What Does Missing Joe Thornton Mean for the San Jose Sharks?

The San Jose Sharks will be without the passionate veteran presence of Joe Thornton during Game 4 against the Golden Knights.

Joe Thornton of the San Jose Sharks got suspended by the Department of Player Safety for the illegal check to the head he made on Tomas Nosek of the Vegas Golden Knights at 16:54 of the second period in game 3.

Game 4 is a must win for the San Jose Sharks and they’ll have to find a way to pull it off without their locker room leader in the line-up. Team Teal has had to go to battle without Joe Thornton for a stretch already this season. Jumbo has missed various stretches of play due to his knee injuries, so playing without him isn’t all that foreign of a concept.

However Team Teal hasn’t been without Thornton in a moment as critical as this. It’s arguably the most sensationalized season in San Jose Sharks history and it is ending faster than expect.  Missing Jumbo for this pivotal game 4 does nothing but speed up that process.

It’s been a tremendous season for Joe Thornton. Every game he took another step up on the all time leader lists in just about every important offensive category. In his 21-year NHL career Thornton has done nothing but produce with this season being no different. After a brief stint on the shelf earlier in the season, Thornton’s game took off and ended up the season with 51 points, 16 goals, and 23 primary assists.

Joe Thornton has been one of Team Teal’s most important players so far in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. His 1 goal and 2 primary assists with a surprising 8 shots on goal have been desperately needed for a stymied Sharks squad. Thornton brings grit, skill, and his overwhelming hockey sense to every shift.

Thornton plays the game with such fire and intensity at 39-years-old. Younger players strive to match the passion he brings to game. His aura elevates the compete level of his teammates on and off the ice.

Jumbo has the uncanny ability to create offense no matter which skaters you surround him with. This season he’s played massive amounts of time with the likes of Marcus Sorensen and Kevin Labanc. It’s not a coincidence that both players have put together career years during this 2018 – 2019 campaign. Being on the receiving end of passes from one of the best facilitators in league history definitely has its advantages.

Ever since this line got formulated they have been able to outpace opponents when on the ice at 5v5. Their goal in the 1st period that combined the three of them breathed life into a suffocating San Jose Sharks team. Coach Pete DeBoer noticed how well they were clicking and continued to turn to them in an attempt to tilt the ice in their favor in game 3.

All the momentum they were able to build got halted in the second period after Joe Thornton’s frustrations got the better of him. The illegal check to Nosek’s head at the end of the second frame was unwarranted by Thornton, especially with the Stanley Cup at stake. Jumbo returned to finish game 3, however the Department of Player Safety handed down a 1 game suspension for the next contest in Vegas.

The jumbo sized void that Thornton is leaving will be nearly impossible to fill. They’ll be loads more responsibility tonight for all the Sharks skaters up front. Expect players like Hertl, Pavelski, and Couture to fill the roles left by Joe Thornton at center and on the power play in Game 4.

The statistics in this article came from naturalstattrick.com unless stated otherwise.