SAN JOSE — As Alex Stalock struggled through his last three months with the Sharks, Doug Wilson made a tough decision: he traded one of the most popular players in his dressing room to shore up the team’s goaltending down the stretch.

Martin Jones was in his first season as a full-time starting goalie and the Sharks braintrust wanted a reliable plan B in case he stumbled in the playoffs. Wilson traded for James Reimer, Jones flourished in the playoffs and the Sharks reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history.

Facing a similar dilemma this season, the Sharks took the opposite path, refusing to even entertain the option of a goalie move at the trade deadline.

“Removing one of these guys has never come up in a conversation,” head coach Pete DeBoer said. “That’s the God’s honest truth. It’s never even been a discussion point.”

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After shaky goaltending played a role in a third consecutive Sharks loss on Friday, DeBoer spoke bluntly about the issue, acknowledging the concern that’s stirring anxiety throughout the team’s fan base: “you can’t win in this league with an .800 to .900 save percentage.”

With just seven games left on the schedule, the Sharks are heading toward the playoffs ranked dead-last in save percentage (89.06 percent), raising concerns that goaltending could derail a season in which the Sharks went all-in by trading for Erik Karlsson on the eve of training camp. The goaltending woes are particularly frustrating because they’re hindering the Sharks in a season where they’re shattering franchise records, setting a new-team mark by scoring 266 goals.

The problem isn’t exactly new. The Sharks have ranked toward the bottom of the league in even strength save percentage throughout most of the season, making goaltending a potential area of need heading toward the trade deadline. On Feb. 25, Jones ranked 43rd in save percentage (.897) and Aaron Dell was 50th (.892). With veteran goalies, such as Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings, Brian Elliott of the Philadelphia Flyers and Ryan Miller of the Anaheim Ducks, facing unrestricted free agency this summer, Wilson had opportunities to explore the possibility of acquiring an insurance policy.

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Instead, he opted to stick with his goalies, citing the team’s belief in Jones and Dell as one of the variables that factored into his decision. Trading a popular goalie can disrupt a team’s chemistry, especially when the guys are willing to work their tales off for him. In addition, Jones appeared to be turning the corner in the weeks leading into the trade deadline. He posted a .914 save percentage in his first eight starts after the all-star breaks. Recently, he’s started to backslide again, recording an .871 save percentage in his last four starts.

Still, Joe Thornton confirmed that he’s vouched for Jones and Dell in conversations with management over the course of the season.

“That’s normal. As the year goes on we talk about everything,” Thornton said. “Full confidence.”

Though Thornton backed the team’s goalies, DeBoer insisted that he doesn’t need to have those conversations with his players. The belief in Jones and Dell is glaringly clear from the coach’s office.

“It doesn’t even cross my plate because I know how the team feels,” the Sharks coach said, adding: “There’s no issue with personality, character, fitting in. They’re popular guys and the guys believe in them. Those things never come up.”

If the team felt differently, DeBoer claims he’d know. It would infect every aspect of the Sharks game.

“If there’s not a belief system there, and I’ve had teams where there isn’t that belief system, it affects your entire game,” the Sharks coach said. “You play differently. You’re not as aggressive. You’re waiting for bad things to happen. I don’t think the belief system’s ever wavered. The challenge is, we need everybody’s highest level of game. We’re not asking them to play at a higher level than they have played before.

“But we need that game consistently.”

The Sharks belief in Jones centers on his four-year track record with the team, especially his performance in the playoffs. Jones will enter this year’s tournament with a .926 save percentage in 42 career-playoff appearances. The team also insists that Jones’ standing as hockey’s third-winningest goalie this season (34 wins) suggests that he pitches to the score, elevating his performance when it counts.

“I’m not worried at all. I feel like they’re going to hit their peak here,” Thornton said. “I know Deller, in big games, is going to be there. I know Jonesy, he’s proven it in the past. Yeah, their numbers might not be (great), I haven’t even looked at the numbers. But I know they’re winning games.”

— Both Erik Karlsson and Joe Pavelski will miss Monday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings at SAP Center. Pavelski will miss his fourth straight game with a lower-body injury while Karlsson will be sidelined for his 12th consecutive game with a groin ailment that’s hampered him since Jan. 15.

#SJSharks Captain getting some reps in with goalie coach Johan Hedberg. No problem with the tipping pic.twitter.com/R65ANjvQu9 — Paul Gackle (@GackleReport) March 24, 2019

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Sharks will soon make Bob Boughner their full-time coach, per report DeBoer declined the opportunity to rule Karlsson out for the rest of the week, changing course from the approach he’s taken since the two-time Norris Trophy winner re-tweaked his groin injury in Boston on Feb. 26.

“I’m not going out past (Monday),” the Sharks coach said. “I’ve told you guys where I’m at. There’s no hidden information. But I can’t tell you. The game after that’s five days from now. I don’t know.”

— Logan Couture and Evander Kane both missed Sunday’s practice for maintenance purposes. Couture is recovering from a flu-bug that sidelined him for the Sharks loss in Los Angeles on March 21.