There are a lot of flashy explanations for the San Jose Sharks' success.
Tomas Hertl has emerged as one of the game's best rookies, with his combination of skill and size making him a great fit with Joe Thornton. There has been Brent Burns' successful transition to forward. The addition of Tyler Kennedy continues the San Jose trend toward speed that general manager Doug Wilson started at the trade deadline last season. The increase in speed is so noticeable that one reader compared the Sharks to the Oregon Ducks football team in Friday's mailbag.
The Sharks haven't lost in regulation, the last team in the NHL this season to have that distinction. They have a goal differential of plus-24, which is more than the combined total of goals the Rangers and Flyers have scored all season.
All these trends and developments were suggested to a Western Conference scout who recently saw the Sharks play as explanations for their success, and he glossed over them. What impressed him most was a more subtle development, one that could keep the Sharks rolling into (and hopefully through) the postseason.