Defense looks to catch up with offense
SAN JOSE >> Sharks coach Pete DeBoer isn’t afraid to acknowledge that the bar is set a little higher for his team this year.
In the wake of Erik Karlsson’s arrival in training camp, the Sharks are expected to contend for a Stanley Cup this season. Anything short of that goal will be a disappointment.
“I’m not one of those guys that doesn’t want to talk about it,” said DeBoer, who coached his 800th NHL game Monday. “That’s the reality.”
The Sharks, who have 22 games left on the schedule, are certainly playing the role of top contenders. They entered play Monday tied with the Calgary Flames for first in the Western Conference, ranked second in goals scored (214) and were 23-7-2 record since Dec. 2, earning wins over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Winnipeg Jets and the Flames.
But heading down the stretch, this offensive juggernaut still needs to prove that it can win tight-defensive playoff-style hockey games. The Sharks flunked a test against the Washington Capitals last week — a 5-1 loss at home.
“The 7-6, 6-5 games, they don’t happen very often come playoff time,” Logan Couture said. “If you defend first, defend hard, defend well, you’re going to create offensive opportunities. There’s nothing wrong with winning games 2-1, 3-2.”
The Bruins, a team designed for playoff success, cruised into the Tank on a hot streak similar to the Sharks’. They had won five straight games, gotten points in 10 straight, and were 207-4 since Dec. 8.
The Bruins play that defensive style of game Couture was referencing. The were second in goals-against (148) and second on the power play (26.5 percent). Goalie Tukka Rask was 11-0-2 with a .933 save percentage in his last 13 appearances.
“They play heavy. They play hard. They’re experienced. They’re elite in certain areas, like the power play,” DeBoer said. “When you’re playing a team like this you’ve got to be clean in all of those areas.”
Contrary to their first three seasons under DeBoer, the Sharks are making hay this season by overwhelming opponents with their offensive firepower, averaging 4.29 goals per game since the Christmas break. In the past, DeBoer used to preach about the importance of being able to win defensive struggles, an area of strength for his 2016-17 and 2017-18 squads.
Now, the Sharks need to prove that they can still win those type of game against teams, such as the Capitals
and Bruins.
“We’re going to have to,” Couture said. “There’s going to be nights where the puck doesn’t go in and the other goaltender’s playing really well.”
In the wake of the Vegas Golden Knights run to the Stanley Cup Final as an expansion team last year, a lot of squads are trying to get faster and more skilled, replicating a style of play that’s emblematic of the modern NHL. But the Golden Knights first-year success might be overshadowing the lesson of last year’s playoffs. The Capitals won the Stanley Cup by taking the ice away from the high-flying Knights. In the end, defense and physicality beat speed and offense.
If the Sharks are going to hit the bar they’re trying to reach this year, they can’t cheat their defensive identity in search of offense. After last week’s loss to the Capitals, DeBoer said the Sharks failed to “outscore our problems.” They don’t want that to become a recurring theme in the spring.
Entering Monday’s game, the Sharks ranked 15th in goals-against average (3.07) and 31st in even strength save percentage.
“When you’re putting up five goals in the regular season, that’s not going to be there in the playoffs most nights,” DeBoer said. “It’s going to be games like Washington where we had trouble generating one goal. When you get to those 16 teams that are playing at playoff time, everybody’s tight, everybody’s good defensively.”
• When Karlsson makes a decision about where he wants to play next year, at least one factor will be working in the Sharks’ favor: California winters.
After spending his entire life in frozen-wintery places such as Landsbro, Sweden and Ottawa, Ontario, Karlsson admits he’s enjoying the milder temperatures that come along with playing hockey in Northern California. During All-Star Weekend, Karlsson stage-bombed an NHL Network interview with Henrik Lundqvist on media day. He bragged to his Swedish country-mate about the benefits of catching sun on the beach in January.
Put one point on the board for the Sharks, who might want to stamp that thought in Karlsson’s brain for future reference.
“It’s nice to still be able to do things outside and get some fresh air,” Karlsson said after the Sharks morning skate Saturday. “I like that. I’m not going to lie about that.”
Karlsson skipped the Sharks’ morning practice on Monday for maintenance purposes, but DeBoer said the defenseman’s injured groin responded well to its first regular-season game in a month on Saturday.
“We didn’t hide him. We didn’t limit his minutes,” DeBoer said. “He looked stronger as the game went on.”
• The Sharks reassigned Dylan Gambrell to the AHL Barracuda on Monday, allowing him to suit up for the team’s game against the San Diego Gulls at SAP Center.
At this point, it’s unclear whether the move signals the end of Gambrell’s mostrecent audition with the Sharks. DeBoer said the organization will make a decision after Monday’s game regarding who will be added to the roster for the team’s fourgame road trip through the Eastern Conference, which kicks off in Pittsburgh on Thursday.