Officially founded in 1990, the San Jose Sharks began play in the 1991-92 season as the NHL’s 21st franchise. Unsurprisingly, their first two seasons were challenging, with the team winning just 18 of their first 164 regular season games.
However, things began to turn around in their third season, and it wasn’t long before the Sharks became regular participants in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Over time, the Sharks also started to feature some of the NHL’s most notable names.
While they are still chasing their elusive first Stanley Cup win, the team has had plenty of standout campaigns in its history. Which 10 seasons can be considered the best?
1) 2015-16: First and only trip to the Stanley Cup Final
The Sharks once again made a notable change in leadership following a disappointing 2014-15 campaign that failed to yield a postseason spot. Head coach Todd McLellan was terminated, while former New Jersey Devils head coach Pete DeBoer was hired.
They also made several notable changes to the roster, trading goaltender Antti Niemi to the Dallas Stars while acquiring Martin Jones; they also inked free agents Paul Martin and Joel Ward.
San Jose finished third in the Pacific Division and once again faced the Kings in Round 1. This time, the Sharks emerged victorious with a four-games-to-one series win, setting up a matchup with the Predators. San Jose prevailed in seven games, advancing to meet the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference Final.
The Sharks advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history, defeating the Blues in six games. Unfortunately, their run was halted against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, who went on to win the first of two consecutive Stanley Cup championships.
2) 2013-14: 51 victories
Forty one goals from Joe Pavelski and 65 assists from Joe Thornton led the Sharks to a strong regular season, with 51 wins and a second-place finish in the Pacific Division, just behind the Anaheim Ducks. Goaltender Antti Niemi was exceptional in net, securing 39 wins.
Unfortunately, San Jose couldn’t translate their regular-season success into the playoffs. In the opening round against the in-state rival Los Angeles Kings, the Sharks took a 3-0 series lead but were ultimately defeated. The Kings became just the fourth team in NHL history to complete a reverse sweep, overcoming the Sharks in four straight games before unbelievably winning the Stanley Cup.
3) 2018-19: Return to the Western Conference Final
The Sharks enjoyed another successful regular season, finishing second in the Pacific Division with 67 assists from defenseman Brent Burns and 38 goals from captain Joe Pavelski. In the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they faced the Vegas Golden Knights once again and made a dramatic comeback from a 3-2 series deficit.
After Tomas Hertl scored the overtime-winning goal in Game 6, the Sharks mounted a stunning rally in the third period of Game 7. Despite trailing 3-0, they scored four goals on a major power play following an injury to Pavelski. Although Vegas managed a late tying goal, Barclay Goodrow’s overtime winner propelled San Jose to the second round.
4) 2003-04: First trip to the Western Conference Final
The Sharks rebounded from a dismal 2002-03 season by finishing first in the Pacific Division and second in the Western Conference, securing 43 victories in the first year under new GM Doug Wilson. Patrick Marleau led the team with 28 goals, while goaltender Evgeni Nabokov recorded 31 wins.
San Jose faced the St. Louis Blues in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, winning the series in five games. They then advanced to face the Colorado Avalanche, winning in six games to advance to their first Western Conference Final.
Their postseason run would be halted by the Calgary Flames, who advanced to the Cup Final for the first time since 1989.
5) 1993-94: Shocking postseason underdog upset
Qualifying for the postseason for the first time, the Sharks entered Round 1 as major underdogs against the heavily favored Detroit Red Wings. In one of the biggest upsets in postseason history, the Sharks stunned the Red Wings in seven games, clinching the series at Joe Louis Arena.
Jamie Baker scored the go-ahead goal in the third period after goaltender Chris Osgood misplayed the puck, sealing the victory. The Sharks then moved on to face the Toronto Maple Leafs, a series the Leafs would emerge victorious from in seven games.
6) 2007-08: Pacific Division champions
The Sharks bolstered their roster in the 2007 offseason by adding several veteran players, including future Hall of Famer Jeremy Roenick and reliable defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh, who returned to the franchise he originally played for. They also traded goaltender Vesa Toskala to the Toronto Maple Leafs, officially making Evgeni Nabokov the team’s starting goaltender.
On their way to clinching the Pacific Division, the Sharks also acquired defenseman Brian Campbell from the Buffalo Sabres at the NHL Trade Deadline. They faced the Calgary Flames in the opening round of the postseason and defeated their Canadian rivals in seven games. In the second round, they met the Dallas Stars.
The Stars ultimately prevailed in six games, with the series highlighted by a marathon quadruple overtime Game 6 in Dallas, which Brendan Morrow ended after just over 69 minutes of extra hockey.
7) 2008-09: Regular season dominance
After their dismissal in the 2007 postseason by the Dallas Stars, the Sharks made a significant leadership change by terminating head coach Ron Wilson and hiring Todd McLellan, who had just helped the Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup as an assistant coach. The team also added veteran defensemen Rob Blake and Dan Boyle to bolster their roster.
In McLellan’s first season behind the bench, the Sharks dominated the NHL, winning the President’s Trophy with a franchise-record 53 victories and 117 points. Unfortunately, the Sharks couldn’t carry their regular-season success into the playoffs, as they were eliminated in Round 1 of the 2009 postseason in a stunning upset by their in-state rivals, the Anaheim Ducks.
8) 2006-07: Joe Thornton assist machine
Not only did Thornton help the Sharks to 51 regular season victories in his first full season as a member of the Sharks, but he also racked up an astounding 92 assists in the process. Both Evgeni Nabokov and Vesa Toskala were solid in goal, winning 25 and 26 games respectively.
The Sharks would best the Nashville Predators in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs before losing in the second round to the Detroit Red Wings despite enjoying 1-0 and 2-1 series leads.
9) 2005-06: Arrival of the Cheechoo-Train
The Sharks made a franchise-altering trade just over a month into the 2005-06 season, sending Marco Sturm and Brad Stuart to the Boston Bruins in exchange for forward Joe Thornton. Thornton immediately formed a strong partnership with winger Jonathan Cheechoo, leading to a remarkable 56-goal season for Cheechoo and Thornton’s first Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s top goal scorer.
Thornton also recorded 72 assists, many of which were on Cheechoo’s goals. The Sharks finished second in the Pacific Division behind the Dallas Stars and faced the Nashville Predators in the opening round of the postseason. Although they advanced past Nashville in five games, they were defeated by the eventual Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers in six games in the second round.
10) 1999-2000: Owen Nolan’s career year
The Sharks reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third consecutive year, largely due to the heroics of captain Owen Nolan, who scored a career-best 44 goals.
Despite facing the President’s Trophy-winning St. Louis Blues in Round 1, the Sharks pulled off another major opening-round upset in team history. They defeated the Blues in Game 7 in St. Louis, with Nolan’s unforgettable center-ice shot that beat goaltender Roman Turek late in the first period serving as the defining moment of the series.
The post Ranking 10 greatest San Jose Sharks teams of all time appeared first on ClutchPoints.
0 Mga Komento