The San Jose Sharks are good; we've known that for a long time. But after their most successful season in franchise history - one that saw the club fall two wins shy of the Stanley Cup - San Jose has maintained that success into the new campaign, but in a different way:
Smothering their opponents.
Led last season by Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, and Brent Burns, who notched 82, 78, and 75 points respectively, the Sharks had the fourth-most prolific offense, accompanied by a sturdy defensive game.
This time around, improved defense has propelled them to a 15-9-1 record through 25 games, good for first in the Pacific.
| Season | GF per game | GA per game | Shots Against per game |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 2.94 (4th) | 2.52 (10th) | 27.4 (2nd) |
| 2016-17 | 2.40 (21st) | 2.04 (1st) | 26.2 (2nd) |
San Jose has only allowed four or more goals twice this season. For comparison's sake, the Dallas Stars, the team with the most goals against, has earned that dubious distinction seven times.
Goaltender Martin Jones deserves plenty of credit for the turnaround, too, as the 26-year-old is tied for the league lead in wins (13) and sits fifth in goals-against average (1.99) in 22 starts.
The Sharks' quest for the Cup fell short due to an inability to contain the potent attack of the Pittsburgh Penguins, but more than a quarter through this season, they seem to have steadily improved in that aspect.
If they can keep the trend going, combined with the offensive prowess of the aforementioned All-Star core, expect San Jose to be right back in the mix come springtime.
Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.