This season, under new coach Todd McLellan (pictured here), the Sharks have been equally successful, winning 16 of their first 20 games.
So what's different about this season compared to last?
Says San Jose center Jeremy Roenick, who recently played in the 20th game of his 20th NHL season:
"There's more of a level of seriousness from the coaches this year. Even if we're winning, we still get some heated meetings. Like, 'You guys better pick this up, because if we let it creep in now, it's going to hurt us later.' They don't let anything slide."