The San Jose Sharks began the stretch drive to the postseason this week, but unfortunately, it got off to a rocky start. San Jose dropped a hard-fought, 3-2 decision in Anaheim as the Sharks missed a big opportunity to widen the gap on the Ducks within the Pacific.
While the loss was a tough pill to swallow, the Sharks still sit in a pretty good position, maintaining their second place standing with a 26-19-4 record and 56 points. San Jose will be heavily tested over the next week against some of the best teams in the league which should provide a good barometer for team teal to see if they’re real contenders out West.
Stock Up: Speaking of Anaheim, they’ve finally turned the corner and are beginning to play the kind of hockey many anticipated. The Ducks have rattled off four straight victories, and six of their past seven to put themselves into a playoff position. Anaheim is certainly a dangerous team, but still struggle to find the back of the net ranking dead last in the league in goals scored.
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While his team certainly isn’t on the rise, what a return by Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid whose ridiculous goal took the NHL by storm. After missing 37 games due to injury, McDavid recorded one goal and two assists as he flashed the talents that made him the number one overall pick.
Simply unbelievable. 💯 #CBJvsEDM pic.twitter.com/fc9FTCUhHs
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) February 3, 2016
Stock Down: The upstart Arizona Coyotes are starting to fade a bit as they’ve dropped six of their last eight games. They’ve been hammered in their last two games, being outscored by an 11-4 margin as their defense and goaltending are starting to show cracks in the foundation. Currently, the Coyotes rank 28th in goals against per game and 29th on the penalty kill.
Another team sliding down the division standings are the Vancouver Canucks who continue their mystifying season. The Canucks have dropped three of their past four games and have actually lost 30 of their 50 games this year. They don’t do anything very well, ranking 24th in goals against and 25th in goals scored. It would not be shocking to see Vancouver out of the playoff picture in the next couple of weeks.
Next: Sharks, Blue Square Off For First Time This Year
The Sharks are back at it tonight in another big contest as they take on the St. Louis Blues for the first time this season. It will be a big three-game swing through the Central Division for San Jose as they continue to jockey for position within their own division, but also, see how they stack up against some of the prime contenders in the Western Conference.