San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky is in the process of changing the team culture, and his work so far is starting to produce results.
Yes, the Sharks have only seven wins so far, but other than a few games at the start of the season, they’ve been competitive in every game.
There is a belief in this Sharks roster that has been absent for the last few seasons. Across all levels of the organization, November has been a month when the team has settled in more.
“There’s some energy in there. There’s some belief that we can win hockey games,” Warsofsky said. “Go back into the games that we’ve lost this year. We’re in a lot of hockey games, and that wasn’t the case in years past. I think there’s a belief that we can win, and if we do things the right way, we can win hockey games.”
The proof that the Sharks can win hockey games by playing Warsofsky’s systems was evident on Monday against the Los Angeles Kings. San Jose’s third period might’ve been their most dominant period of the season. They converted on the powerplay and dominated puck possession.
GM Mike Grier tried to backfill the center depth of the San Jose Sharks. Signing Alexander Wennberg is one of the best free agent signings of the NHL. Wennberg has become a solid piece and a nice compliment on offense, with six goals and seven assists. Half of his goals are overtime-winning goals.
“That was obviously Mike’s plan of getting some depth down the middle of the ice, especially with the development plans with Mac and Will, if they were going to be out, we had to have some depth there,” Warsofsky said. “Really good signing for us. He’s a good pro. The way he prepares. The way he plays through bumps and bruises. The way he practices every single day. It’s good for these young players to watch.”
Warsofsky feels Wennberg has settled into the new hockey system and is now one of his most dependable players.
“He’s getting more comfortable understanding our system a little bit more. It’s different than what he was playing in New York,” Warsofsky said. “He looked more comfortable. He’s more confident with the puck. [He is a] smart individual, one of our smartest guys we have on our team. Defense in the middle of the ice and out, and that’s what we preach. He’s done a really good job as of late.”
Warsofsky does want his centerman to shoot the puck more and has had discussions with him about it. Warsofsky joked and said, “Take Jumbo’s dad’s advice.”
The Sharks are on the way to becoming a playoff-contending team, and this year’s foundation set by Ryan Warsofsky is showing that he can be the right coach to build a winning culture in San Jose.
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