Oilers advance to Western final

San Jose Sharks
5th in West
44-27-11
99 points

Key Numbers
GF: 265 (7th)
GA: 235 (11th)
PP: 18.2% (13th)
PK: 80.7% (23th)

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In Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, the Sharks have two centres who ranked among the top-20 scorers. Thornton hasn't been a big factor in the playoffs thus far, but in the regular season he transformed little-known Jonathan Cheechoo into a 50-goal scorer and doesn't have to carry the offensive burden by himself. While Marleau was overshadowed by Thornton this season, his 86 points were the most of his eight-year career. Marleau also led the team with eight points in five playoff games against the Nashville Predators.

The Sharks' penalty killing (80.7 per cent) was abysmal this season as they ranked last among the Western Conference playoff teams and improved only slightly in the first round. Part of the problem can be attributed to San Jose's lack of a true defensive stud. The Sharks simply have too much trouble controlling the play in their own end and often find themselves scrambling to clear the puck to the relieve pressure.

Joe Thornton: Thornton won his first scoring title but still needs to answer questions concerning his lack of productivity in the post-season. In his 35 playoff games with Boston, Thornton managed only six goals and was often criticized for his lack of toughness when the games mattered most. While Thornton failed to score in the Sharks' first five playoff games, he did post four assists and his supporting cast in San Jose is significantly better than it was in Boston.

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