San Jose Sharks Report Cards: Between the Pipes
In the first of the three-part season report card series, we’ll be highlighting how the San Jose Sharks goaltenders weathered the storm and ultimately rose in times of desperation
Goaltending has been a staple over the course of the San Jose Sharks franchise history.
However, in the 2018-2019 season, there were moments when things got tough for Team Teal.
Martin Jones and Aaron Dell struggled throughout the season however they were able to produce wins at a decent pace.
The Sharks managed to secure a strong statistic throughout the entire regular season, going 32-0 when the goaltending and defense surrendered two or fewer goals.
But on the flip side of things, when they gave up more than 2 the flood gates burst open. The two netminders were unable to stop the bleeding when the defense faltered.
So what does this mean? Well, when it wasn’t San Jose’s night, the scoreboard really left an ugly figure on the opposite side. However, in the majority of games when the Sharks kept scores within striking distance the goaltending stepped up and kept things close enough for them to produce wins.
It wasn’t pretty but when the Sharks desperately needed their starting goaltender the most Martin Jones stepped up and kept them relevant during the Stanley Cup Playoffs
Martin Jones
Grade: B
Martin Jones received criticism for early struggles in the beginning the 2018-2019 campaign and landing questions of concern at the beginning of the playoffs.
In his fourth year with the San Jose Sharks and sixth in the National Hockey League, Jones’ goals against average and save percentage presented steady regression with a career-low 2.94 GAA and a .896 save percentage.
Sure, the 29-year-old goaltender’s numbers were not the greatest this season, however one stood out on his side – the win column.
Jones started 62 games in a Teal sweater, dawning a 36-19-5 record, which was second among all NHL goaltenders and one win shy of his career-high total he set back in his first year with the Sharks during the 2015-2016 campaign.
Now, you’re probably thinking that Jones’ grade should be lower based on his low accounts of successful statistics. The reason Jones earned a B instead of a C was his astonishing revival in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Entering the postseason, the Sharks were written off in the first round against the Golden Knights, who rode a hot offensive rush and goaltender into the month of April. On top of that, the Sharks carried the worst save percentage in the league from the regular season.
However, Jones flipped the script.
Down to 3-1 in the first-round series, head coach Peter DeBoer did not hesitate to pull the Sharks’ No. 1 netminder out of the fight. Instead, Jones remarkably finished that best-of-seven series, allowing just nine goals in the final four games to send the Sharks to the second round.
Perhaps, his greatest performance of the season was that dramatic double-overtime victory in Game 6 in the hostile environment of T-Mobile Arena. Despite just one goal against, Jones made 58 saves before Tomas Hertl rifled home the short-handed winner to force a Game 7 on home ice.
In that heroic effort, Jones recorded the most saves a Sharks goaltender in a single game in franchise history, giving San Jose a chance to upset Vegas, and they did exactly that thanks to an unbelievable third period and Barclay Goodrow’s series-clinching dagger.
Throughout the year, the leaky goals were the ones he undoubtedly would like to have back, and he gave up quite a few of those, but the 6-foot-4 netminder stood tall most nights, proving he is the undisputed starter for the Sharks.
This year’s exit from the playoffs does not point blame to Jones’ performance in goal, but rather the toll from each lengthy heavy-hitting series that piled throughout the stretch of the postseason.
In a busy off-season for the Sharks, Jones’ mind is set to shake off the concerns and criticisms of the past and regain his composure and steadiness for next season.
Aaron Dell
Grade: C+
Aaron Dell did not provide the solid backup netminding that the San Jose Sharks needed during their rough patches of the season. Dell delivered on the back-to-back occasions, but his numbers were sub-par with a 3.17 GAA and a .886 save percentage in 25 games.
Often, Dell had to relieve Jones on different occasions but could not provide an immediate spark when nights spiraled into chaos. Dell had trouble facing routines shots without any screens or defenders blocking his vision.
Prior to the trade deadline, rumors swirled around Dell with the San Jose Barracuda defending exceptionally well in the crease with Antoine Bibeau and Josef Korenar.
With the Sharks relying heavily on offense, Dell’s name was on the board as a potential trade piece to acquire another goaltender in return. Jimmy Howard and Ryan Miller were likely candidates to join Team Teal at February 25th deadline, but general manager Doug Wilson opted to bolster his offense for Detroit’s Gus Nyquist.
Keeping Dell was the right move as trading or calling up a goalie would have added pressure to Jones, who in the end, found his strong-suited postseason form to readily contend with the likes of the Golden Knights, Avalanche and the St. Louis Blues.
Dell’s best performance of the year came against the Blues. Dell recorded his first shutout of the season on November 17, 2018 in a 30-save effort at SAP Center.
Maybe Dell could have earned a crack against the Blues in the postseason, but Jones was the hot right-hand man while Dell kept the bench warm for their playoff run.
His next start five days later at home, Dell put up another zero on the visitor’s side, blanking a young and hungry Vancouver Canucks squad in the 4-0 win.
There were a few delightful spots for Dell, but the murky water was difficult to navigate the remainder of the journey. After signing a two-year deal, Dell will have to prove he’s worthy to hold his back-up position for next season as two up-and-ready goaltenders in the farm system are swimming right behind Dell to snatch it.
Team Teal appears to be heading into next season with these two netminders on the bench but things can change. It’ll be interesting to see if the San Jose Sharks make any tweaks to the coaching or personal in between the pipes in order to keep them in contention for the Stanley Cup.