The Sharks power play has rediscovered its mojo, and just in the nick of time.
At a point in the season when the team's defensive posture slipped just a bit, the reunion of San Jose's top skilled skaters - and with the addition of one new piece - has helped pick up the scoring slack, and enabled the Sharks to go 8-3-2 since Thanksgiving.
In fact, after struggling mightily to convert with the man advantage in early-to-mid November - a drought that led to breaking up the group that had enjoyed much success in the recent past - the reunited special teams' unit is clicking at a rate that threatens the club's record book.
The Sharks come into Thursday's game against visiting Calgary with at least one power-play goal in eight straight contests. The team is 13-for-37 (35 percent) during the run that started on December 7 against Carolina, and has enjoyed converting multiple times in half of those games. That has shot the Sharks to eighth in the league at 22.1 percent in a category they finished a disappointing 25th last season.
Inside the Cage: Power Play Mojo
Looking further back in the team's annuls, the Sharks haven't enjoyed this kind of consecutive-game run of success on the power play since converting in nine straight games from March 8-24 (10-for-30) in 2011. And the team record is power-play goals in 11 straight games in 2009 from March 17-April 9.
"We've stuck with it," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. "Like all parts of your game - scoring, confidence and being able to hold on to the puck for an extra second to try and make a play - that's all confidence related. Right now we feel confident hopping over the boards."
And with power plays, it's not always enough to look just at percentages. When the power play converts is just as critical. Take Saturday night's important divisional game against the rival Kings. San Jose was 0-for-4 through two periods with the man-advantage, but when the Sharks really needed it they got a big conversation when Brent Burns drive from the blue line was redirected by Joe Pavelski and clipped Tomas Hertl on the way in for a huge goal in an eventual 2-0 win.
A couple of interesting developments have emerged from the streak. First off, breaking up Joe Thornton, Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture then reuniting the foursome gave the group an opportunity to take advantage of the separation to get back to the basics of what makes a power play work.
Then, with Couture injured, rookie sharp-shooter Kevin Labanc was added to the group. And another far less reputed shooter - Thornton - has started to unleash his above-average shot on opposing nets much to the delight of the home crowd. By having Thornton flash out high above the left circle, it gives Burns another option if there isn't a lane for his shot, and it puts Jumbo Joe in a spot where he's accurate and dangerous with his shot.
"Spotter has been talking to us, and I think I'm in a perfect spot over there to shoot the puck," Thornton said of Sharks assistant coach Steve Spott, who is in charge of the power play. "So, yeah, I guess I am shooting it a little more."
And that shot - both in accuracy and velocity - has caught opposing penalty kills by surprised since they're often anticipate Thornton looking to pass.
"He can shoot the puck," Pavelski said with a sly grin.
And while the Sharks certainly miss the versatility Couture adds to the group, the silver lining during his absence is the production Labanc has offered. Everyone knows about his laser shot, but he's shown a keep ability to move the puck quickly and find the open man in the half-court set-up.
"He's always effective on the power play," DeBoer said of Labanc. "He has special instincts on the power play."
"He has a lot of patience on the power play, he holds on to it really well," Thornton added. "He's just seeing the ice really, really well right now."
The shot of confidence couldn't have come at a better time for Labanc, who was struggling 5-on-5 to be as productive as he's like. Not long after seeing time in the first unit, Labanc snapped a 23-game goal-less drought with the overtime winner against Vancouver on Dec. 21.
"You've got to keep creating chances, make the most of it," Labanc said of his power-play time. "Keep getting pucks to the net and make the right play."
As far as trying to explain why it's all started to work again isn't as easy to pin point. Pavelski suggested the separation forced the individuals to go to spots on the ice that made a power play effective, and they brought that structure back when the group was reunited.
"I'd like to wrap it up in a box and say, 'Yeah, that's what did it', but I think our foundation has been the same since training camp," DeBoer said. "That group the wasn't working has always been effective here. So I don't think that deserves all the credit for turning around."
"It made us miss each other for a little bit," Thornton said. "When we got back together it's been really, really effective and given us a chance to win games right now."
