With team surging, a new power trio has emerged
SAN JOSE >> The Sharks juggled their forward lines and defense pairs earlier this month when some injured players returned to the lineup. But just as important to their recent success has been another adjustment.
To turn around their season, the Sharks had to change their attitude toward defending.
“We were not playing our system. We were freelancing, doing our own thing,” Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic said. “It’s funny. When we stick to what we do best, the results follow.
“Whoever’s in the lineup, we just decided enough’s enough. We’ll climb ourselves out of the hole.”
The Sharks will be carrying a four-game winning streak into today’s game against the Anaheim Ducks, and right now, defense is leading the way.
Two days after holding the NHL’s second-highest scoring team in the Nashville Predators to one goal, the Sharks on Tuesday held the league’s highest-scoring duo to the same total in a 6-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers at SAP Center.
Six players scored Tuesday night for the Sharks, who had a five-game losing streak from Oct 25 to Nov. 2 but are now 8-10-1 overall.
The Sharks knew they had to stay above the puck and be aware anytime Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl stepped on the ice. Draisaitl now leads the NHL with 36 points and McDavid, entering Tuesday, was tied for second with 30.
Everybody bought into the assignment. Draisaitl had a goal after the Sharks took a 4-0 lead and added an assist on Zack Kassian’s goal at the 9:08 mark of the third period that cut San Jose’s lead to 5-2.
But McDavid’s one and only shot came with 15:28 left in the third period. It’s just the second time this season a team has held McDavid to one shot.
The Sharks had been torched this season by players such as Mark Stone, Jack Eichel and Elias Pettersson. But they didn’t give McDavid much room to operate, taking care of the puck to eliminate opportunities the Oilers superstar might have had to create chances off the rush.
“I thought we did a good job defending McDavid and Draisaitl as a group tonight,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said. “We had some individuals that really did a good job, but I thought everyone on the ice with those guys was aware.”
Top takeaways from Tuesday.
THE SHARKS’ NEW POWER TRIO >> Vlasic credited the work that the line of Tomas Hertl, Barclay Goodrow and Timo Meier did against McDavid, Draisaitl and Kassian.
Since the start of the Sharks’ game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 6, those three players have been on the ice at the same time for just two goals against at even strength.
The first came against the Blackhawks, as Brandon Saad scored with 3:02 left in the third period. The second came Tuesday on Kassian’s goal.
This is the Sharks’ new shutdown line until further notice.
“Feels great, our line,” Hertl said. “The best thing is most of the time we play (in the offensive) zone. We don’t spend too much time in (the defensive zone). We’ve got three big bodies. When we play really good defense, we get a lot of chances.”
Here’s what each of those players have done in recent games.
• Hertl (one goal Tuesday): Scored his eighth goal of the season and is now riding a career-high four-game goal streak (four goals, three assists).
• Meier (one goal, one assist): Recorded his 16th multipoint game and pushed his current assist streak to four straight games (three goals, four assists), tying his career high. He now has goals in three of his last four games.
• Goodrow (one goal, one assist): Recorded a Gordie Howe Hat Trick, with a goal, assist and a fight. Goodrow is also now two goals shy of his single season record of seven.
“Our line’s played well,” Goodrow said. “Just want to keep building every night and our team as a whole is finding its stride a little bit.” THORNTON’S LINE MAKES AN IMPACT >> The Sharks, with a fully healthy forward group, have four forward lines right now that can make an impact. Although they’re not as deep as they were last season, the Sharks are still deeper than the Oilers.
So it made sense that Joe Thornton’s line with Patrick Marleau and Marcus Sorensen were going to make an impact Tuesday. Marleau scored in the first period with Thornton getting a secondary assist, and Sorensen assisted on Brent Burns’ goal at the 4:01 mark of the first.
“They had a great game. I thought they were good last game, too,” DeBoer said. “Tonight, both (Thornton) and Patty Marleau were both moving real well and Marcus is nice complement to those guys.” A WEIRD PACIFIC DIVISION >> This could be a season where there’s five or six teams right around 88-94 points in the Pacific Division.
Teams such as the Oilers, the Canucks and the Coyotes have made improvements. The Golden Knights are still deep up front and have enough experience that they’ll be in the mix. The Flames might take a step back this season after they won the division title last season, but they’ll be in the race until the end.
Where does this leave the Sharks. Well, after Tuesday’s win, probably with enough confidence to know that if they play a certain way, they can compete with anyone in the division.
“We’re working for each other, we’re happy for each other and everybody’s contributing, whether that’s with the puck or without the puck,” Karlsson said. “You’re going to have shifts where you don’t feel like you accomplish much, but at least you’re doing something.
“Right now we have that feeling in here.”