The team that takes the crown in California could also end up winning the West.
As we approach the quarter pole of the 2010-11 season, Game No. 253 on the NHL's schedule Monday night between the San Jose Sharks and the Los Angeles Kings is one worth remembering.
That's because it could be a preview of bigger things to come in the Western Conference, although the Detroit Red Wings and Vancouver Canucks will surely have something to say about that.
The point is, while the Kings are off to a terrific start on the heels of their breakout season a year ago, it was the Sharks who flexed their muscles in doubling the visitors 6-3 for a third straight victory. After making it to the conference final a year ago, the Sharks are off to a slow start, but as the Philadelphia Flyers proved in 2009-10, it's what you do at the end of the year that counts the most.
The Flyers, you'll recall, qualified for the playoffs on the final day of the regular season and went on to play in the Stanley Cup final, losing to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.
It is safe to say the expectations are much higher for the Sharks this year than they are for the Kings, who seem to be nicely moving down the road toward credibility. Therefore, it was probably a little disconcerting when the Sharks dropped three in a row after wining their season opener 3-2 over Columbus.
There is plenty to be concerned about in San Jose starting with the team's reputation for not being able to win the big one. That goes hand-in-hand with captain Joe Thornton's reputation for fading down the stretch -- an old story, to be sure.
Beyond that, there are concerns about San Jose's goaltending. After having backstopped the Blackhawks to the championship last season, Antti Niemi has been disappointing this year with a 2-4 record to go with a 37th ranking in both goals-against average (3.73) and save percentage (.878). Luckily, fellow newcomer Antero Niittymaki has been very good recording a 7-1 record while ranking fourth in GAA (1.91) and eighth in SP (.927). It is too early to tell if this Finnish duo has the finish to carry a team to the top.
Again, it is early days, but when you look at the Sharks’ scoring parade, it has to be worrisome to the coaching staff that the forwards the team counts on most for production are thus far defensive liabilities. Thornton and Devin Setoguchi are both minus-6 while Joe Pavelski is minus-5 and Patrick Marleau is minus-3.
Also, do the Sharks have a championship blueline? Certainly Dan Boyle knows what it takes to win it all, having done so with Tampa Bay in 2003-04, but looking at the rest of the group you wonder if it isn't D-Lite as apposed to a delight?
This group knows it is under a microscope and needs to win this season or risk being blown up. GM Doug Wilson will surely address his team's deficiencies as the year progresses.
The Kings, meanwhile, have patiently been moving in the right direction since Dean Lombardi took over as GM in 2006. Lombardi has mostly built through the draft with a sprinkling of free agent signings and trades along the way. In four years the Kings have improved from 68 points in 2006-07 to 71 points the following year, 79 points in 2008-09 and 101 points last season.
Through it all, though, the team has not won a playoff round. Make no mistake about it: the pressure is on to advance in the post-season. With so many young players gaining valuable experience, you have to wonder if the Kings aren't still a year or two away from being serious Cup contenders. That said, this is the time in a club's development when some general managers might try to accelerate the process by making deals to push their team over the top. Thus far, Lombardi has shown great patience, but with his team sitting atop the Western Conference standings (with the best goal differential in the conference, a plus-16) he may be tempted to exchange some of his considerable young talent for more proven veterans. We'll see.
In any case, Game No. 253 was the first of six meetings between these two California-based rivals. For the Sharks it was a statement win. Let's see how the Kings respond.
