Advantage Margin            +54
One reason the Sharks were so dominant at home was their huge advantage in power plays. They earned 197 and surrendered just 135, tying them with Minnesota for the fewest in the League.

Even-Strength Goals Margin        +25
No Shark with 45 or more points (there were eight) finished with a plus-minus number worse than plus-5 or better than plus-16. San Jose allowed just 125 goals when playing 4-on-5, the third-fewest in the League.

Special Teams Goal Margin        +27
The Sharks had the best special-teams margin in '08-09, largely thanks to a power play that converted a League-high 28.2 percent of its chances on the road and penalty-killers that surrendered just 20 power-play goals at home.       

Goals by defensemen            41
The best acquisition last summer might have been GM Doug Wilson's move to bring in defenseman Dan Boyle from Tampa Bay. Boyle scored 16 goals, added 41 assists, ran the power play and gobbled up nearly 25 minutes of ice time a game.   

Overtime Record
Total: 10-6-5 (OT: 4-6, SO: 6-5)

At home, the Sharks won four out of five, scored on 40 percent of their attempts and allowed just five goals in 20 tries. Away from HP Pavilion, San Jose lost four times in six tries and surrendered eight goals on just 18 attempts.
   
Times Scored First
46 (Record: 36-6-4)
       
Not surprisingly for a team that won the Presidents' Trophy, the Sharks were in the top four in wins when scoring first and winning percentage (.783). But they were also tied for third in wins when the opposition scored first (17) and second in percentage (.472).

Best 08-09 Number             15-1-3
San Jose's record in games tied after two periods. The Sharks failed to get a point only once when trailing after two periods, and they were second in the NHL behind Columbus (16) in wins when entering the third period even.

Worst 08-09 Number          11
Shorthanded goals allowed by the Sharks -- only four teams allowed more. San Jose's power play coughed up five at home and six (one short of Pittsburgh's League high) on the road.

Scheduling
The Sharks had better be ready: They open with three straight on the road, come home for three games, then go East for six more. San Jose has 20 of its 27 games in December and January at the Shark Tank, but plays its last six before the Olympic break on the road.