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| Infographic by Kavin Mistry |
As the final buzzer went off, the San Jose Sharks players left the 2014 postseason with their heads down and the idea of letting a 3-0 round one series lead slip away.
Two years later, a revamped roster and a new face at the helm later, the Sharks are in the position they have been waiting to taste ever since the historic meltdown to the Los Angeles Kings in round one of the 2014 playoffs.
The Sharks have added a pair of seasoned veterans in defender Paul Martin and winger Joel Ward, but the most significant addition has been goaltending phenom Martin Jones, who was traded from the Kings during the offseason. ESPN’s Pierre LaBrun even named the trade for Jones the best NHL transaction of the season. The young goaltender is third in the league with 37 wins and seventh with 2.27 goals per game against.
Jones’ win total is largely due to the Sharks’ goal scoring and shot preventing. San Jose ranks fourth in goals scored and concedes the least shots per game in the league.
The Sharks clinched a playoff berth on March 29 and have been step-for-step with the Kings and the Anaheim Ducks all season in the tightest Pacific division race that has been seen in years.
However, this season, the Sharks will enter the playoffs with a different resume than two years ago. The Sharks have the best record in the entire league away from San Jose at 28-10-3, something that fans have only seen one other time in team history.
“We are going to have to do a job on the road,” captain Joe Pavelski said in an interview following last Thursday’s game. “It’s not going to be easy, but we got the guys we need in order to compete.”
While fans may believe that starting on the road would be the best way for the Sharks to finally reach the pinnacle of the Stanley Cup Finals, the playoffs are a whole different dynamic.
“You want home ice obviously,” head coach Peter DeBoer said in an interview following last Thursday’s game.
DeBoer isn’t the only one who thinks relying solely on road performance is a bad idea.
“We really have to learn to win at home,” forward Tommy Wingels said in an interview following last Thursday’s game. “You can’t get into the rush game in playoffs, you can’t turn the pucks over in the neutral zone.”
While dominating on the road is praiseworthy during the regular season, once the puck drops in Los Angeles on Thursday night, all those stats will go by the wayside. The heat of the moment, the sound of the opposing crowd and the pressure each affect a player differently in the playoffs.
The Sharks and Kings are no stranger to one another when it comes to facing each other during the season or in the playoffs. This will be the third time in the past four years these teams will meet up in the playoffs. The Kings have won the past two.
Pavelski said the team is feeling confident heading into the postseason. When asked about whether or not having to start on the road would be a factor, he said the numbers speak for themselves.
“Well, if we keep winning, then obviously not,” Pavelski said. “It doesn’t really matter where you start once the playoffs hit, you are just trying to find ways to win.”
The Sharks won the season series against the Kings, going 3-1-1, but the Sharks and the Kings have similar special team success.
The Sharks dominated the final meeting of the season on March 29 which clinched the playoff berth for the Sharks.
“We’ve got a lot of things we need to work on and sure up before the playoff begin,” Wingels said. “We will do that.”
The Sharks are notorious for postseason disappointment. In their 25 years, the Sharks have made the playoffs 19 times–but have yet to reach the final round (let alone take home the Stanley Cup).
“You are going to have to gut-out a few wins on the road and you are going to have to be solid at home,” Pavelski said. “This group believes that we are going to be solid at home, and we are excited for the fans to be back in the playoffs and that energy.”
Game 1 is tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Los Angeles at the Staples Center.
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