Martin Jones Named Sharks Player Of The Month In February
Martin Jones appeared in 13 of the 14 games for San Jose during the month of February.
For the first time as a member of the San Jose Sharks, Martin Jones was recognized as the Sharks Foundation “Player of the Month.”
Jones was a workhorse for San Jose during the month of February as Peter DeBoer leaned heavily upon his number one netminder. Jones started 13 of the Sharks 14 contests in February, posting an 8-4-1 record with a 2.14 goals-against-average (GAA) and a .922 save percentage.
The highlight of the month for Jones was a 33-save shutout over the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks as he controlled one of the most dynamic offenses in the NHL. The eight wins in February tied him for second in the league, and he came through time-and-again for his Sharks teammates in a road-heavy month.
More from Editorials
- Korenar deserves a chance at the NHL level
- Three prospects the Sharks should consider drafting
- Red hot Couture provides a much needed boost
- Is it reasonable for the Sharks to fire Doug Wilson?
- NHL misses golden opportunity with Tahoe games
In fact, Jones leads the entire league by posting 21 victories away from home ice, including six during the month of February.
Now Jones wasn’t the only member of the Sharks who had an outstanding month for team teal. In fact, I was surprised that Joe Thornton did not take home the honors for the second straight month after dominating during February.
In 14 games, Thornton amassed 19 points with six goals and 13 assists (1.36 points per game) while being a plus-five. He recorded five multi-point games in February highlighted by a two goal, two assist performance against the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 22 and a one goal, two assist outing against the Montreal Candiens on Feb. 29.
Thornton actually put up better numbers in February than he did in winning the award during January, but I’m sure the Sharks organization wanted to make sure everyone was recognized. Don’t get me wrong, Jones was phenomenal as well and was a big reason for San Jose’s success in February. I just would’ve gone with Thornton who couldn’t be stopped at times.
With James Reimer now in the fold, Jones will likely see his workload eased as the Sharks are about as close to a lock for the postseason as one could be. This is Jones’ first year as a full-time starter so DeBoer will be mindful not to overtax his young netminder.
Regardless, if he keeps putting up the numbers that he has in 2016, San Jose should feel extremely confident in their man between the pipes when the playoffs roll around.
Next: Brent Burns Asserting Himself For San Jose
Jones and his Sharks teammates return to the ice tonight as they travel to Alberta to begin back-to-back contests in Canada. San Jose is slated for their final matchup of the season with the disappointing Calgary Flames at the Saddledome.