"The Sharks power play is in a downward spiral that has dropped it to 19th in the NHL, and a significant drop in production by captain Joe Thornton is a big part of the reason. Thornton scored 33 points on nine goals and 24 assists when San Jose had the man advantage last season. This year, he has one goal and seven points in 44 games -- a pace that would have him finishing with 20 fewer points than in 2010-11. "I think Jumbo would like to have more production there, and he's the focal point. It's his power play," coach Todd McLellan said Friday. "It runs through him, but there are other pieces in the mix, and they have to be productive." A San Jose power play that finished second in the NHL with a 23.5 percent success rate last season is currently putting the puck in the net only 16.9 percent of the time. And since Dec. 23, that number is a more troubling 11.4 percent as the Sharks have gone 5 for 44. McLellan and his staff have been tinkering along the way, hoping for improvement. But before the Sharks headed to Vancouver for the start of three-game tour of Western Canada before the NHL All-Star break, the coach said he was ready to try something new to spark Thornton and the special teams unit: Breathing room." Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/sharks/ci_19784700
