Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Understanding Joe Thornton

04/29/2016 at 8:40am EDT

from Kevin Allen of USA TODAY,

Even when DeBoer wasn’t with the Sharks, he viewed Thornton as the solution. He never tied San Jose’s postseason inadequacies, which included losing in the first round to the Los Angeles Kings in 2014 after a 3-0 series lead, directly to Thornton.

“It’s a misconception,” DeBoer said. “When you hear that, and when you are around Joe Thornton, you realize how ridiculous it is. This guy is exactly what you want in your dressing room and on the ice if you are trying to win a championship.”

Thornton’s regular-season scoring rate is .98 points per game and his playoff scoring rate is .75 points per game. But most of the game's stars, including Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, see their production decrease in the postseason when checking is more relentless.

From 2006-12, a period when the Sharks were suffering from annual postseason disappointment, Thornton registered 69 points in 79 playoff games. He had a goal and two assists, and looked strong, in the five-game first-round triumph against the Kings. San Jose begins its series with the Nashville Predators on Friday night (10:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN).

“The fact that he hasn’t won (a championship) has nothing to do with him or the effort he puts in,” DeBoer said. “I don’t think he could be a better leader or example or have more passion for winning. He’s just one of those guys whose stars haven’t aligned yet.”

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Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

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