San Jose Sharks Still Lacking Offensive Production This Season

Still in the thick of the Pacific Division race, the San Jose Sharks are still struggling to get consistent goal production on a nightly basis.

After a rough start to begin the season, the San Jose Sharks shook off the early disappointment and currently sit at 12-8-2 on the season. The Sharks have looked impressive in wins over Toronto and Nashville but were exposed to losses to Tampa Bay and Anaheim. In the losses, San Jose could not keep the ignition going after a fast start to take an early lead.

Offensive scoring continues to haunt the Sharks as the team sits 28th in scoring. Logan Couture leads in the scoring department with 13 goals on the season. He scored two goals in the last game against Winnipeg in a 4-0 win. Couture also has 19 points this season to lead the Sharks.

Behind Couture is Joonas Donskoi with seven goals and is re-emerging as an offensive threat after a disappointing 2016-17 campaign. With a nifty set of gloves, Donskoi has dazzled with his stick moves and speed to create scoring chances. He will play a huge role in helping the Sharks score goals and in the division race.

San Jose Sharks /

San Jose Sharks

A big part as to why the Sharks’ offense is hurting is Brent Burns not lighting the lamp. The Norris Trophy winner as NHL’s best defenseman from last season has only one goal so far.

He has nine assists, but should instead be putting pucks in the net. Teams have targeted Burns, preventing him from influencing the game.

Burns’ first goal of the season did come at a good time. Down 4-1 against upstart Las Vegas, Burns’ goal got San Jose within two and sparked a rally. The Sharks ultimately fell to the Golden Knights in overtime, but it shows how vital Burns is to the team offensively.

With opponents putting a focus on Burns, scoring chances should be more frequent for players looking to fill the void left by Patrick Marleau.

Mikkel Boedker is playing well but is not finding the net with only three goals on the year. He has looked good on the power play but is not doing quite enough.

The same could be said about Tomas Hertl and Joe Pavelski who have been finding it tough to score goals. Perhaps no Sharks’ player is more frustrated now than Pavelski, who is looking for his 300th NHL goal. San Jose’s top players are hitting a rough stretch to score and will hopefully break out soon.

In past games, San Jose has fallen victim to questionable officiating and reviews by the war room in Toronto. Goals were disallowed upon coach’s challenges in the games against Florida and Vegas, leaving the Sharks’ coaching staff scratching their heads. The NHL got all the calls wrong, and the explanations lack merit.

Despite the rough patches a quarter through the season, two areas stand out which have helped the Sharks this season. Goals may be hard to come by, but San Jose tops the NHL in goals against. Martin Jones has played solid after below-average goaltending to start this season. Aaron Dell has solidified himself as a reliable backup in games he has played.

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Jones appeared to have hurt himself in the game against Winnipeg as the goaltender was often stretching out during breaks. Hopefully, Jones is no worse for the wear as the Sharks will embark on the road with the first stop in Philadelphia.

Second, the Sharks’ penalty kill sits second in the NHL and has kept the team in games. In the special team department, San Jose’s penalty killers appear to have better scoring chances.

Couture scored a shorthanded goal against the Jets on a breakaway and nearly got a second on the same penalty kill.

Currently, the Sharks have a good dilemma with the defensive pairings. Paul Martin is still out after a setback from his injury but has gotten quality efforts from Joakim Ryan, Tim Heed, and Dylan DeMelo.

Heed recently sat out a few games after struggling in recent starts but followed up by scoring a goal last game. The offensive production in his time with the Barracuda are beginning to benefit the Sharks at even strength and special teams.

DeMelo has been the odd man out with Heed and Ryan locking down the spots on defense. Disgruntled with the lack of playing time, DeMelo plays a good game and doesn’t show his frustrations on the ice.

Should a trade occur this season, the Sharks will likely trade a defenseman depending if Martin returns to the lineup. DeMelo could end up on another team as San Jose may want to find scoring help.

Next: San Jose Sharks Searching for Consistency

A four-game road swing is at hand as San Jose looks to avenge losses against Philly, Florida, and Tampa Bay. The trip will conclude against Washington, the first meeting of the season. If the Sharks can turn the power play and goals per game around, then the team can be seen as a serious Stanley Cup contender.

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