Many began questioning the coaching staff when the San Jose Sharks were in the middle of their losing streak to open the season. In particular, the head coach, David Quinn, had quite a few fans calling for his job. General manager Mike Grier decided to be patient and not make a rash decision, now the Sharks are benefitting as a result.
The near-historic losing streak ruined morale in the Sharks’ locker room, but Quinn was adamant all that they needed to do was play like a team rather than a group of individuals. Now, we’re nearing the 30-game mark for most teams and the Sharks have climbed out of last in the league and bypassed both the Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks for the first time this season. Since their 0-11-1 start, they’ve had a record of 9-7-2 for a total of 20 points in their last 18 games. Over 82 games, that would be on pace for 91 points which would undoubtedly be in the mix for a playoff position. In reality, the Sharks fall somewhere in the middle of the losing streak and their recent hot streak. They’re not going to be fighting for a playoff spot in April, however, they’re not going to be a historically bad team either. A big part of the reason they’re playing at a higher level now though is their head coach.
Quinn’s Role in the Turnaround
Quinn was consistent in his belief that the Sharks’ current roster had some potential to perform at a high level, regardless of their general rankings around the league. Throughout the losing streak, he never let the pressure get to him and remained level-headed when talking to the media. He didn’t dwell on only the negatives, nor did he bring false positivity. He found legitimate positive takeaways from each game – excluding the back-to-back games they surrendered 10 goals – while being genuine when talking about the issues he noticed with the team.
Players have been held accountable when necessary, most notably Marc-Edouard Vlasic who has been a healthy scratch multiple times this season. With that being said, he’s also giving deserving players the opportunities they’ve worked for. Justin Bailey is playing on the power play for the first time in his NHL career, yet he hasn’t looked out of place. It’s unlikely many coaches would’ve given him that type of chance.
Quinn’s biggest job at the moment is developing the young players, and William Eklund is one player that is continuing to improve as the season goes on. He has a rocket of a one-timer, but in the past, he was more of a playmaker. The coaching staff has pushed him to shoot the puck more, and as a result, he’s scoring in big moments. Fabian Zetterlund is another player who has improved drastically. In his second season as a Shark, he’s been playing very good hockey on a consistent basis and he’s now tied for second on the team in goals with eight.
Cultivating a Positive Atmosphere
In my most recent takeaways piece, I touched on the importance of cultivating a positive atmosphere in a rebuild. A big part of the locker room’s atmosphere falls on the boss, just like any other working environment. Early in the season, there was a wall of sadness that seemed to hit the second you entered the locker room. Toward the end of the losing streak, even before they notched the first win, you could feel things start to turn around. Now, even after a difficult game, there’s a feeling of confidence, as well as fun in the room. They believe they’re going to bounce back every night and you can tell their chemistry is starting to develop.
It would’ve been easy for heads to drop and for veterans to want out given the start to the season, but that never really happened. Of course, there was frustration and sadness as I mentioned during the worst of the losing streak, but it was never helplessness or doubt. They knew they’d turn it around and Quinn kept saying that they were close. Eventually, things started to go their way and now they’re a fun team to watch on a nightly basis.
It’s very easy to blame the coach when things start to go badly; there’s always a scapegoat of some sort. With that being said, this locker room underwent a large amount of turnover during the last 12 months. It’s unlikely any other coach would have been able to get much better results during the first month of the season. Quinn allowed the players to get to know each other and develop their chemistry without forcing changes for no reason. It may have brought some pain for fans early on, but in the long run, it will end up helping the organization.
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