Quick Bites: Winless Start Continues

The San Jose Sharks four game homestand to start the season ends without a win after the 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins last night. But there were some insights and positives to draw from as the Sharks continue a grueling stretch of difficult opponents.

The effort is there

Compared to Tuesday night’s showing against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Sharks played with a higher pace against an equally competitive Boston team. Head Coach David Quinn called out the entire group after the Tuesday night loss over slow play, and it seems that the players responded.

Although San Jose could not sustain any long-term pressure in the offensive zone and often allowed the Bruins to gain possession and space in their own, one could see that every player at least hustled to get to position.

At 5-on-5 play, the Sharks managed to stay with the Bruins and even turned things in San Jose’s favor through the second half of the game.

Assuming the Sharks can continue to play with good pace, the question becomes whether their anticipation of the play can match their higher speed.

Labanc’s return

Kevin Labanc, making his season debut, was noticeable throughout the night. Although he did not end up on the scoresheet, the embattled winger showed flashes of offensive fire.

For a long while before the Sharks scored its first goal, it was Labanc who found himself within striking distance of an icebreaker. Labanc was on the same page with the team’s overall theme of effort and showed it by battling for pucks and room to shoot.

The Sharks have struggled to score, maintain offensive pressure, or get any power play flow going through the first four games, but perhaps Labanc’s talent can help him stay in Quinn’s good graces as long as possible. It certainly seems like a possibility based on last night’s showing.

Hoffman’s vanishing act

Unfortunately, Mike Hoffman has continued to seem invisible at times when skating for the Sharks. As we had mentioned before, it does seem like Hoffman is simply there sometimes but not a contributor. For a player of his pedigree, and as one of the pieces in return for a Norris Trophy winner, it is hard to say that Hoffman has done enough to warrant a continued look in the lineup.

The Sharks have players in the midst, that maybe don’t have the shot that Hoffman is known for, but that could contribute positively in other areas. It is perhaps the Sharks’ anemic offensive prowess to start the season that leaves Hoffman with the advantage.

A player with his shot generally doesn’t require too many opportunities before scoring, so it could be the case that Hoffman continues to receive an extended look with the Sharks forward core and power play. Other forwards that could be put in his place include Jacob Peterson and Oskar Lindblom. Once Logan Couture and Mikael Granlund return from their injuries, should Hoffman have a guaranteed spot amongst the twelve forwards?

Highlight

Let’s take a look at the Sharks’ lone goal of the night, Anthony Duclair’s first of the season:

For almost the entire night, the Sharks appeared to have no puck luck but watched the Bruins enjoy bounces, such as David Pastrnak’s goal to extend the Bruins lead to 3-0. The Sharks finally broke through on Linus Ullmark with a lucky one of their own, though.

Tomaš Hertl won a battle after a defensive zone draw and quickly delivered a long stretch pass to the streaking Anthony Duclair along the left wing. Using his speed, Duclair attacked the net directly, spun around, and sought to pass across the crease to his teammates, crashing the net. It was exemplary of the old adage, “Good things happen when you take the puck to the net.”