Hey Joe
Today will be Joe Thornton’s first game against San Jose since the Sharks traded for him in 2005. Thornton played nearly 15 years in San Jose before he made his way to Toronto, then Florida, in pursuit of his first ever Stanley Cup ring.
Thornton is the active NHL leader in points with more than 1500 points in 1702 career games. At 42, he’s obviously not what he used to be, but still provides a surprising contribution here or there. Thornton’s 3 power play goals were at one point tied for the team lead; in all he has 6 points in 22 games this year. He’s done an admirable job holding down 3C with young players like Owen Tippett. Thornton has shown some craftiness in his late career, and reminded us 6'4” does not age. I’m curious to see where he will lineup today.
Best Carlsson?
Let’s give some flowers to Lucas Carlsson, who’s been a great partner for Brandon Montour’s offensive spark. Montour’s CF% improves from 55.4% to 59% and his xGF% improves from 52.6% to 57.9% when paired with Carlsson. Carlsson has also done very well in his minutes along another d-man, outscoring opponents 9-2 at 5v5 and keeping a 61% CF and 64% xG.
Carlsson seems to be less preferred at 3rd pairing left D to Olli Juolevi, and you understand the desire to get Juolevi into the lineup to show his capabilities. But Carlsson has made himself unbenchable.
We’ll Meet Again
Bob Boughner and James Reimer will both return to their former home rink on Saturday, and it’s worth noting how well they’re doing. It seemed unfathomable prior to the season that the Sharks would be anywhere near the playoff race at the start of the year, but they’ve kept themselves within striking distance.
The Sharks roster has plenty of cast-offs and tryouts, and these players are proving their worth with a team that gave them a chance. Jonathan Dahlen and Alex Barabonov have been the standouts in that category. There’s no real sense that the Sharks can turn their fates around any time soon, but at least they’ve made an admirable effort this season.