SAN JOSE – For weeks, particularly after losses, Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky has cautioned his players about needing to bring a different level of play to the rink.
“That’s how the playoffs are going to be,” Warsofsky said frequently.
With the 2025-26 NHL regular season winding down, it seems as if the Sharks have bitten fully into what Warsofsky has been feeding them.
Two days after a gut-wrenching loss to the Nashville Predators that threatened to derail San Jose’s playoff hopes, the Sharks returned to SAP Center and beat a mediocre Chicago Blackhawks team 3-2.
The score was a lot closer than the game actually was. After a somewhat slow start, San Jose got its offense rolling behind William Eklund and kept the fans at the Tank smiling and clapping all night.
“We all know much these points matter and how tight of a race it is,” said Will Smith, who notched the 100th point of his NHL career. “(The vibe has) definitely picked up speed, and we know how important it is.”
The Sharks had high expectations during the offseason, but most were in agreement that the team would need a year or two of development before being considered a true contender.
With players like Smith, Eklund, star Macklin Celebrini and a solid goal-tending tandem of Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic, however, the timetable has been sped up.
They obviously still need some seasoning, both as individuals and as a collective, but the heart within the locker room is beating as strong as ever.
“The young core has kind of learned how to win these games,” Eklund said. “Today everything wasn’t perfect, but we won a game.”
That, in essence, is all that matters, especially at this time of the season.
There’s no value in style points. Just wins and losses. Celebrate the W’s, and learn from the L’s.
“I think we’ve had a lot of growth in individuals and as a team,” Warsofsky said after Monday’s win. “An example tonight, I thought (Michael) Misa was really good. He was skating, he was on the puck. It comes and goes with inconsistencies with that individually, but from a group there’s a lot of good communication and effort to play the right way. …
“The details that we need to play with in certain situations, we’ve seen some real growth for sure.”
Download and follow the San Jose Hockey Now podcast