The Sharks (7-9-1) currently sit in sixth place in the Pacific Division. It’s a disappointing start after the team made great strides in its rebuild last season, when it went 39-35-8 and finished four points behind the Kings for the second wild card in the Western Conference Stanley Cup Playoffs. This season, San Jose ranks 28th in the NHL in goals per game (2.53) and is tied for 27th in goals against per game (3.53). “It’s got to change. We can’t let that seep into our game, but I mean, we’ve got to be frustrated and not happy with the way we’re playing,” captain Macklin Celebrini said. “We know what we have in this room and we believe in each other. We are a team first and foremost.” When asked what the message of the exclusive players’ meeting was, Celebrini said it was private. “Obviously things are not going well right now, so we have to figure it out,” he said. Sherwood told reporters that the team lacks a strong connection on the ice. “You just work. When you work, things open up, the game slows down a little bit,” Sherwood said. “We showed bits of that, and we have a lot of good players, but it’s about being a good team right now. I think it’s a mentality. It’s a maturity that we need to move forward here.” Coach Ryan Warsofsky said he appreciated that the team’s leaders had stepped up to try to galvanize the group. “That’s up to them. This shows that we have some leadership here and we’re all frustrated,” Warsofsky said. The Sharks will have to channel those frustrations soon, considering their schedule won’t get any easier anytime soon. They will conclude their road trip against the Minnesota Wild on Friday and the Dallas Stars on Saturday. “We have to look in the mirror and do something about it,” Sherwood said. “(The Kings were) up 6-2, they played their best power play. (Artemi) Panarin blocked shots, celebrated on his bench. It’s disrespectful. Until we do something about it, things aren’t going to change unless we man up and do something about it.”
