The San Jose Sharks ended up 37-16-6 going into the Olympic break. They have consistently been among the NHL’s top 5 teams throughout the year. They’ve had excellent production from Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, rookie sensation Tomas Hertl (when he wasn’t injured), and consistent play from Brent Burns, Justin Braun, and Marc Edouard-Vlasic. While there have been plenty of positives thus far, there have also been some holes in the Sharks’ game.

I. Power Play

For the Sharks to become that elite team that they looked like in the first 10 games of the regular season, the Sharks need to improve their power play. In those first 10 games, they scored a total of 12 power play goals, which is about one per game. If the Sharks can get that kind of production, they are going to be good to go. As of today, they are eighteenth in the NHL in power play efficiency. If the Sharks get the power play going with snipers like Brent Burns and Patrick Marleau, combined with the play-making ability of Joe Thornton and Logan Couture, the Sharks will undoubtedly become a VERY scary team.

II. Get Healthy

I know this is not in the control of the Sharks, but imagine a lineup like this:

Hertl Thornton Burns – Marleau Couture Wingels – Havlat Pavelski Torres – Burish Nieto Brown

The Sharks will have the ability to score, and play excellent defense on each line. If you look at all the past Stanley Cup winners, they all have one thing in common. Depth. If the Sharks can get all their guys healthy, they will be in business.

III. Goaltending

The San Jose Sharks have two solid goaltenders. Antti Niemi is 29-12-6, however he has struggled a bit this season. He has a save percentage of .912, which isn’t very good. He has been struggling as of late, and his minutes have been cut due to the fact that he will be representing Finland in the Sochi Olympics. Alex Stalock has really picked up his game lately, with a record of 8-4-0, with an excellent save percentage of .938. The Sharks have two goaltenders that they will be able to rely on going into the latter half of the season. Even though Niemi has struggled as of late, he will likely be able to climb out it.

IV. Goals Allowed + Penalty Kill

The Sharks are 8th in the NHL with an average of 83.7%, and 4th in the NHL with an average of 2.32 goals allowed per game. When you deny your opponent the opportunity to score, there is a much better chance that you’ll be able to pull ahead. As the saying goes, “defense wins championships,” and the Sharks have been very good with their defense this season.

V. Faceoffs

The Sharks are among the best in the NHL in faceoffs, sitting at 4th in the league. While this may seem like a very minor strength in their game, faceoffs are a lot more important than they may seem. When you are able to get possession of the puck, especially with elite players like the ones that the Sharks have, you definitely have a better chance of winning a game.

Last year, Todd McLellan said that he felt that the team that he had was the most fit for a deep run into the playoffs, after losing to the Kings in the playoffs. This year, they are certainly looking better. We will see what happens as the season progresses.