks wrap up the week by visiting the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night against a team who will be looking to put forth a better effort versus San Jose. The Sharks defeated the Canadiens 4-0 when these two teams last met at the beginning of March.
It will be good for the Sharks to begin the trip with their most important game that will require all their focus and attention. If San Jose can get off to a good start on this road trip, maybe they can ride a wave of momentum throughout the rest of the trip. Needless to say, all eyes will be on the Sharks tomorrow night in Winnipeg to see what kind of response and performance this team can conjure up.