Sharks face early challenging road trip: ‘We're all big boys'

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SAN JOSE – From a coaching perspective, one of the bigger concerns when a team goes on the road for an extended stretch can be a lack of quality practice time. Even though a session or two can typically be squeezed in, it’s never quite like being at home among familiar surroundings.

Considering they’ve played just two games and the entire coaching staff is still fresh, that could be especially true for the 2-0-0 Sharks as they head east for four games over eight days. They skated at home on Sunday, but Monday was set aside solely for a cross-country trip to Washington where they face the Capitals on Tuesday.

Practices are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in New Jersey before the club plays three games in four nights against the Devils, Islanders and Rangers.

“I think the [way] the schedule lays out, we’ve got a couple good practice days between Washington and the New Jersey game,” DeBoer said. “I think we’ll get a couple quality practices on the road, which is pretty rare.”

Brenden Dillon said: “Pete and the coaching staff have done a good job, whether it’s video or just talking with the group and making sure we’re all on the same page. We had about a month now of training camp of getting everybody in the swing of things. … We feel pretty comfortable, but it’s going to be a big test on the road.”

Just like Anaheim on Saturday, the Sharks will face a club that was a preseason pick by many to win the Stanley Cup to kick off the trip. The Capitals still have superstars like Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom in the primes of the their careers, while they added players like T.J. Oshie and Justin Williams in the offseason.

Perhaps making things more difficult is that the Sharks will have just one day to adjust to the three-hour time change. It’s become more common in the NHL these days for teams to fly out two days before a cross-country trip to adapt, but the Sharks chose not to do that.

How come?

“It’s a good question. We shoot that around every time we have a trip, whether we’re going to go out a day early or not,” DeBoer said. “It’s something we’re going to monitor. We’ll see how our legs are when we get to Washington on Tuesday, and if they’re no good we’ll reevaluate next time we do it.”

The Sharks have one lengthy trip east in each of the first three months of the season. A six-game jaunt starts in Detroit on Nov. 13, while a five-gamer kicks off in Montreal on Dec. 15.

The flip side is the Sharks have just two road games against the Eastern Conference after Christmas, playing both Florida teams in February. DeBoer, who previously spent the entirety of his seven-year head coaching career in Florida and New Jersey, will quickly get a feel for some of the challenges that come with Western Conference travel.

“We might as well get some of these things done earlier. Better than later,” he said. “I think it’s a good time to get on the road with the group.”

For the players, that first long trip of the season is usually something they look forward to, no matter the circumstances.

“It’s always good to get on the road and spend some time with the guys,” Logan Couture said. “We’re playing pretty well. Fly for the day [Monday], and get ready for a big game.”

Joel Ward said: “We’re all big boys and can manage the travel. … Once the puck drops, it’s pretty simple.”

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