Sharks off to a perfect 4-0 start
TORONTO >> The San Jose Sharks are 4-0-0 — one of six teams still left in the NHL with unblemished records — and came into Saturday in second place in the Pacific Division.
Yes, the Sharks look like a different team than they’ve been the last two seasons — particularly on the defensive end.
The Sharks have allowed just seven goals in four games and goalies Adin Hill and James Reimer have combined for a .938 save percentage. Reimer stopped 30 of 31 shots in the Sharks’ 2-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, and Hill stopped 30 of 33 shots in Friday’s 5-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“I think you’re going to see a lot of those kinds of wins this year. We’re going to have to grind it out,” Sharks coach Bob Boughner said. “That’s probably the biggest difference, is that grind mentality.”
The last time the Sharks were 4-0-0 was at the start of the 2015-16 season. San Jose will be going for its fifth straight win Sunday when they play the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. The Sharks then close out the trip Tuesday in Nashville.
Here are three reasons why the Sharks are off to a perfect start.
GOALTENDING >> Hill and Reimer now have stopped 101 of 108 shots so far. Beyond the sheer numbers, though, are the timing of the saves Hill and Reimer are making.
On Oct. 16 with the Sharks clinging to a onegoal lead against the Winnipeg Jets, Hill made two saves in the final minute, including one from short range by Pierre-Luc Dubois. Tuesday against Montreal with the Sharks up three goals, Hill stopped Josh Anderson’s breakaway attempt late in the second period to prevent the Canadiens from gaining any momentum. Boughner later called it a “statement save.”
Thursday, the Senators made a push after both Sharks’ goals. After Couture scored at the 1:58 mark of the second period, Reimer made a save on Tim Stützle’s scoring chance on the next shift. After Kevin Labanc’s power-play goal with 5:24 left in the second period, Brady Tkachuk had a shot from close range on the next shift that was stopped by Reimer.
SPECIAL TEAMS >> The Sharks are 10-for-10 on the penalty kill this season. Thursday, they got a key kill late in the third period after Brent Burns was called for interference with 11:02 left in regulation time. The Sharks held the Senators to one shot on goal on the ensuing penalty kill to preserve the 2-1 lead.
The Sharks’ power play has been struggling with its entries into the offensive zone so far this season. But the Sharks are 5-for15 in three games, a 33.3 percent success rate that ranked sixth in the NHL before Saturday’s games. LEADERSHIP >> The Sharks have a solid leadership group with Couture, Burns, Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl, but forwards Nick Bonino and Andrew Cogliano have had an immense impact on some of the Sharks’ younger players and the overall culture.
Labanc was one of the forwards on the ice in the final minute of the game Thursday when the Senators pulled goalie Matt Murray to try and get the equalizer. Labanc has worked to improve his twoway game in recent years with various levels of success, but Boughner trusted him enough in that situation to try and secure the two points.
“Last year instead of making easy plays or the right plays, we might try and force (plays) and still look for offense,” Boughner said. “Now we’ve got a room full of guys who are saying the right things and doing the right things. I keep (mentioning) Bonino and Cogliano, but it’s really contagious.”