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SAN JOSE — As much as several Sharks players respected Pete DeBoer and other members of his coaching staff, they feel it might have been time for a change.
“Probably, yeah,” said center Joe Thornton, who will be playing in his 1,600th career NHL game Thursday when the Sharks host the New York Rangers. “I love Pete. Pete’s a fantastic coach. He took this team to where it’s never been before. Nothing but heavy respect for Pete.
“But it might have been time for a new voice.”
A day after DeBoer and assistants Steve Spott, Dave Barr and Johan Hedberg were let go by the Sharks (15-16-2), the team went through their first full morning skate Thursday led by interim coach Bob Boughner and his staff with Roy Sommer, Mike Ricci and Evgeni Nabokov.
Sommer has been the coach of the Sharks’ AHL affiliate for the last two decades, and Ricci and Nabokov have worked in player development with the Barracuda in recent years.
“It’s a different perspective, but I don’t think they were the problem,” Brent Burns said of DeBoer and his staff. “We did a lot of good things together, but we’ve got to get it fixed.”
The Sharks entered Thursday on a five-game losing streak, in sixth place in the Pacific Division and five points back of the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. They begin a critical seven-game homestand this evening against the Rangers.
Boughner addressed the Sharks’ leadership group Thursday morning before practice.
“Hopefully it gets us on the winning track,” Thornton said. “I think we have high expectations in this room and they haven’t been met so far. So hopefully we can get back to winning some games.”
“It’s on all of us in this room,” Sharks captain Logan Couture said. “When something like that happens, pro sports is such a what have you done for me lately business. As a player, when a coach loses their job, you feel you’re part of the reason why.”
This is the first time many longtime Sharks players have been through a midseason coaching change
“You put hockey aside. As a human being, you’re upset you’re not going to be able to work with that group anymore and see them every day,” Couture said. “I talked to most of them and just told them that I had so much fun coming to the rink and playing for you guys.”
During their morning skate, Boughner made some adjustments to the forward lines. Most notably, Tomas Hertl was playing as a winger on the second line with Thornton and Kevin Labanc. Hertl has primarily played as the second line center the last two seasons, and Thornton has mainly been the third line center.
The top line had Couture with Evander Kane and Timo Meier, and the third line featured Barclay Goodrow at center with Patrick Marleau and Joachim Blichfeld on the wings. Blichfeld, recalled from the AHL on Thursday morning, is making his NHL debut after he led the Barracuda in points (19), goals (nine) and power-play goals (three).
“We’re going to change some things up, system-wise,” Couture said.. “I think (Boughner) is a guy — and Pete was the same way — guys want to play for him, guys loved playing for him.”
DeBoer had expressed on multiple occasions earlier this season the need for the Sharks to have four forward lines that could continually put pressure on opposing teams. There remain concerns about the Sharks’ depth up front, regardless of the changes made behind the bench.
“(DeBoer) gave this group everything that he had,” Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson said. “Unfortunately, we have not lived up to the standards that we had for ourselves, and the first thing to happen in a situation like this is that the coach is forced to leave. That’s kind of where we’re at.”
