SAN JOSE — For about eight-and-a-half minutes Tuesday night, life without Joe Thornton and Logan Couture didn’t look so bad. After that, reality set in: without their top two centers, the Sharks are going to struggle to earn points, even against the worst teams in the NHL.
Their 3-1 victory over Vancouver at the SAP Center provided a snapshot of just how challenging it going to be for the Sharks to find their form before the Stanley Cup playoffs begin next week. After they outshot the Canucks 10-1 in the game’s first 8:42, and set a new franchise record by scoring a pair of goals in the opening 30 seconds, the Sharks spent the remainder of the game on their heels.