San Jose Sharks Weekly Roundup
San Jose turns their attention to Los Angeles as the playoff format has been finalized.
Well, we’ve finally reached the best time of the year. The regular season finally wrapped up over the weekend and the San Jose Sharks now know their first-round opponent. The Sharks will renew their rivalry against the Los Angeles Kings this week as they look to knock off one the Western Conference’s top contenders.
The Sharks finished 2016 with a 46-30-6 record and 98 points, good for third place in the Pacific Division. San Jose had a big bounce back campaign after struggling so mightily at the end of the 2015 season.
Get caught up on all the latest Sharks news and notes in this week’s roundup, recapping the final week of the regular season.
– San Jose kicks off their playoff journey on Thursday night at Staples Center at 7:30 p.m. The Sharks and Kings will then meet every other night over the course of the series with Game 2 happening on Saturday night before the series shifts to the Bay Area on Monday and Wednesday.
More from Sharks News
- Norris Trophy odds show Erik Karlsson a step above the rest
- Red hot Couture provides a much needed boost
- Sharks return to SAP in sight
- Ryan Donato shines in his revenge game
- Tomas Hertl is off to a hot start
– Team teal and their fans will never be able to forget what happened the last time the Sharks and Kings squared off in the postseason back in 2014. However, with the way San Jose is playing, especially on the road, they should welcome the challenge of taking on L.A.
– The Sharks wrapped up their regular season schedule by downing the Arizona Coyotes by a 1-0 final on fan appreciation night at SAP Center. Joe Pavelski scored his 38th goal of the season for the game-winner while Martin Jones earned his sixth shutout of the season.
– Two nights earlier, San Jose began their final home stand of the regular season against the Winnipeg Jets. The Sharks were able to build three different leads, but they couldn’t hang on as Dustin Byfuglien’s shot deflected off Brent Burns’ stick with 10 second remaining to give the Jets a 5-4 victory.
– In their final road contest, the Sharks set a new franchise record by picking up their 28th road victory of the season in their 3-0 shutout of the Minnesota Wild. Patrick Marleau scored two goals to lead San Jose while James Reimer was stellar in picking up his third shutout in only his eighth start in teal.
– Finally, after a season full of injuries, Logan Couture is finally rounding into form at just the right time for the Sharks. Couture will play a pivotal role during the postseason as San Jose will need their second-line center to be on top of his game.
Next: Sharks First Round Playoff Schedule
With the regular season now over, the Sharks will turn their focus squarely to the Kings as Peter DeBoer looks to get San Jose over the playoff hump.
Be sure to stay tuned to Blades of Teal as we keep you covered throughout the Sharks entire playoff run.