Mikael Granlund is red hot, and the San Jose Sharks are reaping the benefits.

Mikael Granlund is red hot, and the San Jose Sharks are reaping the benefits.

He has nine points (2 goals, 7 assists) in his last four games. He was named NHLPA Player of the Week for his success.

On Thursday, he scored his 500th career point on his overtime goal against the Detroit Red Wings. He has become a staple of the Sharks top-six forward group.

Granlund plays with Fabian Zetterlund and Anthony Duclair, the Sharks' most productive line lately. Duclair has three goals and two assists over the last five games. Zetterlund has two goals and one assist in the same span. 

The line has created chemistry in a hurry. All three forwards get the luxury of playing behind Tomas Hertl. Hertl is red-hot and has the attention of every opposing team's top defensive pair, leaving Granlund's line a better matchup.

"We don't have a smarter player than Granlund," Sharks coach David Quinn told SJHN's Sheng Peng. "He shoots it off the back wall, and it goes to Hertl, and goes in the back of the net." 

Yet again, the Sharks' goalie coach, Thomas Speer, was at the helm of a pre-scout. Speer noted that the boards at Little Caesars Arena are lively, and Granlund used them to set up Hertl's game-tying goal. 

Speer's knowledge of goalies and arena tendencies is helping more than just the goaltenders. 

Granlund dealt with an injury earlier in the season and is fully healthy. Now comfortable with his new teammates, he can sauce passes to Duclair with the best of the NHL. 

Duclair called that pass "A top 3 pass I've ever gotten for a goal in my career."

"I just got the puck, and I was planning to shoot it, but then I was like, no, maybe not," Granlund said. "I just saw him out there, and [it was] a really good shot by him. It's just one of those things that is my strength. I try to make good passes."

Granlund's passes are smart and timed perfectly. William Eklund's overtime goal against the New York Islanders is a perfect example.

Granlund drives the center lane after dropping it to Eklund, thus creating more space for the shot and a screen on the goalie. 

Who could forget his fantastic coast-to-coast goal against the Vancouver Canucks for his first as a member of the Sharks? 

With Granlund and Hertl producing at a high level, the Sharks have a terrific one-two punch down the middle. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's San Jose Sharks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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