Postseason run on the line

‘ End isn’t here,’ McLellan insists, but chances slim

TORONTO — The Sharks know that they are rapidly running out of time to make up lost ground and reach the Stanley Cup playoffs.

That would be disappointing enough. But it would also mark the end of the NHL’s second- longest streak of consecutive postseason appearances, a 10year run that started when Doug Wilson moved into the general manager’s job before the 2003- 04 season.

No one should underestimate the importance of keeping the streak alive, according to coach Todd McLellan.

“We’ve had a standard set here for a number of years,” he said, acknowledging it predates his arrival in 2008. “When you enter the locker room, you expect to play and perform at that level all year and make the playoffs. That’s something, when you lose it, it’s hard to go back and get again.”

McLellan was talking days before his team’s two latest defeats that have further diminished San Jose’s chances to keep the streak alive. When the Sharks face the troubled Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night, San Jose will be farther away from a playoff spot

SHARKS PLAYOFF RACES

There are two ways the Sharks canmake the NHL playoffs: finish in the top three in the Pacific Division, or win one of two wildcard spots awarded to the teams in the Western Conference with the two best records behind the six qualifiers from the Pacific and Central divisions.

PACIFIC DIVISION

Anaheim

Vancouver

Los Angeles

Calgary

Sharks

WILD CARD

Minnesota

Winnipeg

Calgary

Sharks than at any time all season.

“Separation is beginning to happen, and it’s not a good thing for our club, but the end isn’t here,” McLellan said Wednesday after his team became the first in the NHL to practice at the renovated Maple Leaf Gardens. “We have to keep that in mind.”

McLellan broke down his team’s challenge into two battles, physical and mental.

“The physical one I think we’ll overcome with rest on the road, but the mental battle is staying in the fight and being prepared to play,” he said.

Later he added: “We’ve

THURSDAY’S GAME

Sharks ( 34- 288) at Toronto ( 27- 38- 6), 4: 30 p. m., CSNCA

ONLINE EXTRA

Sharks are first NHLteamto practice in renovated Maple Leaf Gardens. Read the story at

www. mercurynews. com/ sharks.

put ourselves in a situation where you begin to cheer for other teams and that’s usually not a good sign. But if we take care of business, who knows what’s going to happen elsewhere and that’s all we can do.”

After Wednesday night’s NHL action, San Jose was six points behind in the race for a wild- card spot and six points out of third place in the Pacific Division. A playoff spot likely would require something close to a 9- 2- 1 finish and the Sharks have not looked lately like a team capable of that.

Some Sharks were more focused than others on the 10- year playoff streak that trails only the 25- year run by the Detroit Red Wings.

“We’re not really thinking about the streak,” Joe Thornton said. “All we’re thinking about is winning tomorrow night. That’s all we can think about and that’s all we should be thinking about — getting on a winning track and try to get back into this race.”

Tommy Wingels, on the other hand, said while the streak isn’t something players think about that often, he can see its importance.

“Is the streak nice? Absolutely. It goes to show how good of a team the franchise has been the past 10 years, and we’re going to do everything we can to keep that going,” Wingels said. “We don’t want to be the reason why the streak stops.”

The game against the Leafs would seem to be one where the Sharks could get back on track, even though Toronto’s 19- 14- 1 record at the Air Canada Center is significantly better than San Jose’s 17- 16- 5 mark on home ice.

After all, Toronto is 1- 5- 1 in its past seven games, and its 60 points are the secondlowest point total in the Eastern Conference.

Beyond that, the Leafs will be without forward Nazem Kadri, who is serving the first of a four- game suspension handed down Wednesday for a hit to the head of Edmonton Oilers forward Matt Fraser.

But Joe Pavelski rejected the suggestion the Sharks might make the mistake of not taking Toronto seriously enough.

“Everyone knows where we’re at right now,” the Sharks forward said. “I don’t think anyone’s going to be taking it lightly.”