San Jose has won five of its last six games, including back-to-back victories over the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins at home Saturday and over the Ducks at Anaheim on Sunday. That surge has lifted the Sharks into second in the Pacific Division, behind the still-remarkable Vegas Golden Knights. Aaron Dell has stepped in to provide steady goaltending — while Martin Jones recovers from a lower-body injury — and has a 2.17 goals-against average and .929 save percentage in 20 appearances. "When you're going good, every night, you don't know who's going to be big line or the big player," Joe Thornton told the San Jose Mercury News after his goal and assist led a balanced attack against the Ducks.
What we learned in the NHL over the past week of play: Sharks on the rise
