Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Surging Sharks have made a big move up the standings

Chris Tierney, Nicklas Grossmann, Michael Stone, Viktor Tikhonov

San Jose Sharks’ Chris Tierney (50) smiles after scoring a goal as Arizona Coyotes’ Nicklas Grossmann (2), of Sweden, Michael Stone, right, and Viktor Tikhonov, of Russia, look for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

AP

The San Jose Sharks still haven’t lost a game in regulation since being called out on this here blog. They won again last night -- a 3-1 victory on the road in Arizona -- improving their record to 6-0-1 in their last seven.

The Sharks are now second in the Pacific Division. Just two weeks ago, they were second to last, ahead of only Edmonton.

Beating the Coyotes was especially big, given Arizona is one of the teams that’s competing for a playoff spot in the division. The Sharks and Coyotes play each other four more times this season.

“It’s going to be a long season series versus them, and this was a good way to start off,” forward Chris Tierney told CSN California.

Another team the Sharks may have to fend off is Vancouver. They play the Canucks five more times this season. In fact, they play them five times in just over a month, first on Feb. 28 then for a fifth time on March 31. That’s five meetings in a span of 33 days.

Anyway, here’s what the standings look like today:

standings

You’ll note that only two teams, the Kings and the Sharks, have a positive goal differential.

In the past two seasons, only one team -- the 2013-14 Detroit Red Wings -- has made the playoffs with a negative goal differential.

San Jose hosts Minnesota Saturday, Los Angeles Sunday and Colorado Monday. After that, it’s the All-Star break, followed by a tough four-game trip through Anaheim, St. Louis, Nashville, and Chicago.