San Jose Sharks limp in to visit with surging Edmonton Oilers

Despite giving up at least three goals in seven straight games, the San Jose Sharks hold most of the edges here. Even where they have a minimal deficit in shot-blocking, they have better ratios of blocks to shots allowed and attempted. The Edmonton Oilers penalty kill is 3.6 percent lower, they allow 4.1 more shots per game and give up two more goals in every seven contests.Even though the San Jose Sharks average 2.8 more shots per game (30.7 to 27.9), the Edmonton Oilers do more with the puck when they have it. They score one more per seven games (2.39 to 2.25 goals per game) and have a power play success rate 4.6 percent higher (22.9 to 18.3 percent).How much a team is on the attack or its heels is largely a factor of their puck possession. That starts in the circle, where the San Jose Sharks are second-best in the NHL at 53 percent, while the Edmonton Oilers bring up the rear at 45.4 percent.The Sharks are one of the worst teams at giveaways, but they average only one more per two games than the Oilers and have gotten all but four of those possessions back in extra takeaways. On the whole, this gives them the puck almost nine extra times per game.View the list »
Todd McLellan is looking for answers for his struggling San Jose Sharks

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In the NHL Western Conference standings, the San Jose Sharks are one game ahead of the Edmonton Oilers. But both the recent play and the feeling for both teams coming into their match-up Wednesday, March 20 would suggest their positions were reversed.

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San Jose's struggles (5-10-6) since their last game with Edmonton in the final hours of that glorious January start to the 2013 NHL season have put the second-longest active Stanley Cup playoff streak (eight seasons) in jeopardy. Meanwhile, their opponent has hit a 3-0-1 spurt to make a bid for their first playoff since 2006.

The Sharks won both previous games, and still appear to be the better team on paper. But they have proven to be a terrible road team (2-9-1) since winning their second game of the year the last time they visited the Oilers. Even in that game they gave up the only two goals scored in the last two periods...after scoring six in the first.

So why are they slumping?

Sharks need to keep swimming to avoid sinking. At least some on this team took 2:40 off—mentally if not emotionally and physically—in the second period of Monday's loss in Anaheim to turn an otherwise good effort into another loss. That cannot happen with a team that has title aspirations but is struggling to make the Stanley Cup playoffs

It also does not bode well against their young, enthusiastic hosts. Despite all the problems Ryane Clowe is having, he plays hard every moment. He is injured and replaced with Martin Havlat, well-known for taking shifts off.

The trick for any preview is to balance trends and statistics. A four-game trend means little for Edmonton, but 21 games can hardly be considered a trend for San Jose—i.e. it is more likely they represent what the team is than the seven-game winning streak to start the season.

Thus, the teams are what they are by this point in the season. As with Western Conference standings, the list of NHL statistics seems to favor San Jose.

View the list
  • How much a team is on the attack or its heels is largely a factor of their puck possession. That starts in the circle, where the San Jose Sharks are second-best in the NHL at 53 percent, while the Edmonton Oilers bring up the rear at 45.4 percent.The Sharks are one of the worst teams at giveaways, but they average only one more per two games than the Oilers and have gotten all but four of those possessions back in extra takeaways. On the whole, this gives them the puck almost nine extra times per game.
  • Even though the San Jose Sharks average 2.8 more shots per game (30.7 to 27.9), the Edmonton Oilers do more with the puck when they have it. They score one more per seven games (2.39 to 2.25 goals per game) and have a power play success rate 4.6 percent higher (22.9 to 18.3 percent).
  • Despite giving up at least three goals in seven straight games, the San Jose Sharks hold most of the edges here. Even where they have a minimal deficit in shot-blocking, they have better ratios of blocks to shots allowed and attempted. The Edmonton Oilers penalty kill is 3.6 percent lower, they allow 4.1 more shots per game and give up two more goals in every seven contests.
View the list

, San Jose Sharks Examiner

Former community leader and featured columnist for the San Jose Sharks on Bleacher Report, MJ Kasprzak has been covering the Bay Area's most successful team for over four years. You may have seen MJ's work featured on Yahoo, CBS Sports and Fox Sports websites as well as numerous other places that...

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