Scouting the Enemy: Anaheim Ducks vs. San Jose Sharks

Mar 20, 2014; San Jose, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen (31) makes a save on San Jose Sharks left wing Matt Nieto (83) during the second period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

The Anaheim Ducks make a quick trip to northern California, visiting a Pacific Division foe and California rival in the San Jose Sharks. This game is the fourth game of a six-game California swing for the Ducks, who are 2-1-0 thus far and 14-5-5 on the season, good for second in the Pacific Division and tied for the most points in the league, with 33. The Sharks, on the other hand, have lost their last four games, scoring just six goals in that span. This is the fourth game of a six-game homestand for the Sharks, who are 0-1-2 thus far. They are 10-10-4 on the season, sitting four points out of 8th place in the Western Conference. It seems that the team is somewhat scrambling after last season’s playoff debacle, where the Sharks became the fourth team in NHL history to lose a series when they were up 3-0.

The Sharks have been a perennially successful team: they have made the playoffs each season since the 2003-2004 campaign (10 seasons), which is second only to the Detroit Red Wings’ 23 consecutive postseason appearances. Their success gives them exposure, and the Ducks are familiar with their opponent up north, considering they both inhabit the state of California. However, to get an even better understanding of the Sharks, I asked questions to Felix Chow. Felix is a staff writer at Blades of Teal, the site that covers the San Jose Sharks at the FanSided network. Here, Felix answers questions about the changing of the guard in San Jose, one of the most underrated defensemen in the game, the progress of one of San Jose’s promising rookies, and what is different between last season’s team and this season’s team.

Mar 20, 2014; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks center Joe Pavelski (8) attempts to rebound a shot by Sharks center Patrick Marleau (not pictured) against Anaheim Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen (31) during the first period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

1. For the Sharks, everything starts with franchise cornerstones Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. However, the Sharks have another duo at forward seen as the future cornerstones in Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture. Pavelski is coming off a 41 goal, 79 point season that saw him named to the NHL’s Second All-Star Team, while Couture is already seen as one of the better two-way centers in the game. How much longer will it be before those two take the reins in San Jose and make the Sharks “their team”? Also, which one of those two players would you expect to be the next eventual captain of the Sharks?

Felix: I don’t think it’ll be long at all. In fact, I think you’re already seeing the team transitioning onto the new younger core of Couture, Pavelski, and Brent Burns, along with the youth. It might be taking long, but I think it’s already quite evident that Thornton and Marleau, though still the franchise leaders technically, are now just supplements. Doug Wilson has time and time again expressed a “rebuild” for the San Jose Sharks, which means a younger and faster group. So, although it’s taking long to fully transition into that new, younger duo, I think you’re already seeing a team in the process of transitioning, with Pavelski eventually getting the C.

Jan 29, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks right wing Corey Perry (10) controls the puck against San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (44) during the first period at HP Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

2. Brent Burns is making waves after converting back to defense, scoring 19 points in 24 games this season, third in the league among defensemen behind the Calgary Flames duo of Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie. However, San Jose has one of the league’s most underrated players in Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who won a gold medal with Team Canada in Sochi last season and is a team-high +10. What makes Vlasic one of the best defensemen in the game?

Felix: I think it’s his ability to read the game and react properly. He knows his role on the team. He knows he’s supposed to play as a shut-down type defenseman. He communicates well with his teammates, mostly with fellow defenseman Justin Braun, as the two are generally paired together. With that simple defensive mentality, he’s also able to create some offense for his team, getting some shots on goal and scoring here and there. In general, though, he’s just out there at the right place, right time and does his best to simplify his game as much as he can.

Apr 9, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks left wing Matt Beleskey (39) celebrates with center Ryan Getzlaf (15) after scoring a goal in the second period as San Jose Sharks defenseman Scott Hannan (27) reacts at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

4. Obviously, last season ended in gut-wrenching fashion, and there is no reason to repeat what happened. However, this is mostly the same group of players who won 51 games and had 111 points last season. This season, the Sharks have struggled a bit, going 10-10-4 through the first 24 games. They essentially have a .500 record, and their 24 points place them at 5^th in the Pacific Division and 10^th in the Western Conference. What is the biggest difference between the team last season and this season?

Felix: I think the biggest difference between the team this season and last season is the leadership. Obviously, Thornton was stripped of his captaincy over the off-season. Marleau was also stripped of his alternate captaincy, though he got it back. Thornton’s now an alternate captain, but you know what? It doesn’t matter if the players (or which players, for that matter) are wearing a C or an A. Those are just letters on a jersey. What does matter is still the lack of leadership and confidence in this team this year. Yes, they came out of the gate with three wins in a row, two of them being back-to-back shut-outs (and the first team to have two different goalies to give them back-to-back shut outs to start the season). Yes, they actually managed to beat the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the L.A. Kings in their home opener for the first time since Game 3 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. You would think that would and should at least give them some juice to extend their run to than just three wins.

No. Instead, what you saw was a team that you’re currently seeing right now. You’re seeing a team struggling to find consistency. In fact, now you’re actually seeing a team struggling to get even a win, much less string together two or three wins. You’re seeing a team that’s not just dried up in scoring, but in confidence as well. You’re seeing a younger defense that’s struggling. You’re seeing more of a competition in the crease ever since Antti Niemi was in the hot seat after a less-than-stellar performance last season. There are questions of whether or not “Nemo” will even be in a teal sweater for long now that Alex Stalock was injured and rookies like Troy Grosenick stepped up to the plate and put up a 45-save shut-out performance against the Carolina Hurricanes on their mediocre seven-game road trip. I mean, he practically stole the game for the Sharks.

So, as you can see, there are a lot more questions than answers for the Sharks and confidence is a major factor. We all hope that our big guns can step up and bring it every night, but obviously that’s not going to happen. You can’t constantly rely on them anyway because you still need secondary scoring. If you want to win in this League, everyone’s got to jump on board every night. The coach has got to be able to roll all four lines, no matter the situation. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened yet and, again, the lack of leadership is still a huge question mark and the biggest difference between the team last season and this season.

December 31, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf (15) shoots the puck against the defense of San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton (19) during the second period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

I’m very grateful for Felix taking his time to answer these questions for us here at Pucks of a Feather. Go check out Blades of Teal for the terrific job that Felix and the rest of their staff do while covering the San Jose Sharks, and continue reading our staff’s coverage of the Ducks. Stay tuned on both sites for information regarding tonight’s game between the Ducks and Sharks at 7:30 p.m. PT.

Jason Byun is the editor for Pucks of a Feather. He can be found on Twitter. For more Anaheim Ducks coverage, follow Pucks of a Feather on Twitter or like us on Facebook.