The San Jose Sharks have been in unfamiliar waters all season. Generally accustomed to building a sizable lead in the Pacific Division, and all but securing a prime spot in the Western Conference playoff race well before the All Star Break, a slow start and persistent issues have the Sharks struggling to climb into a playoff spot in this, their 20th year of hockey.
Reasons for the change are numerous. Some of it is due to the fact that, while general manager Doug Wilson did a fantastic job holding as much of an All Star-studded roster together as possible over the offseason, the Sharks still lost key components like Rob Blake and Evgeni Nabokov.
The loss of a Hall of Fame defenseman and a perennial All Star goaltender would wreak havoc on any team's ability keep pucks out of their net, and the Sharks have been no exception in 2010-2011. Nonetheless, their struggles cannot be solely (or even largely) pinned on the loss of key personnel.
Throughout this season, the Sharks have consistently played as less than the sum of their illustrious parts. Fundamental team hockey has seen lapses that have lasted far longer than they ought to, communication has been lac ...
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Article written by Patrick Goulding II
San Jose Sharks Special Teams Slowly Becoming Special Again
February 4th, 2011 by Patrick Goulding II Leave a reply »
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