Sharks focusing on present with chance to eliminate Kings

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LOS ANGELES – Now, we’ll really find out if the 2016 Sharks are a better, more mentally strong version of themselves than they were two years ago.

San Jose has a chance to close out the Kings on Friday at Staples Center, holding a three-games-to-one lead against the two-time Stanley Cup champions. They’ve insisted to a man from day one of training camp under new coach Pete DeBoer that there was a whole new atmosphere amongst the group this season.

While it’s true that there have been some significant changes to the roster since the last time the Sharks were one game away from getting past Los Angeles, there are enough players on the team – and important ones, at that – to remember what happened in the 2014 playoffs. Until they close out the Kings, that’s something that will hang over their heads.

The focus, though, remains on the present.

“So much has changed. I can’t even remember three weeks ago,” Joe Thornton said. “Coaching, players – probably the only thing that stayed the same is the training staff.

“We realize to take these guys out it’s going to be a lot of work. We’ve still got a lot of work ahead of us. They’re a great team, so we’re going to have to bring our best game to this point in Game 5.”

DeBoer, who has said he’s never once brought up the 2014 series with the Sharks, is looking at Friday’s game simply for what it is – another game.

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“You just get up [Friday], and we’re going to try and replicate the things that have worked for us. The worst thing you can do is start overanalyzing it or thinking about it,” he said. “At the end of the day, they’re a hockey team. We’ve shown we can beat them. We know it’s not going to easy, but we’ve just got to go out and get the job done.”

Perhaps the most telling sign that the Sharks are, in fact, different than two years ago came in the final 13 minutes of Game 4. After an early third period power play goal put them ahead 3-0, the Kings quickly responded to cut the lead to 3-2 with a pair of goals less than four minutes apart.

Rather than cave under pressure, which is what happened late in the series two years ago, the Sharks manned up. They didn’t allow a single shot to get through to goalie Martin Jones in the final three minutes and five seconds.

“You expect a little adversity throughout the postseason. You get up 3-0 you don’t expect it to turn that quick, but it can,” Joe Pavelski said. “It’s good to see guys recover and start playing again. When the sacrifice was needed, guys got in the lane and made the play, or we got the save.”

Mental toughness isn’t exactly a trait that previous Sharks have been known for. Past playoff failures are evidence enough of that.

This group, though, has no issues from that standpoint, according to the coach.

“I think mentally we’re in a good place,” DeBoer said. “The 82-game season, what we went through, we developed a trust amongst our group – what our good game looks like, what a winning game for us looks like. When we step away from that, [we know] how we can correct it quickly.”

Pavelski was asked what the Sharks have learned from their past experiences in trying to close out a playoff series.

“You just can’t take anything for granted,” he said. “You’ve got to show up, you need everyone to show up, and desperation levels have to be high. They really do. They’re fun games to play in. You’re going to get the other team’s best effort, and you’ve got to have yours.”

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