Sharks current record: 9-18-3 (.350)
Sharks projected record: 27-52-3 (.350)
NHL record for worst season in 82-game history: 14-57-11 (.238)

The Sharks Sterility Stare gets a fresh update this weekend, since we went into person to see the San Jose Sharks host the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night, and the resulting West Side Story on ice did not disappoint. The home team won the game, 2-1, with a late third-period, power-play score. Sandwiched around two 1-goal losses last week, including one in the overtime shootout against the defending champs, it was fun.

Turning the corner is good, and nothing demonstrates this more than the fact the Sharks are no longer the “worst” team in the NHL season: with 21 points in the standings, they are above the Anaheim Ducks (20 points) and the Chicago Blackhawks (19) in the Western Conference. Yes, both those teams have a game in hand on San Jose at the moment, but it’s still a nice moment for the fans and players to see the Sharks rise.

Let’s take a peek, too, at that loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday evening in Sin City: the defending champions top all tables with 45 points right now, and in the third period, San Jose was down 2 goals with less than 4 minutes remaining in the game. But the young Sharks put 2 in the net over the last 3:45 of the game to tie it up and send it to overtime, where they forced the defending champs into the dicey shootout.

That’s impressive: if San Jose can hang with the defending champs/best team in the league right now on the road? It can beat anyone. This is one of those confidence-inspiring losses that can change a season on a dime. Hence the resulting gritty win at home against Winnipeg, one of the better teams in the conference right now. Sure, the Jets started their backup goaltender, but that’s standard in the league; it was a big home win.

Last night, the Sharks dropped a 1-0 decision against the Arizona Coyotes on the road, and this means San Jose is now 5-2 in 1-goal games, including 0-2 on the road. The team will get better as the season goes on, and the need for this weekly check-in piece will diminish—which is exciting for Sharks fans, of course. We won’t stop reporting on the team, either, because it gives us something light and breezy to write: that’s fun.