More than a week ago I had a bit of accident and I've slowly, but surely been getting back on my feet and that includes catching up on some of the recent happenings with the San Jose Sharks.
So much has transpired since my last post. Where do I begin?
How about Joe Thornton getting his 1000th career assist?
Jumbo Joe became the 13th player in NHL history to record 1,000 assists with an assist on Joe Pavelski's empty-net goal in last Monday nigh's win over the Winnipeg Jets.
It was a very Joe Thornton-like assist. Make a safe, smart play and good things happen. Besides having a good head on his shoulders, Thornton posses they ability to find the open man in the perfect scoring position. He is one of the greatest passes of his generation. No question about it.
Have you stopped to think about how hard it is to collect 1,000 of anything. Never mind something like an assist on an NHL goal! Since entering the league for the 1997-98 season, he leads all players in both assists (1,000) and points (1,382). Think about that for a minute.
When Jumbo Joe was dealt to the Sharks in 2005 he was already a bonafide star, but he reached legendary status as a key cog in San Jose's offense for the last 12 seasons. It's been a pleasure to watch him work, even as an aging veteran with more grey in his beard than not.
Between Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Brent Burnd and Joe Pavelski - Shark fans are truly spoiled.
Possible Stanley Cup Preview?
The Sharks doubled-up the Washington Capitals, 4-2, on Thursday night in what could very well be a possible Stanley Cup preview.
The Capitals have been the class of the NHL from day one. Washington leads the NHL in wins, points, goals allowed, goal differential - just to name a few. They are the odds-on favorite to win the Cup this year, but never underestimate the Western Conference - especially the Sharks.
San Jose completed a sweep of the season series thanks to a pair of goals from Logan Couture. The Sharks went 2-0-0 ans outscored the East Beast 7-2 in those games. Do you realize the Capitals have not won regulation game in San Jose since 1993!
Keep in mind both franchises are looking for its first Stanley Cup championship. If these clubs manage to somehow meet in June it has the potential to be a real classic.
Jannik Hansen finally makes his debut and he did not disappoint.
The newest Sharks weapon looked very comfortable in his new digs. Hansen was acquired from Vancouver on the eve of the NHL trade deadline. He has six goals and eight assists in 29 games with the Canucks. He's one-for-one as a Sharks following an assist on a Jumbo Joe goal in his debut.
Hansen is speedy, smart and an excellent penalty killer. Sometimes it's not the flashy trades that make the biggest difference in winning and losing.
Finally...
The Sharks are on a roll. They have a seven point lead in the Pacific but it might as well be 70 because they are not going to be caught. With points in 10 of 11 games and wins in seven of the last 10, the Sharks are only getting better.
Plus they are finally getting healthy. Just like when a real shark loses a tooth - a new one gross in its place, the hockey version managed to plug players in to the lineup as other went down with injury. That type of depth has been paramount to their overall success. Now they are getting healthy and that spells trouble for the rest of the West.
Up Next: Nashville Predators visit the Tank on Saturday night.
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