SAN JOSE — Bob Boughner was midway through his first season as coach of the Florida Panthers in 2017-18 when his team finally flipped the switch. After 47 games, the Panthers, then in 14th place in the Eastern Conference, went 25-8-2 down the stretch before they missed the playoffs by one point.
“Every game,” said Boughner, now the Sharks’ interim coach, “we found ways to win instead of finding ways to lose.”
Boughner and the Sharks find themselves in the same unenviable position now. As they get set to begin their most critical road trip in years Tuesday in Detroit, the Sharks, after 40 games, are in 14th place in the Western Conference with a 17-20-3 record.