Sharks forward Tomas Hertl is all set for his debut at NHL All-Star Weekend in St. Louis.



“A huge accomplishment, it will be a big honor for me,” Hertl -- who is taking the place of injured San Jose captain Logan Couture -- recently said.



While he is on pace for a good statistical season, it's nothing like last year when Hertl potted 35 goals and 74 points.



This time around, the fun-loving forward is on a Sharks club that’s looking like a longshot to qualify for the playoffs.



“I still try to be positive, the smiley guy, the funny guy,” Hertl explained.



He also acknowledged those smiles and uplifting moments have been few and far between this season, but they are still significantly better than the alternative.



“It’s the only way I think to help it,” Hertl stated. “It gets too much in your head. Everybody will be in a bad mood. I try my best to bring it every day, a good mood in the locker room.”



There are widespread assessments as to what's at the root of the Sharks' struggles this season. For Hertl, it’s the defensive failures that bleed over into trying to create too much.



“When we start cheating, we just can’t do it,” Hertl said. “Maybe on other teams, they have different players. On our team, it has to start with defense.



“I think we’ve proven it over the last lot of years. There’s always the stat of ‘two-or-fewer’ goals, we always win those games. We know that and we've always been the team that’s tough against.”

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While Hertl’s second NHL season saw San Jose’s rare miss of the postseason, he has never been with the club in a year like this where things already look so bleak entering the All-Star break.



“We have to step it up, and just play together," he said. "Because only the team together can win the games.”