Three Sharks positives that will be tested on five-game road trip
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Three Sharks positives that will be tested on road trip originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The Sharks are off to a surprising 6-4-1 start.
But they’re likely about to face their stiffest test yet. On Tuesday, they kick off a five-game road trip against the 7-1-3 Calgary Flames.
It doesn’t get any easier after the Flames — the Sharks will also visit the 6-3-2 Winnipeg Jets, the 8-3-0 Minnesota Wild, and the 7-2-1 St. Louis Blues on this trip.
The only team that San Jose will square off against on this swing that’s not currently in the playoffs? That’s the 4-5-1 Colorado Avalanche — preseason Stanley Cup favorite Avalanche, that is.
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They’ll also have to take on Calgary and Winnipeg short-handed. The Sharks currently have seven players in COVID protocol and none are currently allowed to enter Canada, despite being on the verge of exiting protocol.
In short, the Sharks’ feel-good start to this season could be a distant memory two weeks from now.
But what if the Sharks are for real? These are three things that have fueled their quick start that could carry them through this upcoming gauntlet.
Special Teams
The Sharks, as of Nov. 8, are 13th in the NHL with a 22.2 power-play percentage and third in the league with a 89.3 penalty-kill percentage.
That 22.2 power-play percentage is a far cry from last season’s 14.1, which was “good” for 29th in the NHL.
Entering this season, the Sharks committed to simplifying their power play and emphasizing shot volume.
“If everybody’s thinking shot, everybody’s working downhill towards the net, it gives everybody sort of a guideline to go by,” coach Bob Boughner said during training camp. “But if one guy starts overhandling it and we start trying to be too pretty up top, you’re sort of freezing out everybody else.
“I think it’s about quick puck movement, shot mentality, and it doesn’t matter if it’s [Karlsson or Labanc] or anybody, we want to get pucks to…
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Source : yahoo
