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Welcome to another edition of the Hockeybuzz hotstove.
With a perennial playoff team in the San Jose Sharks currently on the outside looking in, the hotstove examines whether that'll be the case when the regular season ends.
Todd Cordell
It's definitely going to be tough, but I'm going to go with yes.
The Los Angeles Kings have been playing great hockey of late, and I think they'll finish 2nd in their division when all is said and done. That means San Jose will have to surpass the Canucks, and the Flames, which I don't think is all that farfetched. I think with Mark Giordano out of the lineup Calgary is going to slip a little bit, and the Canucks haven't been playing great hockey of late.
The Sharks are two back of Calgary and four back of Vancouver, who they play on Saturday, so San Jose's season is certainly still salvageable.
Tim Chiasson
No, they won't make the playoffs. Things would have to go perfect down the stretch for the Sharks and apocalyptic for everyone else above them.
The Sharks have been dominant at times but, more often than not, they've been underwhelming and disappointing all season long. Their inconsistency has them on the outside looking in and with teams above them holding games in hand I think it's too late to make up ground - and I doubt they can soul search enough to string together the required wins.
This year has highlighted the depth issues created by the lack of smart decision making on the management level and the organization has some evaluating to do from top to bottom in the offseason.
Don't get me wrong, I think the Sharks are still a good hockey team but coaching decisions, sporadic play and general give a crap level have been questionable. It wouldn't surprise me to see them squeak in the playoffs simply because they do have the talent to be a playoff team again but, at this point, staring up at several teams is just too much pressure, I think, for a fragile group like San Jose has been this year.
Michael Stuart
No. As of writing time, they are chasing three teams. The Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings, and Minnesota Wild all sit in front of the Sharks in the standings. The Flames and Wild sit in playoff spots right now. The Kings and Wild have been playing phenomenal hockey over the past few weeks. All three teams have two games in hand on the Sharks. If that’s not a recipe for an early start to golf season for the Sharks, I don’t know what is.
Unless the Sharks go on some sort of miracle run, I just don’t see a way that they leapfrog their way into the playoffs. The teams they are chasing (minus Calgary) are just too good. Even if Calgary falls out, the chances of San Jose getting the last spot over the Kings are miniscule. Better luck next year.
James Tanner
Nope. LA will take second in the Pacific, followed by Vancouver. The Wild Cards will obviously go to the Wild and the Jets, leaving the Flames and the Sharks wondering why they didn't tank the season for a better pick.
I guess it's possible San Jose could beat out both the Flames and the Canucks for third in the Pacific, but I doubt it.
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