Sharks' depth will be put to the test as they seek redemption vs. Vegas

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SAN JOSE – Think back if you will – yes, even though you probably prefer not to – to the last time the Sharks played the Golden Knights. It was on the back end of a back-to-back at the end of November. Although San Jose was coming off a 4-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, they’d been having trouble stringing more than two wins together up until that point in the season.

They were jumping out to early leads, then taking their foot off the gas and letting the opposition back into games. Their collective team defense wasn’t consistent, and their goaltending couldn’t pick up all the slack. They were the team that could shut out one team one night, then get shut out themselves the next -- like they did when they fell 6-0 at T-Mobile arena to Vegas on Nov. 24.

Now, the Sharks are visiting the Golden Knights for a second time this season. While Thursday evening’s game will bring its fair share of challenges, it’s not going to be a slam dunk for the Vegas squad.

After a recent victory, Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer said, “our whole group has gotten better as the season has gone on” – and he isn’t wrong. Team Teal has recently displayed depth at all parts of the ice that has helped give them some consistency, even against some of the best teams in the league.

Thursday’s game against Vegas isn’t going to be a cakewalk. But given San Jose has won four straight and is playing their best hockey of the season, it should be pretty darn fun to watch. And it should be yet another test of how the Sharks currently stand up against other tough teams in the league.

It isn’t just a couple notches in the win column that can help boost San Jose against a Vegas team that has found its footing after a slow start to its sophomore season. The Sharks have found depth through both their forward attack and on their blue line that has given them a boost over tough competition – even the NHL-leading Tampa Bay Lightning.

The emergence of Tomas Hertl as a center on the – for lack of a better label – third line with Joonas Donskoi and Evander Kane has created a scoring juggernaut. Having players that dynamic down the lineup makes for some interesting mismatches with other teams, especially when you consider there are two other lines centered by Logan Couture and Joe Thornton. This could create some very interesting matchups against the Golden Knights, who have goal-scorers like winger Cody Eakin placed down on their third line. The forward depth of both teams could make for some interesting matchups come Thursday evening.

You can’t talk about the Sharks depth over the last couple of games without talking about their defense, given the number of players who have stepped up. Even though Joakim Ryan and Tim Heed filled into the lineup at different points at the start of the season, there’s no mistaking how much they’ve stepped up with Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Justin Braun, and Radim Simek on the sidelines.

Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson may have logged a ton of minutes against the Lighting last weekend, but they wouldn’t have been able to shut Connor McDavid down on Tuesday without the rest of the d-corps following suit. And if they can keep McDavid from finding the back of the net, they are more than capable from keeping Vegas’ William Karlsson-led top line from doing too much damage.

Really, the Sharks last meeting with the Golden Knights was a signal of their low point. It was the first contest of a four-game losing streak that ended with a closed-door team meeting and a much-needed victory over the Montreal Canadiens. They then went 9-4-2 in the month of December, having a chance at taking the lead in the Pacific Division before falling to the Calgary Flames on New Year’s Eve. This clearly isn’t the same team that faced the Golden Knights back at the end of November.

Now they just have to prove that on Thursday evening.

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