SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The San Jose Sharks never were closer to that elusive Stanley Cup title than they were last season when a long playoff run ended two wins short of a championship.Even with the core of that team back for another shot at the Cup, the Sharks know they have a long road ahead if they want to take that next step.The tough part is you dont get to start where you ended last year, coach Peter DeBoer said. You have to start right at the bottom of the mountain again and start climbing.No team in the past eight seasons has made it back to the final after losing the previous season. But at least the Sharks return all of the players who carried the team last season.High-scoring captain Joe Pavelski and playmaking center Joe Thornton will once again anchor the top line, do-everything center Logan Couture should be healthier after missing 30 games last season and shutdown defender Marc-Edouard Vlasic anchors a strong blue line with the dangerous Brent Burns.Thrown in goalie Martin Jones, who was stellar in his first full season as a starter, and the experience gained from that long playoff run and the Sharks are confident heading into the season.Weve been there, we didnt get what we wanted, forward Patrick Marleau said. We have a better understanding of what it takes to get there and how much more youll have to give to get that ultimate goal.Here are some things to watch for with the Sharks this season:HERTLS HOME: Tomas Hertls game took off last season when he was moved to a wing on the top line with Thornton and Pavelski. Hertl struggled to produce points when he centered his own line but could get another shot this year. If Hertl can play third-line center, the Sharks will have some of the best depth down the middle of any team with Thornton, Couture and Chris Tierney also at center. That will provide a boost against other top teams and help avoid the mismatches that hurt San Jose against the deeper Penguins in the final.DEFENSIVE DEPTH: The Sharks have top defensive pairs in the defensive-minded Vlasic and Justin Braun and the more offensively inclined Burns and Paul Martin. It was the third defensive pair of Brenden Dillon and Roman Polak that was exposed at times in the postseason, especially in the final. The signing of David Schlemko to replace Polak gives the Sharks a better puck mover on that pairing and could help Dillon boost his production.He fits where the game is at and where its going, general manager Doug Wilson said. The ability to get the puck up the ice, get it up to the hands of our forwards is important and we feel like Schlemko certainly helps in that area.FAMILIARITY: The Sharks took a few months to find their stride in DeBoers first year as coach and were near the bottom of the Western Conference in January. But they were one of the top teams after that and hope that can carry over for a faster start this season because of their familiarity with the system.You can just go out there and kind of react as opposed to last year youre learning and learning new bodies into systems, a new foundation, forward Joel Ward said. So hopefully the foundation is there from last year.YOUTH BE SERVED: The Sharks are hoping for a spark from a few young players fighting to crack the lineup at forward. Barclay Goodrow, Nikolay Goldobin and Kevin Labanc are among the players who could get a look early. Timo Meier, a first-round pick in 2015, was expected to make the biggest impact but will miss the start of the season after getting mononucleosis during training camp.BACKUP GOALIE: While Martin Jones proved he could carry the load in his first season as an NHL starter, the Sharks would like to find a capable backup to ease Jones workload. He thrived late in the season after James Reimer was acquired at the trade deadline. Aaron Dell, who spent last year in the AHL, will get the first shot as Jones backup this season. http://www.saintsrookiestore.com/Saints-Manti-Teo-Jersey/ . The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrators decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season. http://www.saintsrookiestore.com/Saints-Archie-Manning-Jersey/ . -- Ryan Blaney provided more evidence that Penske Racings No. http://www.saintsrookiestore.com/Saints-Sam-Mills-Jersey/ . Newcastle dominated in the early stages but City weathered the storm and then raised its game in extra time. Negredo broke the deadlock from close range after a simple move in the 99th minute before Dzeko took the ball round goalkeeper Tim Krul to seal the victory in the 105th. http://www.saintsrookiestore.com/Saints-Cameron-Jordan-Jersey/ . Fellow centre Pavel Datsyuk remains out because of a concussion. Zetterberg has 11 goals and 19 assists for a team-high 30 points, and Datsyuk has a team-high 12 goals and 11 assists. http://www.saintsrookiestore.com/Saints-Drew-Brees-Jersey/ . That gave fans outside Joe Louis Arena another chance to ask for autographs from the 19-year-old whose stardom in the NHL has arrived earlier than most expected. Choice of game I was visiting India for a month-long break and had timed my vacation such that I could attend the Mumbai Test. Wankhede Test are generally quite entertaining as the pitch offers something for everyone and the game moves quite fast. England had won their previous two Tests here and India was on the verge on another series win. All this offered a tempting prospect to watch the game.Team supported Being an Indian, I was supporting India but all I wanted to see was a contest between bat and ball and a hard-fought day of Test cricket. And both the teams didnt disappoint.Things I would have changedThere are two things in particular that I would have changed. First being the heat. Despite being December, temperatures in Mumbai are still well in the late 20s and as the day went on, the sun was beating straight down at the Sunil Gavaskar stand making it very uncomfortable. The seats in the stadium are not the most comfortable either and that added to the uneasiness.But more importantly, I would have changed the way Alastair Cook used Adil Rashid in the first session. After removing Cheteshwar Pujara early, England had a great chance to attack with the legspinner when both M Vijay and Virat Kohli were looking to settle in. Instead, Moeen Ali bowled a fairly ordinary 10-over spell allowing them to get set for the long haul. By the time Rashid was brought in, Vijay had reached his ton and Kohli was beginning to dominate the bowling. He got just five overs in the first session and the tactics were baffling.Key performer India had lost Pujara off the second ball of the day while still trailing by 254 runs. They ended the day with a lead of 51. Between the third ball of the day and stumps, Virat Kohli had stitched together yet another mature century proving again how he has lifted his long-form game. It was a near chanceless knock filled with sparkling strokes and astute defense defying the English bowlers throughout the day. He was also the crowd favourite and had been welcomed with loud cheers which only increased as his innings progressed.Wow Moment This has to be the moment Virat got to his ton. The crowd had come to watch him bat and he didnt disappoint. There were deafening cheers as he moved swiftly through the 90s and chants of Vi-raat-Virat filled the stadium. Virat got a well-deserved standing ovation after reaching his hundred and it felt like we had got our moneys worth.Face-off I relished Rashid vs the Indian middle order. After picking Vijay, Rashid had beguun to trouble the Indian middle order with his leg spin.dddddddddddd Every now and again, he would get one to grip the surface and beat the outside edge or the googly would miss the inside edge to strike the pad. He may not have got the wickets to show for his effort, but he kept a lid on the scoring which brought wickets from the other end. The afternoon session saw some gripping cricket between Rashid and Kohli and while Kohli emerged the winner, Rashid could have easily run through India on another day.Shot of the day There were a few contenders for this. Virats slap pull off Stokes in the 69th over which also took him to 1000 test runs in 2016, Vijays lofted drive over Andersons head in the 77th over and Virats rasping off drive in the 131st over. But one shot that stood out was the boundary Virat hit just after reaching his ton in the 121st over. Jake Ball bowled a full wide delivery which Kohli dispatched with a classy square drive. What made the shot great was his hand-eye coordination which accounted for the lack of footwork. The ball sped across the turf in no time and beat the man sweeping on the off-side boundary. It was also a statement of what was to come.Crowd meter The crowd at the Wankhede was energetic throughout the day. The day started with a few pairs of Punjabi drummers in North, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar stands playing the drums which made the crowd dance. There was never a dull moment as the crowd cheered every single run with the loud vuvuzela. If there was a lull in the game, Mexican waves were performed to keep everyone on their feet. One of the waves lasted seven rounds and it was wonderful to watch and be a part of.No Wankhede Test goes without chants of Sachin-Sachin and this one had its share too. The crowd also showed their admiration for Mumbai Indians player Jos Buttler as he was fielding at the fence by applauding and cheering him on. All-in-all the crowd made it a great experience just as much as the cricket did.Overall Indias dominance in the first session, Englands comeback in the second and Indias fightback in the final session made this an intriguing day of Test cricket. Virat and Vijays tons and the celebrations in the crowd at every milestone made it a highly enjoyable day, one which I will remember very fondly. The chants of Virat-Virat are here to stay for a very long time.Marks out of 10 8.5 Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Discount Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Baseball Jerseys Free Shipping Cheapest College Jerseys Sale Cheap Football Jerseys China Nike NFL Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys From China MLB Jerseys Outlet Canada Wholesale NBA Jerseys Canada Store Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap Authentic Jerseys Canada ' ' '