Sharks' biggest takeaways after team's 2019-20 NHL season comes to end
Seventy-six days after the Sharks last played a game, the 2019-20 NHL season officially came to an end for them and six other teams.
During recent weeks, NBC Sports California has been able to FaceTime video chat with a majority of players on the roster to gain better perspectives on where this group has been, where they stand, and where things could be headed.
Here are five defining quotes which stood out:
On big-picture takeaways from 2019-20 season
“We need to get back to playing responsible. There’s got to be an emphasis put on accountability, and playing as a team and family, and for each other. Sometimes we got away from that last year. Not throwing any blame around, but there was a lot of turmoil.”
Bob Boughner, Interim Head Coach (April 15, 2020)
On believing the core group is still the right group
“Coming into that team, if you look at the roster, we shouldn’t be where we are. I think everybody understands that. It’s an off year. They’ve been going deep into the playoffs for years and years. Trying to understand we still have that identity, and the right players on this team to get us back to a playoff hunt and competitive, that’s something [general manager] Doug [Wilson] is really focusing on.”
Stefan Noesen (March 31, 2020)
On the Sharks’ continued defensive struggles
“It’s never just the goalie. It’s the players in front of the goalie and the system. If you go back to last year [2019], Sharks were the only team that made the playoffs with a negative goal differential. The signs were already there last year, they just weren’t adhering and playing the way Pete DeBoer wanted them to play.”
Randy Hahn (March 19, 2020)
On Joe Thornton’s future in the NHL
“I look at this selfishly for Jumbo, hoping that he does come back for us next year. It saves an extra twelve games on the legs and that body. I know he’s going to get a little bit older, but saving some time will help us if he comes back. Which we’re all hoping he does.”
Logan Couture (March 18, 2020)
On using struggles as motivation moving forward
“It’s easy to put it behind and focus on the next year. I’ll look back on 2014-15 [missing the playoffs], and then the next year go all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. If you look at that and build off that, you know the guys came in next year with something to prove. We’re not that type of team to miss the playoffs. I don’t see why it can’t happen again.”
Marc-Edouard Vlasic (March 27, 2020)
