GDHQNHL15_4pg-San Jose Sharks 2

San Jose Sharks Gameday HQ

10 The Sharks have made the Western Conference playoffs in ten consecutive seasons but have never reached the Stanley Cup Finals. Projected Roster HEAD COACH: TODD MCLELLAN LW C RW 1st Line: Tomas Hertl Joe Thornton Joe Pavelski 2nd Line: Patrick Marleau Logan Couture Matt Nieto 3rd Line: James Sheppard Tommy Wingels Tyler Kennedy 4th Line: Raffi Torres Andrew Desjardins Mike Brown D D #1 Marc-Edouard Vlasic Brent Burns #2 Matt Irwin Jason Demers #3 Mirco Mueller Justin Braun G Starter Antti Niemi Backup Alex Stalock Scoreboard 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 PLAYOFF FINISH Conf QF Conf SF Conf QF Conf Finals Conf Finals REGULAR SEASON 51-22-9 25-16-7 43-29-10 48-25-9 51-20-11 POINT TOTAL 111 57 96 105 113 SHOOTOUT RECORD 10-7 8-4 9-5 5-5 7-6 GOALS SCORED 249 124 228 248 264 GOALS ALLOWED 200 116 210 213 215 POWER PLAY % 17.2 20.1 21.1 23.5 21.0 PENALTY KILL % 84.9 85.0 76.9 79.6 85.0 depth at the forward position. They clearly found that depth last year, and will now enter the 2014-15 season with three very strong scoring lines. The Sharks figure to continue their goal-scoring success in the upcoming year. Defense One of San Jose’s strengths as an organization over the last decade of playoff appearances has been the consistent presence of quality defensemen, both from an offensive and defensive standpoint. Last season was no exception. Veteran Dan Boyle and Jason Demers made for an excellent offensive pair at the blue line, scoring 36 and 34 points respectively. Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored 24 points and had the team’s highest plus-minus rating at +31 while Matt Irwin chipped in with 18 assists. On the defensive side of the ice, Vlasic in particular had an outstanding season, establishing himself as a shot blocking force who consistently prevented the opponent from getting clean shots. The same could be said of Justin Braun, a big body who also had more than his fair share of blocks. Vlasic and Braun are the go-to pair in shorthanded situations for San Jose. While Boyle was again productive on the offensive end, age is becoming a big factor in his play and his defense is in decline. Boyle had one of the worst plus-minus ratings on the team at -8 despite San Jose’s success. For that reason, the Sharks let one of their longtime leaders in Boyle depart to New York in free agency. To fill that void, the plan is to move Burns back to his old position as a defenseman, using him as a very offensive-minded threat on the blue line and on the power play. With Burns and Demers supplying the offense, Vlasic and Braun providing sturdy defense, and Irwin and Mirco Mueller coming in on third and fourth line duty, the Sharks should continue to have a very strong defensive unit in the 2014-15 season.


San Jose Sharks Gameday HQ
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