Sharks coach credits Jones for team's 8-game winning streak

It's arguably the most important position in sports, so it should come as no surprise that San Jose Sharks head coach Pete DeBoer thinks goaltender Martin Jones deserves much of the credit for his team's eight-game winning streak.

"We wouldn't be where we're at and we sure wouldn't have an eight-game winning streak (without him)," DeBoer said, according to NHL.com's Tracey Myers. "He's been our best player a lot of nights here the last month and that's where it starts. When you get goaltending like that, you have the confidence to take a few more chances offensively, and it usually leads to a few more goals. He's been great."

On Monday night, the club rattled off its eighth straight win with a shootout victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. San Jose now sits comfortably in second in the Pacific Division.

The Sharks have earned six of their eight wins against non-playoff teams, so with games against the likes of the Nashville Predators and the Vegas Golden Knights on the horizon, DeBoer knows their upcoming road trip will be a real test.

"You look at our schedule, the opponents we have coming up are all quality, quality teams," DeBoer said. "We've done a good job of banking the points we should regardless of how it looks. It was an important two points to start this trip."