San Jose Sharks: Pacific Division Stock Report – Week Three
It was a relatively light week in terms of actual play on the ice for the San Jose Sharks, who split their two games last week. After returning home from a four-game road trip to the East Coast, San Jose hosted a big game against the Los Angeles Kings as they looked to open an early season gap against their Southern California rivals.
Unfortunately, the Sharks came out flat as the Kings rolled to a 4-1 victory to avenge an opening night drubbing from San Jose. The Sharks bounced back over the weekend with a 5-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes as Joel Ward recorded his first hat trick in San Jose. The Sharks also welcomed back Paul Martin into the lineup as he missed the previous three games due to a lower-body injury suffered against the New Jersey Devils.
San Jose sits in second place within the Pacific Division with 10 points, one point behind the Arizona Coyotes who have played one more game. After rattling off four straight defeats, the Coyotes bounced back with two straight victories to assume to top spot within the division. Make sure to check out Max Domi, who’s one of the best young players in the game. He’s tied for the team lead with 10 points (four goals and six assists) and a plus-seven rating.
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The team riding high and whose stock is on the up-and-up is the Kings, who have won five straight games after beginning the season with three consecutive ugly losses. Los Angeles has found their game, highlighted by victories over the Sharks, Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers last week.
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Speaking of the Oilers, they show flashes of improvement with all the young, offensive talent they possess, but their defensive game still needs plenty of work as they’re 22nd in the league allowing three goals per game. Connor McDavid appears to be the real deal, leading the Oilers in scoring with five goals and four assists in their first nine games.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, what the heck is going on with the Anaheim Ducks and Calgary Flames. The Ducks, who were considered to be one of the Stanley Cup favorites, have scored a measly six goals through their first eight games. The next closest team has scored more than twice that number (13). Not that I’m overly worried about it, but something is clearly amiss in Anaheim.
Calgary is another curious case as they appeared to improve their defense over the offseason. However, the Flames have the NHL’s third-worst defense this year, allowing 35 goals or 3.89 per game.
The Sharks are sitting in a nice position within the division after enduring a rash of injuries and a three-game losing streak. San Jose is getting healthier as they get ready for a three-game week that will see them take on the Nashville Predators, Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche.
Next: San Jose Sharks Weekly Roundup