The San Jose Sharks started this season 0-10-1. It is one of the worst starts that an NHL team has had in the history of the league.
It looked like they were going to have one of the lowest point totals ever. However, things have not gone that way since they got their first win.
Since that horrid start, they are 7-7-1 which is a respectable record for a team like them. They have a few good players that can make you pay if you don't play well against them.
The Sharks took on the New York Islanders on Tuesday night. After going down 4-1, they came back to win 5-4 in overtime. A horrible night for them turned into an amazing one at UBS Arena.
Tomas Hertl scored a hat trick and William Eklund scored in overtime to make sure that they sealed the win. Kevin Labanc scored the other San Jose goal in regulation.
The San Jose Sharks are not currently in dead last place of the entire NHL
When the game was complete, the San Jose Sharks jumped the Chicago Blackhawks in the overall NHL standings. For the entire season up to that point, they had been in dead last. The Hawks ended up losing in a shootout to the Nashville Predators so they remain in last.
Chicago has two fewer games played than San Jose so the Sharks still have the worse points percentage but for one morning, they get to wake up outside of the 32nd spot.
The Blackhawks are equally as bad as the Sharks but they are a bit more fun to watch because they have Connor Bedard after winning the lottery in 2023.
Both teams would love to be in that conversation again in 2024. With Macklin Celebrini and Cole Eiserman ready to be drafted, more talent could be headed to these franchises.
San Jose has good players right now too. Guys like Tomas Hertl, William Eklund, Anthony Duclair, Mikael Granlund, and Kevin Labanc amongst others are all impressive to watch. Each of them can make you pay if you don't take them seriously or play hard.
The Sharks are going to be a trap game for a lot of teams this season. They might end up in last after they trade some of these guys away for future assets but they won't be as easy to play against as they were in the first 11 games.
San Jose will be in action again on Thursday when they take on the Detroit Red Wings in Detroit. This will be their fifth game on their six-game road trip. Right now, they are 2-2-0 on the trip heading into Detroit. It will be fun to watch and see how the rest of the year goes for them.