The San Jose Sharks are looking great so far. They have a 2-0 series lead over the Anaheim Ducks. And thus far, the goaltending battle hasn’t gone as anticipated by many. People though John Gibson would be the better goalie in the series, which is why the Ducks had a chance of winning. However, it has been Martin Jones who has been the better of the two goaltenders.
If the Sharks wind up winning the Stanley Cup, it will most likely be a group effort. Maybe Joe Pavelski or Evander Kane creates some distance in the race for MVP. But usually, if there’s not an overwhelming candidate, the Conn Smythe tends to go to the winning goaltender. Thus far, Jones is deserving, stopping 96.4 percent of the shots he has seen in the first two games of the series.
Perhaps this shouldn’t come as a total surprise. After all, Jones was very clutch during the 2015-16 Stanley Cup Playoffs, helping the Sharks make it to their first ever Stanley Cup Finals. The past two postseasons, he has posted save percentages of .923 (2015-16) and .935 (2016-17).
Jones will need to continue to be great for the Sharks to reach the Finals again. Should they beat the Ducks, the Vegas Golden Knights will probably be waiting for them. Three of the Sharks’ four games against the expansion team were decided by one goal, including two of them in overtime. Jones struggled against them this season, posting a save percentage of just .899 while allowing 11 goals.