Karlsson adjusts to secondary role
On the ice, Erik Karlsson has rediscovered the point-scoring magic that had disappeared for his first couple of months in California.
Off the ice, his signature flow and the trademark, finely manicured pirate moustache remain intact.
Ottawa may still be his offseason home, but he has found his place in the San Jose Sharks’ loaded lineup.
“It takes a while,” the former Senators captain and two-time Norris Trophy winner said, taking his time before addressing the media late Saturday following the Sharks’ 4-1 win over the Senators.
“There are a lot of things that you have to get accustomed to and I think it’s becoming easier and easier. I wake up every day and have more of a routine. I don’t have to worry about too many things.”
Indeed, it’s different world for Karlsson. The ageless wonder, Joe Thornton, is the captain of a Sharks team overloaded with talent and experience. The other Joe — Pavelski — leads with his points and his poise. Logan Couture, the long-ago star of the Ottawa 67s, is as steady and solid as just about any two-way forward in the NHL.
And then there’s the big air surrounding the big-bearded Brent Burns, who, as it happens, was honoured for playing his 1,000th game before the puck dropped against the Senators.
If anything and everything first passed through Karlsson in Ottawa, that’s certainly not the case in Silicon Valley.
“I know how everything works and that has been a big relief,” said Karlsson, who is now a voice in the background, no longer the go-to guy for reporters wanting explanations for the Sharks’ successes or failures. “The guys in here have done a good job in not making me do anything I don’t want to and rushing me. They’ve been very patient and we’ve been playing better as a team.”
That’s a colossal understatement. The Sharks are now feasting on the rest of the NHL, currently riding a six-game winning streak, challenging the Calgary Flames at the top of the ultracompetitive Pacific Division. While the Senators held Karlsson off the scoresheet Saturday, for the second consecutive game, the former Senators captain saw his franchise-record 14-game point scoring streak come to an end earlier in the week. He had scored one goal and 24 assists during that span, climbing back to his familiar spot among the top scoring defencemen in the NHL.
It probably doesn’t serve as much consolation for Senators fans, but the Sharks look back at their 6-2 loss to the Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Dec. 1 as a turning point in their season.
The Sharks were a dysfunctional mess, on the cusp of a playoff spot, when Karlsson made his first appearance back in the building since the training camp trade.
Karlsson nodded his head when asked if it was a wake-up call. “A little bit,” he said. “We hadn’t played very good hockey, not to up to our standards before that. It was after that game that we realized what we needed to do to be successful and since then, we haven’t looked back.”
There were meetings, many meetings. General manager Doug Wilson took the unusual step of becoming directly involved in the conversations with players.
Since leaving Ottawa, the Sharks have posted a 15-3-2 record.