Eleven of San Jose's 13 points came from games that went past regulation
San Jose is 5-1 past 60 minutes and 1-5 in games decided inside them. Its five-on-five share rose, then fell, without the points pace following either turn.
San Jose is 6-5-1 with 13 points in 12 games, and eleven of those points came from the six games that went past 60 minutes. The Sharks are 5-1 in that group, 4-0 in overtime and 1-1 in shootouts. In the six games decided in regulation, they are 1-5. Their one regulation win came at Ottawa on Oct. 22.
Underneath that record, the five-on-five play has risen and fallen. San Jose took 34.2 percent of five-on-five expected goals over its first five games, 51.2 over the next three and 43.0 over the past four, while its points percentage over the same spans ran .600, .500, .500.
Up, then halfway back#
MoneyPuck's San Jose game-by-game file shows the rise and retreat in expected-goals share, alongside points earned and actual five-on-five goals.
| Span | Games | Points (of available) | Five-on-five share | Five-on-five goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 1 to 10 | 5 | 6 of 10 | 34.2% | 7-13 |
| Oct. 13 to 17 | 3 | 3 of 6 | 51.2% | 4-6 |
| Oct. 19 to 24 | 4 | 4 of 8 | 43.0% | 5-8 |
The latest four games were better than the opening five, with San Jose's share rising from 34.2 to 43.0 percent. MoneyPuck's score-and-venue adjustment, which accounts for the score when shots were taken and home ice, puts that comparison at 33.6 to 45.3 percent. The improvement survives the adjustment, even with San Jose still receiving the smaller share.
The retreat is from the 51.2 percent across the three games immediately before this week. This week's low was 24.8 percent at Boston on Saturday and its high was 62.3 at Toronto on Monday. By share, the opening five games rank last of the three spans. By points percentage, points earned divided by points available, they rank first, at .600 against .500 and .500. San Jose has been outscored at five-on-five in every span, and across all 12 games the goals stand at 16-27.
The games San Jose won at five-on-five#
Winning the expected-goals comparison has brought San Jose fewer points than losing it. On MoneyPuck's raw measure, the Sharks had the larger five-on-five share against Boston on Oct. 13, Detroit and Toronto. Those three games returned 1 point of 6 available; the other nine returned 12 of 18. The points have been arriving at the wrong address for anyone trying to read the record as a running account of five-on-five play.
MoneyPuck's adjusted measure swaps Boston on Oct. 13 for Nashville. That changes the split to 3 points of 6 in the games San Jose won at five-on-five, against 10 of 18 in the other nine. Either way, the games with the larger expected-goals share earned points at .500 or lower.
MoneyPuck's season summary places San Jose 29th of 32 at five-on-five on both measures, at 41.7 percent raw and 42.6 adjusted. In every situation other than five-on-five, the Sharks have scored 20 goals and allowed 15. The NHL power-play table has them sixth of 32, with 11 goals on 41 opportunities.
Where they sit#
Points percentage is the useful standings measure because Western clubs have played 9 to 13 games. Through Saturday's games, San Jose's .542 ranks ninth of 16 in the West, behind Winnipeg's .550 in 10 games, two fewer than the Sharks. The NHL's published order uses points, where San Jose's 13 (.542) hold the second wild card ahead of Winnipeg's 11 (.550). Colorado holds the first wild card at .591.
Within the Pacific, San Jose is fourth of eight by points percentage, behind Edmonton, Vegas and Seattle. Regulation wins break standings ties once points percentage is level, and San Jose is tied with Los Angeles and Vancouver for the fewest in the West, with 1 in 12 games.
Three at home#
The six-game road trip finished 3-2-1, and four straight home games follow, ending with Calgary next Monday, Nov. 2. Three fall this week. San Jose is 2-2-0 at home; times below are Pacific, from the NHL schedule.
| Opponent | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | Tuesday, Oct. 27 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Vancouver | Thursday, Oct. 29 | 7 p.m. |
| Ottawa | Saturday, Oct. 31 | 1 p.m. |
Buffalo's 4-4-3 record comes with a five-on-five share of 51.1 percent, 16th of 32 and above San Jose. Its special teams offer more room: a power play with 4 goals in 38 opportunities ranks 31st, and a 69.2 percent penalty kill ranks 27th.
Vancouver is 2-9-1, last in the West and carrying three straight losses. Ranked 31st at five-on-five, it is the only opponent this week ranked below San Jose there. Vancouver also has the league's lowest penalty-kill percentage at 65.0 and its fewest shots on goal per game at 20.08.
Ottawa is 8-4-0, second in the Atlantic and 14th at five-on-five, with a power play that has scored 6 times in 52 opportunities. San Jose won the Oct. 22 meeting 6-2 while getting 34.0 percent of the five-on-five expected goals.
The arguments against me#
- Twelve games, with a span as short as three, cannot establish that the record and five-on-five play are unrelated. Changing Boston on Oct. 13 to Nashville under the adjusted measure moves the return in the larger-share group from 1 point to 3 out of 6 available.
- Winning past regulation can reflect ability as well as fortune. San Jose is 4-0 in overtime, and outside five-on-five it has outscored opponents 20-15.
- Leading can help explain a low expected-goals share. At Ottawa on Oct. 22, the score adjustment raises San Jose's share from 34.0 to 37.0 percent in a game it won 6-2.
Sources: NHL standings, club schedule, and stats API team, power-play, penalty-kill, goalie and skater reports for 2026-27; MoneyPuck 2026-27 San Jose game-by-game file and team season summary.
