What Can Sharks Do to Score More Goals?

“I don’t know.”

That’s what Brent Burns offered when I asked him how the San Jose Sharks could score more goals without compromising their defensive structure.

The Sharks are averaging 2.6 goals per game, 27th in the NHL — that’s bad. They’re giving up 2.8 goals per game, tied for 12th in the league — that’s good.

They’re five points out of the final wild-card spot.

Recently, I pointed out the tactical change this season that’s helped the San Jose Sharks make a significant defensive improvement — last year, they surrendered 3.5 goals per game, second-worst in the NHL — but this change hasn’t helped the offense.

Last year, the Sharks averaged 2.6 goals per game.

“That’s the basis of our systems right now is try to be tough defensively, think that part of the game first,” Burns explained. “I think if your mindset is there, it’s tougher to score because the [opposing] players are so good, makes it difficult because you’re always being a little bit safer.”

Read this full San Jose Sharks article on NBC Sports Bay Area