Joe Thornton has been a staple in the San Jose Sharks lineup since the day they traded for him, but for a long time, he wasn’t the only one.
As most people know, he and Patrick Marleau seemed inseparable for years as part of the Sharks core and leadership group. The one thing most people didn’t know was how inseparable they were – to understand that we have to go back to 2004. The purpose of going back that far (Nearly 14 years), is that was when a ridiculous streak started for the Sharks.
That streak ended last night. With Joe Thornton out of the lineup for the first time this season and Marleau playing with the Maple Leafs, last night was the first game that the Sharks have played without both Thornton and Marleau in their lineup since January 21, 2004.
Unfortunately for Sharks fans, Thornton will be out for a while. He had surgery on his knee yesterday, and the timeline for recovery is still kind of unclear.
This is a first look at what the Sharks of the future will look like as the leadership roles transfer fully to their younger core players like Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture.
