
SAN JOSE - The Sharks are officially back in the tournament of 16.
One season after their 10-year streak of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs came to an unceremonious end, the Sharks clinched their spot in the 2016 postseason when the Arizona Coyotes lost to the Calgary Flames 5-2 Monday night in Phoenix.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on April 13.
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“That was one of our goals at the start of the season was to make sure we give ourselves a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup,” said coach Pete DeBoer, in his first season behind the San Jose bench.
“It’s a long road. There’s been some bumps and some adversity, but to our guys’ credit they’ve kept their heads down and just kept working and we’ve put ourselves in a good spot. … It’s a great accomplishment, but it’s just step one in where we want to go.”
Still seeking the franchise's first Stanley Cup, the Sharks have earned another chance to put their past postseason failures behind them. That includes in 2014 when they blew a 3-0 first round lead to the Kings in one of worst collapses in NHL playoff history.
The subsequent 2014-15 season was a self-proclaimed year of transition for the club, and they were never in a position to challenge for a championship. Longtime head coach Todd McLellan served out his last of seven seasons, which slowly devolved into a dysfunctional mess in which no one seemed to be seeing eye-to-eye.
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In the offseason, general manager Doug Wilson brought in respected and proven veterans like Paul Martin and Joel Ward, while finding a goaltender in Martin Jones, who has exceeded expectations in his first full year as an undisputed number one. Joe Pavelski was named the new full time captain.
Joe Thornton, placed in the middle of last year’s confusion after he was stripped of the captaincy, is pleased the organization was able to quickly put the unpleasantness of 2014-15 in the rear view mirror.
“Once a new season starts you’ve got to pass go, come in, and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said. “I think the guys in this room have done that, and the acquisitions have done that."
The Sharks still have six games remaining, and a Pacific Division title is still technically within reach. If that becomes mathematically impossible, it’s likely the veteran club will rest some of its older veterans to recharge their batteries for what would be a difficult first round series against Anaheim or Los Angeles.
“Guys that are a little banged up can rest their injuries,” Thornton said. “Some guys are doing that right now. Hopefully it’s going to pay dividends in the end.”
Logan Couture isn’t concerned about any possible adverse affects of clinching with two weeks to go in the regular season.
“Maybe if you’re a younger team that hasn’t been around, guys kind of take their foot off the gas pedal. But I think with our group, we’ve been around for awhile,” he said.
“Guys have played in playoff games, and guys have played in these situations where they’ve clinched early. I think everyone knows what to do, how to handle it.”