Sutter back in the `Shark tank’

Tonight’s game is a bit of a homecoming for Darryl Sutter, who coached in San Jose from 1997-2002. Even if Sutter was the sentimental type — one doesn’t exactly get that impression — this game wouldn’t really call for any special sentimentality. Sutter has been back to San Jose a number of times in the past nine years, as coach and general manager of the Calgary Flames, including two playoff series. So, not surprisingly, Sutter didn’t put much extra emphasis on his return to Northern California with the Kings.

SUTTER: “No. Quite honestly, no. I think I’ve been here enough, and we’ve been through enough with San Jose and the Flames, in the playoffs and all those things. It’s a long time. But still, the best part is coming back and seeing people, outside the game, that you see (here). That’s still the best part.’’

From the other side of it, though, Sharks coach Todd McLellan said he is prepared to face a “motivated’’ Kings team, one with a new coach…

MCLELLAN: “With that coach having some ties to San Jose, I’m sure they will want to play for him. In the same breath, we should be matching that, because of our poor effort in L.A. about three or four weeks ago. We weren’t very good. We were outworked and outbattled for two complete periods. We fought back in the third, but it was too little, too late. So I expect two motivated teams to come out and play hard going into the break.’’

McLellan was also asked for his impressions of the Kings in last night’s game against Anaheim.

MCLELLAN: “I thought they played hard. They’re a hard team to play against, and I think Terry established that there. I think he did a very good job. They’re big bodies and the protect pucks well. I saw that from them again last night. You have to be a miracle worker, really, to completely overhaul a team’s system in one practice. So I didn’t see a lot of systematic changes, but didn’t expect to. I think that, with a new staff, that happens over time. So we’ll worry about our game. We know they have some tendencies that they like to play toward. Perhaps, next time we play them, we’ll see a completely revamped team, but I don’t think we’ll see that yet, in fairness to their new coaching staff.’’