Five key ingredients for the Sharks to summon a longshot playoff push – `

Four points out of eight during a four-game stretch that included trips to three of the top-four teams in the league is a success for most clubs in the NHL.

Playing and competing the way the Sharks did during their four-game trip before the All-Star break, winning in Washington, losing in overtime to Florida and Tampa Bay, yielding a late game-winning goal in regulation against Carolina — being within a goal , tied or leading for every minute of the road trip against those opponents — should be a success for teams trying to claw their way to a playoff berth.

Add in who was missing from the lineup, and who was playing through obvious injuries, and San Jose’s journey east for its toughest road trip of the season was a belief-creating, relaxed room-coalescing experience. A short-handed team played its collective tails off.

“We regrouped,” Sharks captain Logan Couture said, noting that people outside the team might have expected the group to play poorly on the trip after a 7-1 loss at home to the Lightning. “There’s a lot of belief in that room that we can play with anyone. It’s almost too bad there’s a break right now, because we are feeling good about our game.”

Despite all of that, the time for feeling good about the process despite some tough losses is running short, at least for the 2021-22 season. While the Sharks did play well on the trip, San Jose is further from a playoff berth today than when they left for Washington two weeks ago. And the Sharks could be even further away when they resume play after the All-Star/non-Olympic break Feb.