San Jose Sharks (29-5-5, 63 pts): San Jose made major moves in the offseason in a clear-cut effort to put focus on a win-now mentality. The Sharks have no disappointed, as they have dominated their way through the first half of the season, looking nearly unbeatable at both ends of the ice. 
The Sharks have put together this great record with well-rounded performance at both ends of the ice. The Sharks have the 3rd ranked offense in the Western Conference, behind only the powerhouse Red Wings and upstart Chicago Blackhawks. Led by Joe Thornton (9-37-46) and veteran Patrick Marleau (19-23-42), the Sharks have been putting the puck in the net at a nearly unstoppable pace. The emergence of Devin Setoguchi as a scoring threat has more than made up for Jonathan Cheechoo’s struggles.
At the other end of the ice, the Sharks have helped Evgeny Nabokov as much as he has needed, with only two of their regular defensemen holding negative +/- ratings. Dan Boyle and Rob Blake have provided a veteran presence on the blueline that was missing before, while chipping in nicely offensively, combining for 18 goals and 58 points thus far. Nabokov hasn’t needed much help, posting a 2.54 GAA and a .906 save percentage.
All of these factors have made the Sharks one of the most feared teams in the league this year, especially at home, where they have yet to lose a game in regulation.
League Rankings
Goals - 4th Goals Against - 3rd Powerplay Goals - T-3rd Powerplay Percentage - 7th Shorthanded Goals - 3rd Penalty kill percentage - 5th
