After missing the playoffs last season for the first time in 11 years, the San Jose Sharks are having a great bounce-back campaign in 2015-16. The team sits second in the Pacific Division, and are currently riding a league-best 8-0-2 run over their last 10 games.
The Sharks just have one glaring fault: They own a dismal record on home ice.
Through their first 48 games this season, the Sharks have compiled a poor 10-12-2 record at the SAP Center, the fifth-worst home record in the league this year. This is a trend that's unlike many Sharks teams of the past. Historically, San Jose has been among the league's best at defending their home ice:
| Year | Home Record | League Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 10-12-2 | 26th |
| 2014-15 | 19-17-5 | 24th |
| 2013-14 | 29-7-5 | 2nd |
| 2012-13 | 17-2-5 | 3rd |
| 2011-12 | 26-12-3 | 9th |
| 2010-11 | 25-11-5 | 4th |
| 2009-10 | 27-6-8 | 4th |
| 2008-09 | 32-5-4 | 1st |
Prior to last season the Sharks mustered a home record of 156-43-30 in the previous six years, good for a winning percent of 68.1 percent.
A lack of offense appears to be a key factor in the team's poor play at home. This season, the Sharks have averaged 3.13 goals for on the road, good enough for third in the league; at the SAP Center, the team is putting up just 2.71 goals per game, giving them a share of 15th in the league.
If there's something the Sharks can hang their hat on, however, it would be their play away from the Bay Area. San Jose boasts the second-best road record in the league, going 16-6-2 in 24 away contests.
The Sharks do look to be righting their wrongs of late, going 5-0-2 over their past seven home games. That's a trend San Jose will need to keep going if the words "home-ice advantage" mean anything to them.
