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Sharks are Lurking and Laying Low for Playoff Waters
If it’s true that sharks are always lurking and laying low in order to strike more effectively in relatively shallow waters, than the San Jose Sharks hockey team could be in a prime position to strike again and make a second consecutive deep run in the playoffs.
The Sharks have just 12 regular season games remaining, and the playoffs begin in a month. The franchise is strong, and led by veterans players like Joe Thorton and Patrick Marleau, it’s been this way pretty much for the entire 21st Century finishing first or second in their division in all but four seasons (two of those 3rd place finishes) including six Pacific division titles while only missing the playoffs twice.
Last season, the Sharks were lurking and laying low and jumped up from the No. 6 spot in the Western Conference to a deep playoff run that landed them in the Stanley Cup finals against a much deeper Pittsburgh Penguins team.
This year, they have all but assured themselves of winning the Pacific Division, they sit No. 3 lurking and laying low in the conference, but chasing down the current top two seeds, Chicago and Minnesota.
No reason to focus on the negative here, but the Sharks, who haven’t made it past the quarter finals in the playoff in 5 years, seemingly came out of the shallow waters last season after finishing third in their division.
This season the Sharks have a similar DNA, except for more experience this time around, having played in last year’s Stanley Cup finals. By that measure alone, this Shark team is better than last year’s team, but is that good enough?
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Absolutely, said Coach Pete DeBoer. “We’re a deeper team than last year, especially with the addition of Jannik Hansen,” he said Wednesday after practice.
DeBoer has been shuffling around his lines all season because of injuries issues. And last year, he also moved certain Sharks from one line to another, depending on the opponent. I’m sure this will happen again this time around when DeBoer draws up his game plan for each of the series.
The result should be another deep run led by veterans Thorton and Marleau as well as leading point scorer Brent Burns and All-Star Joe Pavelski. The Sharks who are just standard offensively have averaged three goals a game from the end of the All-Star break, scoring 60 goals in 20 games. Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns, Couture, Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton have combined for 34 of those 60 goals and 88 points since the break. Pavelski is leading the Sharks since the break with 21 points.
Los Tiburones will again rely on their defense backed by goaltender Martin Jones, who has a stellar 2.25 GAA, and Aaron Dell that combined stop 530 of 572 shots for a .927 save percentage.
At the end of the day having played in last year’s Stanley Cup finals, doesn’t guarantee another trip to the Final and definitely doesn’t guarantee a Stanley Cup.
This team it’s much like last years Sharks, with a great framework established, and great combination of youth and experience as well as balanced on both ends of the rink. But barring injuries between now and then, it does guarantee that the Sharks are going to be favored against every Western Conference opponent with the possible exceptions of Minnesota and Chicago.
Let’s also remember that luck can play a factor, but all the lurking and laying low can lead this Sharks for Playoff waters and on to another deep run in this year’s playoffs.
Read more at: San Jose Sharks Media Services
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
For more on the San Jose Sharks, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com
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