October 28, 2026
October 28, 2026
2009-2010 San Jose Sharks: Shark Bites
Through most of the 2000s, the San Jose Sharks found ways to stay competitive in the National Hockey League, consistently making the playoffs. However, the postseason was an ongoing problem for the Sharks, who made quick exits in several playoff runs. The 2009-2010 San Jose Sharks came prepared with a roster talented enough to make a deep run in the playoffs.
The 2009-2010 San Jose Sharks went 51-20-11 (overtime losses), finishing 6 points ahead of the Phoenix Coyotes to win the Pacific Division. In head-to-head play, the Sharks went 5-1 against the Anaheim Ducks, 4-0 against the Minnesota Wild, 4-1-1 against the Phoenix Coyotes, 3-0-1 against the St. Louis Blues, 3-1 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators and Vancouver Canucks, 3-2-1 against the Los Angeles Kings, 2-0 against the Philadelphia Flyers, 2-2-2 against the Dallas Stars and 2-2 against the Calgary Flames.
The Sharks took a good bite out of the regular season schedule, moving smoothly through most months of the season. The Sharks went 9-4-1 in October, 8-3-3 in November, 8-2-3 in December, 10-2-2 in January, 4-3 in February and 4-0-1 in April.
Center Patrick Marleau had 44 goals and 39 assists for 83 points, with 12 power play goals, 13 power play assists and 6 game-winning goals off 274 shots. Right winger Dany Heatley had 39 goals and 43 assists for 82 points, with 18 power play goals, 12 power play assists and 9 game-winning goals off 280 shots. Center Joe Pavelski had 25 goals and 26 assists for 51 points, with 10 power play assists and 5 game-winning goals off 228 shots. Center Joe Thornton had 20 goals and 69 assists for 89 points, with 25 power play assists off 141 shots.
Right winger Devin Setoguchi had 20 goals and 16 assists, with 8 power play goals off 165 shots. Left winger Ryane Clowe had 19 goals and 38 assists for 57 points, with 13 power play assists off 189 shots. Defenseman Dan Boyle had 15 goals and 43 assists for 58 points, with 23 power play assists off 180 shots. Center Manny Malhotra had 14 goals and 19 assists off 111 shots. Left winger Jamie McGinn had 10 goals and 3 assists in 59 games.
Goaltender Evgeni Nabokov was one of the better goaltenders in the NHL, consistently stopping the puck. Nabokov went 44-16-10, allowing 170 goals off 2168 shots in 4194 minutes and recording 1998 saves, a .922 save percentage, a 2.43 goals against average and 3 shutouts. Goaltender Thomas Greiss went 7-4-1, allowing 35 goals off 399 shots in 782 minutes and recording 364 saves, a .912 save percentage and a 2.69 goals against average.
The Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs pitted the San Jose Sharks against the Colorado Avalanche, and the Sharks prevailed 4 games to 2. In Game 1 on April 14 at the HP Pavilion, the Avalanche won 2-1. Coming back in Game 2 on April 16, the Sharks won 6-5 in overtime. In the 1st period, Colorado defenseman Kyle Cumiskey scored a goal 1:10 in. At 19:18, Manny Malhotra scored a power play goal.
At 0:24 into the 2nd period, right winger Chris Stewart scored a goal for Colorado, and then at 3:43, defenseman Rob Blake, the captain of the Sharks, scored a goal. Colorado right winger Milan Hejduk scored a goal at 4:08. At 7:10, Devin Setoguchi scored a goal. At 17:30, right winger Brandon Yip scored for Colorado, and then at 19:45, center Scott Nichol scored a goal for San Jose. At 5:24 into the 3rd period, Stewart scored again for Colorado, and then at 19:28, Joe Pavelski tied the game 5-5 with a goal. At 5:22 into the first overtime period, Setoguchi scored the game-winning goal.
In Game 3 on April 18 at the Pepsi Center, the Avalanche won 1-0 in overtime. The Sharks came back again to win Game 4 on April 20 by a score of 2-1 in overtime. Dan Boyle scored a San Jose power play goal 1:12 into the 1st period. Colorado countered with a power play goal by center Paul Stastny 3:27 into the 2nd period. It took a game-winning goal by Pavelski 10:24 into overtime to pull the Sharks past the Avalanche.
In Game 5 on April 22 at the HP Pavilion, the Sharks blanked the Avalanche 5-0. At 8:25 into the 2nd period, center Logan Couture scored a goal, and at 10:21, Pavelski scored a power play goal. At 15:30, center Dwight Helminen scored a goal. In the 3rd period, goals were scored by Couture at 10:37 and by Marleau at 13:24, the latter on the power play.
Finally, in Game 6 on April 24 at the Pepsi Center, the Sharks beat the Avalanche 5-2 to send the “Avs” packing. Just 0:47 into the 1st period, Pavelski scored for San Jose. The Avs then scored twice to take a 2-1 lead. Right winger Marek Svatos scored 6:14 into the 2nd period, and then 4:51 into the 3rd period, Brandon Yip scored. The Sharks then took over and never looked back. Boyle and Pavelski scored at 7:33 and 9:02 respectively, and then Setoguchi and defenseman Douglas Murray added 2 empty-net goals.
The Western Conference Semifinals were a 5-game clash with the Detroit Red Wings, and the Sharks prevailed. In Game 1 on April 29 at the HP Pavilion, the Sharks beat the Red Wings 4-3. At 9:05 into the 1st period, Pavelski scored a power play goal, Dany Heatley scored at 10:01, and then at 10:24, Setoguchi scored a power play goal. At 11:40, right winger Dan Cleary scored for Detroit. Left winger Johan Franzen scored a Red Wings goal 4:45 into the 2nd period. Just 0:50 into the 3rd period, Pavelski scored another power play goal. Defenseman Brian Rafalski’s goal for Detroit at 2:57 wasn’t enough.
In Game 2 on May 2, the Sharks beat the Red Wings 4-3. Center Pavel Datsyuk scored a Detroit goal 6:51 into the 1st period, and then at 9:01, Pavelski scored a power play goal. At 10:32, Clowe scored, and then Detroit countered with a power play goal by left winger Tomas Holmstrom at 13:17. At 2:00 into the 2nd period, defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom scored for Detroit. At 4:40 into the 3rd period, Pavelski scored a power play goal, and then Thornton scored the game-winning goal at 12:37.
Joe Louis Arena hosted Game 3 on May 4, and the Sharks won 4-3 in overtime. Holmstrom scored for Detroit 13:33 into the 1st period, and then Cleary scored for Detroit at 18:37. At 19:56, Setoguchi scored for San Jose. At 1:42 into the 2nd period, left winger Henrik Zetterberg scored for Detroit. At 6:42 into the 3rd period, Thornton scored for the Sharks, and Couture tied the game with a goal at 13:17. Marleau scored the game-winning goal 7:07 into the first overtime period.
In Game 4 on May 6, the Red Wings crushed the Sharks 7-1. However, the Sharks eliminated the Red Wings with a 2-1 win in Game 5 on May 8 at the HP Pavilion. At 2:40 into the 2nd period, Rafalski scored for Detroit, and then at 4:54, Thornton evened the score with a power play goal. It took a game-winning goal by Marleau 6:59 into the 3rd period to knock out the Red Wings.
The 2009-2010 San Jose Sharks didn’t have enough bite to overcome the firepower of the eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, as the Sharks were swept out of the Western Conference Finals 4 games to none. Despite this outcome, the Sharks remained a serious contender for the Stanley Cup as the 2010s began.
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