The San Jose Sharks didn\u2019t seem too concerned with the loss tonight.<\/p>\n
It was more how they lost, a 7-1 rout at the hands of the Washington Capitals.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we\u2019re too focused on the result, and we\u2019re not taking care of the process, we\u2019re gonna find it\u2019s gonna be hard to string wins together,\u201d alternate captain Mario Ferraro said. \u201cAs much as we lost, it\u2019s getting away from our game tonight and playing the right way.\u201d<\/p>\n
San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky put it succinctly: \u201cThere\u2019s more of a concern how we don\u2019t compete consistently.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the Sharks have gone 13-8-1 since their 0-4-2 start, their compete level has waxed and waned recently.<\/p>\n
From Oct. 18 to Nov. 11, the 3-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins to the 2-1 overtime win over the Minnesota Wild, the Sharks were fairly competitive in every game, 13 consecutive contests.<\/p>\n
But on Nov. 13, they laid an egg at the Calgary Flames, just a 2-0 loss because of Yaroslav Askarov\u2019s heroics. Since then, they\u2019ve mixed wins with about one dismal performance a week, chiefly a 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 22, a 6-0 humiliation at the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 26, and tonight.<\/p>\n
Warsofsky believes that the young Sharks have gotten a little complacent.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a little bit of success,\u201d he said. \u201cHuman nature is to kind of come off [the compete] a little bit and feel comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n
This appears to be the next lesson in the education of the San Jose Sharks.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is more a reality check of we get comfortable having a little bit success, and we think sometimes it\u2019s going to be a little bit easy for us,\u201d Warsofsky said. \u201cThis is a tough league and when you play some really good teams, they compete, shift in and shift out.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Sharks aren\u2019t doing that right now, not enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just playing the right way,\u201d Ferraro said. It\u2019s that simple, and that hard.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got to get uncomfortable,\u201d Warsofsky said.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, the Sharks set off on a tough five-game road trip through Dallas, Carolina, Philadelphia, Toronto, and Pittsburgh. Four of those five teams are currently in the playoffs, and the lone exception, the Maple Leafs, are always dangerous.<\/p>\n
Can the San Jose Sharks get back to consistently playing games that they\u2019re proud of?<\/p>\n
Ryan Warsofsky<\/p>\n