Fitting in wasn't the problem for the San Jose Sharks.

An expansion franchise that swiftly integrated after a brief transitional period, the Sharks became the standard small markets would be measured against as they built a foundation for success and sustainability. Both for themselves and the NHL.

They were exceptionally consistent. Seven 100-point seasons and six Pacific Division banners within a 16-season run that saw them qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs on 15 occasions.

Yet, they somehow remained unexceptional as a group. Each season ended in the same devastation, and the team, seemingly more fragmented.

They became predictable, dysfunctional, labelled, unoriginal, a punch line.

Until they weren't.

It's impossible to pinpoint the exact moment when it all clicked, though missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade, changing coaches, Joe Thornton's liberation, and the influence of Brent Burns have all definitely played a role.

Regardless, these Sharks are undeniably different - different from their former selves, and different from just about everyone else.

They have broken from convention, these sudden nonconformists. It's made all the difference.

Our speed

It's a simple demonstration, one likely made to drive home a point back in your minor hockey days. Line the fastest skater up on one goal line, and have them race the puck to the other end. See who wins.

This basic premise is partly the reason the Sharks remain a dominant team in an NHL that's getting faster and faster with every veteran career that comes to an unplanned close.

As the rest of the league looks to enlist speed, the Sharks continue to combat it with the art of puck movement.

"There's something to be said for being able to move the puck," defenseman Paul Martin told theScore. "You see it on power plays, and with teams that can move it better. Creating movement leads to better percentages, scoring more goals."

Except so much goes into moving the puck efficiently. First, it requires a system from innovative and adaptable leadership from scenario to scenario. That requires personnel that understands its inner workings on an exhaustive level and is capable of carrying it out involuntarily, and with enough pace to maintain gaps with the opponent.

All teams have some structure in place. But as teams implement defensive strategies, inevitably disrupting the formulated process, San Jose can fall back on instinct, and rapport developed between elite players who have been with the organization for many years.

Even still, for a talented, veteran team, there are nights when the puck just isn't being moved as crisp as it needs to.

That's when the Sharks feel the NHL's direction.

"When the puck is not going to the spots that it's normally going, you don't feel as fast," said Patrick Marleau. "If everyone knows where it's going, you're faster, you're on the puck. That's where you see (team speed)."

Man-child

Nowadays, there's just a select group with the requisite skills to score goals with regularity in the NHL. So teams will invariably devise ways to feed those who can.

In many cases, it's that dominant No. 1 center always at the point of attack or a sniper on the wing, and in others, a stationary force on the power play. For the Sharks, however, it's a converted rover, this "man-child," whose personality is as loud as his shot.

Brent Burns is as impactful as any NHL player relative to his position, and in an attack that features slam-dunk future Hall of Fame center Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski - the player with the third-most goals over the last five years - he is the centerpiece.

"If teams take (Burns) away, then something else will open up," Marleau said about the attention the defenseman commands. "He's making plays even if he's not in the play. It's (not the end all, be all) if we can't get him the puck. If it's there great, if not, someone else is going to be open."

Still, more often than not it's the veritable Norris Trophy candidate. Burns leads the Sharks with 12 goals and has a co-share of the team lead with 26 points, or one less than Erik Karlsson.

Burns' influence, though, is beyond production. In many respects, and past Thornton's decision to sport a similarly stringy beard, Burns represents the cultural leader for a team that flipped a previously acrimonious persona.

His wide, toothless grin, and untroubled attitude represents the shared outlook of a team that no longer appears to hold grudges, or cares who's captain, or engaged in spats with management, or dwells on past failures.

This is meant to be fun.

Get away

He didn't even have time to fulfill his postgame obligation.

San Jose just survived a late push to secure an eighth straight win on home ice over the Montreal Canadiens earlier this month. In this case, the avoidance of extra time was absolutely critical, but Pete DeBoer had to high-tail it out of the arena, anyway.

Coach had a flight to catch.

The destination, well, that was no one's business but his own. After completing their 10th game in 18 nights, the Sharks had the entire weekend to themselves. DeBoer wasn't to be heard from until Monday.

To say this was a rarity would be a significant understatement. Hockey players simply don't get weekends off. This is a concession made in midget. As Joel Ward put it, in the throes of the season, they have little comprehension of what day the calendar's fallen on: "It's either game day or non-game day."

So this opportunity wasn't about to be approached lightly; you can be certain Burns' backpack was stuffed full.

"It was the first time I've ever had one, at least since I can remember," Martin said, as he thought back on his decades in the sport. "I think a lot of it is that mental break, too. Just get away from the game, relax, re-charge the battery. And then you're refreshed coming back on Monday."

Activities varied from player to player, with Martin touring wine country with friends and Ward navigating the local sports landscape to considerable effect: "It was an action-packed sports weekend. Sharks, Warriors, and Raiders."

Ultimately, it's the schedule that dictates when a team will get its rest. But for an older club that puts in laborious mileage, managing fatigue and prioritizing rest has been a focal point under DeBoer, and a factor many believe to be a contributor to their success.

Not wondering if they'll have time off, the Sharks can worry about the best way to use it.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.