Thornton’s presence felt even when he’s off the ice
SAN JOSE >> Center Joe Thornton hasn’t had any setbacks in his attempt to return and play at some point in the playoffs and will again be evaluated after Game 1 of the Sharks’ second round series against the Vegas Golden Knights, coach Pete DeBoer said.
Thornton took part in the Sharks’ optional skate Wednesday morning before the team boarded its flight to Las Vegas, continuing his pattern of being on the ice nearly every day over the last few weeks, especially since the postseason began. The series opener with the Golden Knights is Thursday at 7 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena.
It’s just one example of how Thornton remains a large presence around the team even though he’s not able to play just yet.
“His leadership is constant,” DeBoer said. “I believe he’s constantly talking to guys, messaging, seeing what he sees. Nobody wants to win more than him, nobody wants to go further than him because that’ll give him a chance to play again. But he’d be doing that anyway. That’s just who he is.”
Most players who will dress for Thursday’s game did not take part in the optional skate. The only players who went on ice and are expected to play in Game 1 were defensemen Brent Burns and Paul Martin.
Backup goalie Aaron Dell also remained off the ice, with Josef Korenar, who signed an entry-level deal with the Sharks last July after the team’s development camp, the only netminder on the ice. Korenar, 20, traveled with the Sharks and will serve as the team’s emergency goalie.
• The Golden Knights have gone 31-10-2 at home this season, including the playoffs. The Sharks lost both of their games in Las Vegas by one goal, but have a solid 22-14-7 record away from home since the start of the regular season.
From the start of last year’s playoffs going into Wednesday, the team that had won Game 1 had gone on to win the series 17 of 22 times. The one exception this year prior to the result of Game 7 on Wednesday between Toronto and Boston were the Washington Capitals, who lost both games 1 and 2 to Columbus before they won the next four to capture the series.
Can the Sharks plant a seed of doubt in the minds of the Golden Knights’ players -- or even make a small statement -- with a win Thursday?
“You have to win four. They’re all equally as important,” DeBoer said. “Obviously we want to get off to a good start. I thought that was one of our strengths against Anaheim. But it’s not necessary . ... There’s no game that’s any more important than the other games. We want to get a good start, that’s the plan, and we’ll see how that goes.”
• The Sharks and Golden Knights were two of the least penalized teams in the first round, going shorthanded roughly three times per game. From DeBoer’s perspective, that doesn’t necessarily mean there won’t be numerous opportunities to cash in on the power play.
The Sharks were 6-for-20 with the man advantage in the first round against the Anaheim Ducks and will likely see less power play time against the more-disciplined Golden Knights. Still, how officials decide to call each game could vary from night to night.
“It does become more important as the playoffs go on that you win the special teams battle,” DeBoer said. “I think both teams take a lot of pride in those areas, so it should be a good test.”