The San Jose Sharks are back home and skating at their facility after five weeks on the road.
They took advantage of an unexpected window to practice in San Jose on Sunday after games against the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday and Wednesday were postponed because of COVID-19 protocol concerns with some members of the Golden Knights organization.
It gave the Sharks a break in a stretch that if not for the postponements would have had them away for six weeks since leaving the Bay Arena for training camp in Scottsdale, Arizona on Dec. 30.
San Jose has played eight games (3-5-0) and was supposed to face the Golden Knights at Glia River Arena, home of the Arizona Coyotes. COVID-19 restrictions in Santa Clara County, including a ban on contact sports, kept the Sharks away. The county lifted those restrictions on Jan. 25. The Sharks are scheduled to host the Anaheim Ducks in the first games at SAP Center this season on Feb. 13 and Feb. 15.
Their return home was liberating, even if it's for a few days.
"I think today it was a noticeable difference," forward Logan Couture said. "Go back three days ago when we were in Colorado, or even Arizona when we flew back there, there was just a sense of this is dragging on a little long, we'd love to get home, we know there's an opportunity to get home, let's get home. An hour here and the energy has completely changed. Guys are excited, refreshed. A lot of smiles this morning so it was a good day."
Instead of preparing for the Golden Knights in Arizona, defenseman Erik Karlsson is with his wife, Melinda, and 1 1/2-year-old daughter, Harlow, before the Sharks play at the Ducks at Honda Center on Friday and Saturday and the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 9 and 11.
"We still got a lot of work to do, but I think that this gives us an opportunity to do that," Karlsson said. "You could definitely tell that it was a strain on guys and that's why it's going to be nice now to be able to come and go a little bit more and be home a little bit, because when you go on the road, even if it's for a week, you know you're going to be home at the end of it. For us it was more we didn't know when we're going to get the chance to come back again."
A 3-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Jan. 28 ended a stretch of eight games in 15 days for the Sharks, who are last in the Honda West Division. Forwards Evander Kane, Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier combined for one goal and three assists, and San Jose scored nine goals at 5-on-5 while going 1-for-23 on the power play in their past five games. They focused on 5-on-5, special teams and breaking out of their end with more possession at practice, which coach Bob Boughner said was one of the best they've had since the start of training camp.
"That just goes to show you, I think, mentally where we're at," Boughner said.
It was the Sharks' first step toward a refresh, one that could make a big difference beginning Friday.
"I think we're a much better team, but at the same time we got to realize that we've got to work hard on it and make a few changes in our individual game and our team game and I think that this gives us a good opportunity to do that at home," Karlsson said.
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Sharks hold first home practice since COVID-19 restrictions lifted - NHL.com
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