New diet and fitness regimen paying dividends for Tierney

SAN JOSE >> Sharks center Chris Tierney admits he’s not the best cook inside his own home. That honor, as he’s come to find out this season, belongs to roommate and longtime friend Barclay Goodrow.

“I’ll give it to him. He probably does more of the work than I do,” Tierney said of Goodrow. “He’s pretty good at making the stuff. I’ll do the salad, or just pop (the chicken) in the oven. But he does more of the work for sure.”

Tierney saw dividends of a rigorous offseason training program and a stricter diet almost right away this season with better offensive numbers and an ability to handle an increased workload.

Maintaining that lifestyle, though, has helped Tierney avoid any type of post all-star break dip in his game.

Unlike the second half of last year, when his ice time would fluctuate and weeks would go by without any type of offensive production, Tierney has been much more consistent across the board in 2018.

Going into today’s game against the Dallas Stars, Tierney has four points in his last five games. Since the NHL all-star break, with Joe Thornton injured, Tierney also is fourth among all Sharks forwards in average time on ice (17:57).

With seven weeks to go the regular season, Tierney, 23, has already posted career highs in goals (14) and points (28).

“It definitely pays off now,” Tierney said. “It was a good summer, and you try to keep it up during the year. Just maintain it.”

It all goes back to the work he did last summer, spending five days a week at the Gary Roberts’ High Performance Training Facility in Southern Ontario in Canada.

Tierney has spent time there in past offseasons, but was much more vigilant in his work habits — and the subsequent upkeep — this time.

“I’ve been working with him a while now, but I think, this year, just kind of go to the gym every day and bear down,” Tierney said. “Try not to take any days off, give 100 percent every day and really stick to my diet.”

It’s not like Tierney was eating poorly last season. He and Goodrow, when they were home at the same time, would go out for sushi or order in pasta dishes.

Still, there’s nothing better than a home-cooked meal. He and Goodrow stick to lean proteins such as chicken or salmon, adding in broccoli and rice for vegetables and carbohydrates.

“We did a lot of ordering in and going out for dinner last year, so we tried to make it a priority to cook a lot this year, especially dinners,” Tierney said. “Whenever we’re at home, we try to cook dinner every night. Try to give ourselves whatever extra benefit we can.”

Said Goodrow: “There was a lot of door-dashing last year. “There’s more cooking this year.”

Goodrow, too, rededicated himself to fitness last offseason and was the Sharks’ best-conditioned player at the start of training camp, helping win an NHL job for the start the regular season.

“Guys that don’t do that, they start to fall,” Sharks assistant coach Rob Zettler said. “Sometimes it takes a player a little while to realize that, the kind of work it takes to sustain a full 82game season.

“(Tierney’s) reaping the benefits now. Goodrow, same thing. Guys that have committed themselves to fitness, they see the benefits, not only in their stats, but sheer opportunity.”

Tierney’s improved fitness should come into play with the Sharks playing 24 games in the next 49 days.

“Just feeling stronger,” Tierney said. “A little more energy throughout the games and being able to maintain it on backto-backs, or maintain it when we’re going through a long stretch of games. I feel good.”

• Forward Tomas Hertl returned to practice Saturday but will be a gametime decision to play today. Hertl was injured in Tuesday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes and sat out Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks.