San Jose Sharks: Comparable Teams Of Reference For Team Teal
By Ilya Davydov
The 2015-16 season will be the 25th Anniversary Season for the San Jose Sharks franchise. There is an entire range of activities that will make this season a little more special. A special patch on the team’s game jerseys, a newly-created “Heritage Jersey,” various events in the community and on game days, anniversary giveaway nights, and fan contests. For more information on the 25th Anniversary Season celebrations please see the Sharks official page.
A major milestone such as the 25th anniversary almost forces one to reflect on ones team’s success, look back through the years, and compare it against some other teams. It would be quite unfair to compare the Sharks to a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Dallas Stars – franchises with very different histories, but there are four teams that have similar dates of establishment in the NHL.
The NHL went through an expansion phase in the early 1990s when five new teams joined the league over the course of three seasons. The San Jose Sharks started their inaugural season in 1991, the Ottawa Senators and the Tampa Bay Lighting in 1992, the Anaheim Ducks (then known as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim) and the Florida Panthers in 1993. These five teams are the closest to each other in terms of their longevity in the league.
We are all aware of the successes and failures of the Sharks franchise. The fans are yet to experience the atmosphere of the Stanley Cup Final, let alone taste the victory of seeing the Sharks skate around with the Cup. It has not been perfect, but how do the Sharks compare against the other four teams that started up in the early 1990s?
Table of Comparison
San Jose Sharks |
Ottawa Senators
Tamp Bay Lightning
Anaheim Ducks
Florida Panthers
Inaugural Season
1991–92
1992–93
1992–93
1993–94
1993–94
Stanley Cups
0
0
1
1
0
Stanley Cup Finals Appearances
0
1
2
2
1
Best Play Off Runs
Three Conference Finals (2004, 2010, 2011)
Stanley Cup Final Loss (2007) 1-4 vs Ducks
Stanley Cup Champions (2004), 4–3 vs Flames
Stanley Cup Champions (2007), 4–1 vs Senators
Stanley Cup Final Loss (1996) 0–4 vs Avalanche
Playoff Appearances
17
15
8
11
4
Playoff Series Record
14-17
9-15
10-7
14-10
3-4
President Trophy
1
1
0
0
0
Seasons, GP
24, 1820
23, 1740
23, 1740
22, 1656
22, 1656
Regular Season Record (W-L-T-OTL)
837-743-121-119
784-725-115-116
702-809-112-117
773-661-107-115
655-706-142-153
Winning % (W/GP)
46.0%
45.1%
40.3%
46.7%
39.6%
Goals For, Per Game
2.68
2.87
2.71
2.56
2.58
Goals Against, Per Game
2.90
2.93
3.11
2.64
2.88
The Sharks are the only ones who have not even reached the Finals. The Panthers and Senators have each been there one time, both unsuccessfully. Florida never stood a chance against the Colorado Avalanche when they were swept in 1996, but the state of Florida got to see some Stanley Cup action for the first time. The Senators put up a slightly better fight, winning one game against the eventual 2007 Stanley Cup champions, the Anaheim Ducks. It was the second time the Ducks were in the Finals, previously falling short against the New Jersey Devils in seven games in 2003.
Just like the Ducks, Tampa Bay has been to the Finals twice – winning in 2004 and losing to the Chicago Blackhawks earlier this year. The furthest the Sharks have ever gone was the Conference Finals on three occasions: losing to the Calgary Flames in 2004, falling to the Blackhawks in 2010, and losing to the Vancouver Canucks in 2011.
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The Sharks have the most amount of playoff berths, second best winning percentage during the regular season, one Presidents’ Trophy (the only other team with this trophy is the Senators), multiple division banners, but are missing the ultimate trophy.
So far, the Ducks and the Lightning are the “bright kids” from the early ’90s. The Sharks are so far sharing a path most similar with the Senators – regularly making it into the playoffs but consistently disappointing when it counts the most.
With several changes to the roster, some exciting prospects, and a new coaching staff – there is again a growing hope that this is the season when the Cup will finally find its way to San Jose.