Quick Thoughts: Sharks Stuck Between a Dubnyk & a Jones Place

Has to be close a sharks record at this point in 20 games

— Jaws Territory (@Coliseum1722) March 6, 2021

So through the first 21 games, is five pulls, all of Martin Jones, a San Jose Sharks record?

It is! In 1994-95 and 1995-96, San Jose endured four goaltender replacement pulls through 21 contests in each season. Even the 17-58-5 expansion squad had just two keeper pulls through 21 games.

It’s always nice to break a franchise record in your 30^th anniversary campaign.

But all sarcasm aside, the Sharks are between a rock and a hard place – or between Martin Jones and Devan Dubnyk – with their goaltending.

“Obviously, didn’t like the third goal,” Bob Boughner said, of the long Max Pacioretty point shot that eluded Jones early in the second period, giving Vegas a 3-0 lead. “At that point, looking to change momentum and put Doobie in.”

That was three goals in eight shots against for Jones. Dubnyk fared better, stopping 17 of 19 to help San Jose reach overtime, albeit in a loss.

Dubnyk, you would think, should get the Saturday start. But if he flops? And there’s reason to believe that he will — it’s a generally porous team defense in front of a recently sub. 900 goalie.

There’s no reason to believe that next-in-line prospects Alexei Melnichuk or Josef Korenar are ready. And there’s no reason to believe that Doug Wilson would toss a young, unproven netminder’s psyche into the fire.

“Not at this point,” Boughner said, after being asked, for the second time in as many weeks, if he would consider Melnichuk or Korenar over Jones and Dubnyk.

But beyond Dubnyk, what are the Sharks’ choices right now?

Team Tough

Boughner called the San Jose Sharks’ performance “team tough.”

From overcoming a three-goal deficit to Logan Couture not letting Max Pacioretty get away with a liberty to Kurtis Gabriel dropping the gloves with Ryan Reaves, the Sharks made a statement.

“We had a sense of togetherness on the bench,” Boughner said after the Gabriel-Reaves fight. “That’s the best team in the West and we battled with them toe to toe, we threw our best at them.”

Statements, of course, don’t win games.

But the San Jose Sharks need desperately to carry over the momentum last night into tonight. They’re currently eight points out of the West’s fourth and final playoff spot.

Hopefully, last night’s espirits de corps is a step in the right direction