The Biggest Takeaways from the San Jose Sharks' Recent Road Trip

After getting points in the first three games of a five-game Eastern Conference road trip, the San Jose Sharks sputtered toward the finish line with back-to-back regulation losses to the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins.

Still, a 2-2-1 record on such a trip is something the Sharks should be happy with this early in the season.

There were some positive signs, such as the inspired play on the blue line from Brent Burns and Logan Couture getting his first three goals of the season, but head coach Todd McClellan will probably look back to some missed opportunities and some uninspired play in the third period of a few games as areas for improvement.

What did we learn about the Sharks on this trip? Read on to find out.

Brent Burns Looks Comfortable as a Defenseman

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With the offseason departure of defensemen Dan Boyle and Brad Stuart, Brent Burns was summoned back to the blue line—after a season-and-a-half playing as a forward—to quarterback the power play and provide a physical presence. The early returns have been nothing short of spectacular. 

Burns is currently leading all NHL defensemen with eight points. His seven assists are tied for the NHL lead among all players with the likes of star playmakers John Tavares, Claude Giroux and Daniel Sedin. With the move back to defense, Burns has seen an expected uptick in minutes played, averaging 23:16 per game so far this season compared to 16:49 last year as a forward.

"I feel confident I could get 30 goals playing forward, but I also love the challenge of playing D and playing more than 20 minutes a game," Burns told David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News before the season. Burns had an assist and played at least 20 minutes in four of the five games on the road trip.

Patrick Marleau Is off to Another Hot Start

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Through the "stripping" of the "A" and constant trade rumors during the offseason, Sharks forward Patrick Marleau has remained his stoic, productive self. Marleau had five points (two goals, three assists) during the five-game road trip. He has four multipoint games through seven games this season.

Marleau is no stranger to strong starts. A year ago he started the season with a point in each of the first eight games (seven goals, four assists). During the lockout-shortened 2013 season, Marleau scored two goals in each of the team's first four games en route to a six-game point streak.

The key for Marleau will be maintaining the pace for the full 82 games, as he has averaged a point per game just three times in his 16 NHL seasons.

Will the No. 1 Goalie Please Stand Up?

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When the Sharks embarked on their five-game road trip, goaltending seemed to be the one thing the team had figured out. Antti Niemi and Alex Stalock each recorded shutouts in the first two games of the season, becoming the first teammates to do so in NHL history.

Funny how quickly things can change. On the road trip, Niemi allowed 11 goals in three starts (somehow winning two of them). Stalock didn't fare much better, giving up seven in two starts; although, in fairness, he did stop 42 of 45 shots in a shootout loss to the New York Islanders.

The Sharks have taken a somewhat irregular approach with their goaltending and have alternated starters in every game. The idea might have been to keep Niemi—the incumbent and likely No. 1 netminder—fresh throughout the season, but it may be preventing both goalies from finding a rhythm.

The Sharks tried this approach before during the 2006-07 season, with Vesa Toskala and Evgeni Nabakov alternating starts until Nabakov finally took over the starting job for good late in the season. San Jose might be better off riding the hot hand, assuming Niemi or Stalock gets hot.

Sharks Must Improve Third-Period Play

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Through seven games this season, the Sharks are outscoring their opponents 8-1 in the first period and 10-8 in the second. Unfortunately for San Jose, there are three 20-minute periods. The Sharks are being outscored in the final stanza 10-4, with all 10 goals against coming on the road trip.

The Boston Bruins tagged the Sharks for three goals in the third period on Tuesday in a come-from-behind win. The Washington Capitals and New York Islanders were both able to force overtime when trailing after two periods. The New Jersey Devils scored two consecutive goals in the third period to make things close in an eventual 4-2 Sharks victory, which was still in doubt until a late empty-netter from Joe Thornton.

If the Sharks are going to stay in the mix of the ultra-competitive Pacific Division, they are going to need to tighten the reins and close out games in tough environments. The Sharks' schedule is less than ideal, as 16 of their first 21 games are on the road. 

The Sharks need to fix this soon, especially with a seven-game road trip looming, which includes trips to Dallas, Chicago and Tampa Bay.

Sharks Won't Rush Rookie Defenseman Mirco Mueller

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Nineteen-year-old Mirco Mueller, the Sharks' first-round pick in 2013, turned some heads when he made the roster out of training camp. With an assist in his third NHL game, he became the third-youngest defenseman to score a point on the road in Sharks history.

But don't expect the Sharks to rush the development of Mueller at the expense of his future. With veteran depth on the blue line, San Jose has the luxury of giving Mueller a chance to watch games from the press box. McClellan had this to say about his decision to scratch Mueller from the lineup in Washington, per Pollak:

"

They play games in the NHL before they even watch them and sometimes it's good to see it from up above and see what might be available and what might not. He's still 19 and we're still going to develop him slowly and try to do it the right way. ... It's about building his long-term career, making sure he's feeling good in all the situations.

"

Mueller was back in the lineup for the back-to-back against the Devils and Rangers but was a healthy scratch once again in Boston.