The San Jose Sharks have a record of 7-8-0 in their past 15 games and haven’t found the right formula for consistent nightly efforts.
Stuck in a win-one, lose-one streak, the Sharks’ growing frustration is becoming more apparent. Whether it is head coach Ryan Warsofsky or veteran forwards like Alexander Wennberg and Ryan Reaves, something must be found.
“We got out of our structure again. I think it’s been the thing that’s been going on the last little while is we play a good game and then all of a sudden, it looks like we want to wheel and deal the next game, and we get out of our structure,” Reaves said following the Sharks’ 4-1 loss on Tuesday.
“Today, we just completely got away from it. It’s frustrating to see, because we’ve shown how we can be a good team. But, win one, lose one, play well, play like sh*t, is just not going to cut it.”
The Sharks’ effort against the Philadelphia Flyers wasn’t up to standard. Warsofsky told reporters that he believes that the players are saying the right things, but now lack the execution. He didn’t hold back about how to get a message across that expects better results.
“Keep working at it. Keep teaching, keep coaching, keep meeting with guys individually and as a group to get an understanding of how we need to play each and every night,” Warsofsky said. “It comes down to whether you’re part of the solution here long term. We’ve got to keep working at it.
There are some young players who [need to get better in some development areas], as some of our older guys have played better in these types of games. It’s a long season. We’re going every other day right now. You’re not going to feel great every single game, so you’ve got to find different ways to bring something to the group.”
While Warsofsky’s words aren’t a direct shot at any particular player, he was pointed with the message. If you want to help the San Jose Sharks be a winning NHL team, you need to figure it out. The coaching staff will be there to give the lessons and explain how it should be done, but it is up to the player to make it happen.
Coming into the season, the Sharks weren’t expected to be a playoff team, let alone terribly close to one. That thought grew after a 0-4-2 start, but since then, the team has a 14-10-1 record. They’ve thrust themselves into at least the conversation of earning one of the two wild-card spots in the Western Conference.
Expectations for the season remain high regarding player development, but now, pressure from team success has been added. Collin Graf has stepped up in recent games, especially now that he’s on a line with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. As expectations for team success rise, he’s seemingly brought his game to another level, and that is what the Sharks are looking for throughout their entire roster.
“That’s what it’s all about. It’s about winning games right now,” Wennberg said. “Obviously, there can be some good games and bad games, but the consistency is the hardest thing about this league. That’s something we talked about, but we have to execute as well. If we stick to our identity and the way we want to play, and especially when we’re moving our feet and skating, that’s when we get rewarded.”
The San Jose Sharks have another tough matchup on Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team is scheduled to practice at 12:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
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