The San Jose Sharks have reached the Christmas break following a huge 5-3 comeback victory over the Los Angeles Kings. After 34 games, San Jose sits in second place within the Pacific Division with a 17-15-2 record, good for 36 points.
The Sharks have been up-and-down all season long to this point having rattled off four and six-game winning streaks while also having posted losing streaks of three and six games as well. San Jose will need to find some sort of consistency here in the coming months in order to reach their goals for the 2015-16 season.
With the holiday spirit in mind, here are three things on San Jose’s Christmas wish list:
1. Win a Home Game
For some reason, the Sharks have been dynamite on the road posting a league-best 13 road victories; however, it’s been the opposite at SAP Center as San Jose sports the worst home record in the NHL with a 4-9-0 record.
More from Blades of Teal
- San Jose Sharks fans need this Erik Karlsson shirt from BreakingT
- Norris Trophy odds show Erik Karlsson a step above the rest
- Are you the 2021 FanSided Sports Fan of the Year?
- Korenar deserves a chance at the NHL level
- Three prospects the Sharks should consider drafting
The Sharks have been puzzling this year as they can’t seem to put things together at home as San Jose has dropped three straight games on home ice. In return, Sharks fans haven’t turned out as frequently as they have in recent years.
Looking ahead, San Jose will have plenty of opportunities to improve their record at SAP Center as 28 of their final 46 games will come within the friendly confines. It’d be nice if they could figure out their play on home ice as they would reward their home fans and bolster their chances of making a run in the new year.
2. Find a Defenseman
The Sharks have been really good on the penalty kill of late, but as a defensive unit overall, San Jose ranks 21st in the league in goals against per game. One of the reasons for this has been the lack of a sixth defensemen on the back end as the Sharks have rotated a plethora of players including Matt Tennyson, Mirco Mueller and Dylan DeMelo. San Jose’s top five defensemen are all solid, although Brent Burns needs improvement in the defensive end of the ice.
They can ill-afford to suffer any injuries to those players because there is no depth behind them at the moment. If the Sharks could somehow add another NHL-caliber defenseman, it would go a long way to help improving San Jose’s chances moving forward.
3. Make the Playoffs
Of course, this is an obvious one as the Sharks want to make a return trip to the playoffs after missing the postseason for the first time in 10 years. Despite their inconsistencies, San Jose sits in a good position considering all the ups-and-downs they’ve experienced.
Next: Sharks Special Teams Leading The Way In Recent Weeks
The Sharks need to become a more consistent hockey club and receive more contributions from their role players. Working in their favor, San Jose will be getting some healthy bodies back which should help bolster the Sharks lineup.
If they can put all the pieces together, San Jose should be able to challenge for a playoff spot over the course of this season.