It was a heck of a situation to be thrown into when Joakim Ryan made his NHL debut on Oct. 12 against Buffalo.
Not only were the Sharks coming off a resounding defeat to the Kings to fall to 0-2 on the season, but Ryan was to be paired with Brent Burns — at times a dominant player, but also one of the most unorthodox in the league.
In the nine games since, Ryan and Burns have been steady partners, as the Sharks have won six of their last nine. Neither is lighting up the scoresheet. Ryan is looking for his first career point and Burns still has zero goals.