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Bylsma: Sharks are NHL’s best, ‘with all due respect to Chicago’

Patrick Marleau Joe Thornton

San Jose Sharks left wing Patrick Marleau (12) celebrates his goal with enter Joe Thornton (19) during the scone period of an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks in Vancouver, British Columbia, Monday, Jan. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward)

AP

Call it the Thursday tire pump.

In advance of tonight’s big tilt with the Sharks, Pittsburgh head coach Dan Bylsma offered some high praise to the visitors from San Jose.

“With all due respect to Chicago, [San Jose] is the best team in the league right now,” Bylsma said on Thursday, as per Pens Inside Scoop. “They way they come at you, the way they play -- I think [they’re] the best team in the league.”

San Jose currently sits second in the NHL in points (43), one back of first place Chicago but with two games in hand. In an ironic twist, it was a deflating loss to the ‘Hawks that kickstarted the Sharks’ recent hot streak -- following a 5-1 loss at the United Center on Nov. 17, San Jose has ripped off six straight victories, including Tuesday’s 4-2 win over Toronto.

The victory over the Leafs started off the Sharks’ road trip well. They’ll continue on through Pittsburgh (tonight), Carolina (Friday) and Minnesota (Sunday) before returning home for a pair -- then it’s back onto the road through Nashville (Dec. 14), St. Louis (Dec. 17) and Los Angeles (Dec, 19, though it really isn’t much of a road game.)

The Sharks have been getting contributions from all over lately, but the captain is really leading the charge. Joe Thornton has goals in three of his last four and now has 30 points through 27 games, leading the team while putting him in a tie for eighth in NHL scoring.

Thornton is on pace for 91 points this season, which would be his highest total since scoring 96 with the Sharks in 2007-08.

Related: Malkin (lower body) to miss tonight’s game versus Sharks