Avalanche 4, Sharks 0: As road trip nears end, “It’s time to man up”

DENVER — Sure, the Sharks’ game against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday is important in terms of the Western Conference standings. But with the Sharks now nine points out of a playoff spot with 31 games left to play, getting back into postseason contention at this stage doesn’t seem realistic.

It is vital, though, for the Sharks to play well in their last game before the bye week and reestablish some of the identity they had started to form under interim coach Bob Boughner in recent weeks.