The San Jose Sharks have been one of the pleasant surprises of the early going during the 2015-16 season. Meanwhile, their two Southern California rivals, the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings, whom many considered the division and Stanley Cup favorites, have been two of the bigger disappointments.
San Jose took hold of a big opportunity to begin their year by defeating both teams handily during the first week of play. After allowing the Kings to score on their first shot just 1:49 into the season, the Sharks answered back with five straight goals to roll through Los Angeles by a 5-1 margin.
Next up was a date with Anaheim where San Jose got stronger as the game went on. Patrick Marleau provided the breakthroughs for the Sharks as San Jose scored a 2-0 victory to go two-for-two against their two main rivals.
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I know it’s just three games into the season, but for a team like San Jose that went through one of their worst seasons both on-and-off the ice, the quick start out of the gates is critical for this team’s success. Furthering the point, the Sharks are taking advantage of the poor play of the Ducks and Kings in the early going.
As it stands now, San Jose is five points clear of Anaheim and six points clear of Los Angeles and both those teams appear in disarray at the moment. The Ducks rank 30th in the league in scoring, while the Kings are just one slot above at 29th.
Anaheim has started the year 0-2-1 and has scored just one goal this season, one! That’s hard to fathom for a team that boasts Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and the abundance of talent they have up front.
Just 30 miles north, things are even worse in Los Angeles where the Kings appear slow and listless. The Kings have been outscored by their opponents 12-2 and have lost each game by at least three goals. There’s something wrong in Los Angeles and it’s manifesting itself on the ice.
From a Sharks perspective, the time is now to continue to distance themselves from both teams. Banking points now is imperative as San Jose will experience the inevitable lulls that happen over the course of an 82-game season.
The more wins the Sharks can string together while their rivals continue to struggle, the better because San Jose won’t have to worry about trying to make up the ground when the playoff push happens in February, March and April.
While Anaheim and Los Angeles are likely to turn it around at some point, San Jose can make their road more difficult by banking as many points as possible right now. The Sharks can’t let up or else they’ll find themselves sliding back in the standings.
San Jose is in an ideal position where their rivals are looking up at them. The Sharks are focused on widening the margin to maintain their standing throughout the course of this season.
Next: Sharks Make Vast Improvement In All-Around Game