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Why the Sharks Can Beat the
Kings in Round 1
SJ has something to
prove
| 4/11/16 - By Zach Bodenstein -
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After the infamous "reverse-sweep" in 2014, the San
Jose Sharks are a force to be reckoned with this season. To the average hockey
fan, the Sharks don't stand a chance, and that is a fair assumption considering
the Kings' recent playoff success. However, this is a different Sharks team,
and a different Kings team, as well.
The Sharks have four balanced
lines up front, including 25 goal-scorer Patrick Marleau as San Jose's third
line center. In the past, depth has been parallel to success in the playoffs,
and this is the first time that San Jose has had a truly deep roster going into
the playoffs, as we shouldn't consider the team that had Scott Hannan, Matt
Irwin, and Mike Brown, among others, a deep team.
The Sharks have the
best center depth in the NHL, with point-per-game Joe Thornton, superstar Logan
Couture, Patrick Marleau, and the hockey-sensed Chris Tierney centering the
fourth line. The Sharks were seventh in faceoff percentage in the NHL, while
the Kings were eleventh.
This team's only weakness is the penalty
kill. The Sharks finished with the 20th ranked penalty kill, but the play of
Martin Jones, putting up elite stats, and the insurance of James Reimer could
provide dividends for San Jose. The Sharks contain an astonishing amount of
two-way talent up front, as well as defenders that can block shots, play
physical, and score. The Kings had the 8th ranked powerplay and the 15th ranked
penalty kill, while the Sharks had the 3rd ranked powerplay as well.
This Sharks team may be the most offensively-strong Sharks team that we have
ever seen. They finished with two players in the top five in NHL scoring, and
had the runner-up for defensive scoring, as well. Amidst all of the star power,
it should be noted that since Tomas Hertl's return to the top line after being
on the fourth line, he has had a career year, and the chemistry is evident
between the trio, especially on the cycle, has been key for San Jose's success.
Hertl finished with 31 points in his final 46 games, a 55 point pace. Aside
from the points, the maturity and health that was not there two years ago, is
for Hertl.
The Sharks led the entire NHL in high-danger scoring
chances while giving up one of the fewest, and were second in the Western
conference in goal-scoring behind the Dallas Stars.
Unlike past years,
the Sharks now have scoring threats on all four lines. Joel Ward has been
fantastic this season, as well as Joonas Donskoi, as both add to the Sharks'
much improved and needed possession game. Their bottom-six contains speed,
hockey-sense, skill, and scoring abilities with Matt Nieto, Patrick Marleau,
Tommy Wingels, Nick Spaling, Chris Tierney, and Melker Karlsson.
The
blue line is the best defensive core that the Sharks have had in recent years,
adding much needed depth and physicality in Brenden Dillon and Roman Polak
since the last series between these two rivals. Not to mention Marc-Edouard
Vlasic, arguably the NHL's best shutdown defenseman, missed the final few games
of the 2014 collapse after a cheap shot by Jarret Stoll of which resulted in no
penalty. But even without Vlasic this year, the defense has been very solid.
Brent Burns' defensive game is unquestionably better than two years
ago, as he is almost certainly a candidate for the Norris Trophy as the NHL's
top defender. Paul Martin has been nothing short of a stud alongside Brent
Burns, as he has one of the best plus/minus ratings in the league since January
21st, also not on the 2014 team. Justin Braun's game has been better as well.
All of these defenders can handle big minutes, but the key will be Peter DeBoer
having to match his top two pairings up against Anze Kopitar, especially when
having first change on the road.
After going 3-1-1 against the Kings
in the regular season, including 2-0 with a combined score of 10-4 at Staples
Center, and a convincing 5-2 win at home without Nieto and Vlasic recently, the
Sharks look like a serious threat to win this series. Both are great possession
teams, but the Kings won eleven three-on-three overtime games, the most in the
NHL. Obviously, overtime in the playoffs is played five-on-five, which shows a
massive deception in the Kings' record this season.
The Sharks have it all up front, on the back end, and
in net. This is a Sharks team that we have not seen in the past. They were the
NHL's top road team as well, giving them a big advantage over other teams to
begin the series on the road. They will finally have their full lineup for the
first time for game one, as the team has been banged up mightily since the
trade deadline, when Polak, Spaling, and Reimer were acquired.
The
Kings have had a big hit when it comes to depth since 2014, losing a ton of
notable names. Their defense is a massive question mark past their top two
defensemen of Jake Muzzin and Drew Doughty, as Brayden McNabb, Rob Scuderi,
Alec Martinez, whom is their third best defenseman and is currently injured,
and Luke Schenn should have a tough time shutting down one of the best offenses
in the league, especially when it comes to creating scoring chances. The Kings
gave up 18 goals in 5 games against the Sharks this season, an extremely subpar
3.6 goals against per game.
Up front, the Sharks' top two pairings can
and have easily shut down the Kings this season. The chemistry between San
Jose's top four defensemen has been phenomenal.
If the regular season
contests between these two teams are indicative of this series, we are in for a
treat, as it should be the best playoff series in the first round. This is the
most serious the Sharks have looked to be a contender in terms of the holes
that they have plugged from the past teams that have eventually failed to win
the Cup. Don't be so quick to count the Sharks out of this one.
Contact Ryan at at zachbodenstein@letsgosharks.com
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