SAN JOSE -– The Coyotes weren’t supposed to be here.
A prevailing preseason pick as the NHL’s worst team, Arizona is instead right in the mix for a playoff spot in the weakest division in the league. Headed into Thursday’s meeting, the Coyotes and Sharks are tied for second in the Pacific with 49 points, although San Jose has one game in hand. It’s the first of five games between the teams in the second half of the season.
“I don’t think it’s a flash in the pan. I think they’re for real,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said. “They’ve injected a lot of youth, a lot of speed into their lineup, a lot of skill. Those young guys they’ve put in there have really made an impact, and that’s rare, but it’s for real.”
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DeBoer is referring to 20-year-old rookies Max Domi (13 goals and 31 points in 45 games) and Anthony Duclair (12 goals and 24 points in 44 games). Domi was the 12th overall selection by Arizona in the 2013 draft while Duclair was selected in the third round that same year by the Rangers, and was acquired by Arizona as part of the deal for Keith Yandle last season.
Frustrating their young talent will be key.
“Certain guys are different, but those young kids, they strive on confidence and emotion,” Paul Martin said. “A lot of things can change throughout the game. You try to get them off their game and have success early, and make them come 200 feet.”
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Justin Braun said: “Their guys are flying around and confident, so we’ll have to do our best to slow them down.”
Martin Jones will return to the net for San Jose after he rested in favor of Alex Stalock on Monday. The Sharks’ primary starter seems to be finding his game after it appeared to be declining for several weeks after Thanksgiving. In his last five starts, Jones is 4-1-0 with a 1.96 goals-against average and .932 save percentage.
All of those have come since the Sharks had a five-day break in their schedule earlier in the month, giving Jones a chance to breathe.
Did that help?
“I don’t know. I thought I was right there,” said Jones, who had a 3.06 GAA and .889 SP in 11 games in December. “A couple games obviously didn’t go as well. I felt like my game was coming around even before that. It’s good any time you get a break. You have to utilize it and get your rest.”
DeBoer agreed that Jones “benefited from the rest,” but noted that the players around him have been better, too.
“I think our team play around him has been a little bit tighter, which has helped, too,” DeBoer said. “I think it’s a combination.”
Jones will have to outplay Louis Domingue on the other end of the ice. Another first-year player contributing to Arizona’s success, Domingue is 7-1-3 in 11 starts this season, and his .928 save percentage is second among all rookies with at least 13 games played.
Long time starter Mike Smith, who has been a thorn in the side of the Sharks in recent years, has been out since Dec. 11 and will not return until at least late February with a core muscle injury.
“When their goalie went down, you always wonder how a team is going to handle that, but the kid that has come in has been exceptional,” DeBoer said.
The Sharks will be trying to give the Coyotes just their second regulation loss in the Pacific Division, as Arizona is 10-1-2 against its chief rivals. San Jose should be confident, though, bringing a six-game point streak into the desert (5-0-1).
“We’re looking forward to it,” Braun said. “The division games are always important this time of year.”
Martin said: “With the parity in the league and especially the division, so much can change from one day to the next. To get a win tomorrow would be big.”