San Jose Sharks Need to Buckle Down Defensively
By Andrew Bet
The San Jose Sharks, despite a recent surge in goal production, must address the defensive issues after the NHL’s mandatory Christmas Break
In six of the last seven games for the San Jose Sharks, deficits have been erased after trailing early. Three of the games resulted in the team grabbing two points. The other three games resulted in a total of two points due to regulation or overtime defeats.
On the positive side of the ledger, the Sharks have found the net more consistently, despite still sitting near the bottom of the league with 2.7 goals per game.
A huge reason for the recent uptick in goals is the power play finding the back of the net more regularly.
San Jose’s power play has been a problem since coach Peter DeBoer took over the team.
In the past, San Jose’s special teams ranked at the bottom of NHL statistics. DeBoer’s coaching staff was tasked with improving the Sharks’ power play this season and did not get off to a great start.
But, results are starting to bear fruit, due in part to the reshuffling of players on the power play unit. As a result, San Jose’s power play jumped up to tenth in the league.
Link together a penalty kill unit ranked second, and the Sharks could potentially be a threat come postseason.
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The evidence can be found in the team’s last game against Vancouver. San Jose went 3-5 on the power play while killing all penalties when the Canucks had the man advantage.
Kevin Labanc stood out, with three assists while scoring the game-winner in overtime.
The defensive play by the Sharks at even-strength raises red flags, though. It’s impressive for the men teal to be coming back in games, but, they have allowed too many goals five-on-five.
Miscues in the defensive zone have allowed opponents to cash in on the Sharks’ mistakes.
Opponents find the open areas left vacant by the Sharks’ defense, resulting in quality chances. Fast breaks are a common issue when San Jose’s young defensemen get caught flat-footed by speedy forwards in the neutral zone.
Tim Heed fell victim last game, when a Vancouver player sped right by him and cashed in during the second period. For Heed, he is still learning to be an everyday NHL defenseman. His puck-handling skills make him valuable as an offensive contributor as evidenced last season with the San Jose Barracuda.
Aaron Dell got the start against Vancouver but had his worst outing of the season. Dell is the best backup goaltender in the NHL currently, and has undoubtedly, stolen a few games for the Sharks.
Like the defense, The Sharks forwards have been caught out of position defensively all too often. Dell found himself in that position, allowing a few easy goals for the Canucks.
On the goal where Heed got exposed, Dell was in place but the Canucks’ Jake Virtanen pushed the puck underneath his pads as he anticipated a shot.
DeBoer deploys all four lines typically but in some instances, has gone to three lines by the time the third period begins. Heed found himself benched alongside Mikkel Boedker — who just got back in the lineup after being out with an injury.
San Jose Sharks
Offensively, the Sharks are not getting the job done, as the young players have been inconsistent. Labanc went 23 games without a goal, and hopefully, his overtime winner is the start of manufacturing goals on a more consistent basis.
Chris Tierney and Timo Meier have shown improvement in recent games. Tierney is finally showing his capabilities as the third-line center after entering training camp with a chip on his shoulder.
Meier has been showing more grit to his game by being physical and chasing loose pucks in the offensive zones. His toughness has given him more scoring chances and is starting to show his potential after being a first-round pick two years ago. He got rewarded with his fifth goal of the season.
General manager, Doug Wilson, has given the opportunity to a number of Barracuda players to be full time in the NHL. As of now, none have brought their game to the next level consistently, like veterans Joe Pavelski, and Joe Thornton who both deliver on a daily basis.
Lineup shuffling is frequent, as DeBoer is trying to find the right combination of players who can play a complete game. A more substantial burden now rests on the shoulders of all players after Logan Couture’s recent injury.
Next: Sharks Face Uncertainty After Couture's Injury
Unless the Sharks buckle down from a defensive standpoint, trailing in the game will be a common theme the rest of the way. The young players need to understand playing at both ends of the ice will ultimately generate positive results.
San Jose cannot afford to fall behind further in the Pacific Division with Los Angeles and Las Vegas starting to create some separation from the pack.