Walman: Sharks are 'changing the culture' with stronger play

San Jose Sharks defenseman Jake Walman believes Tuesday's narrow loss to the Winnipeg Jets is a sign his club is trending in the right direction.

"We're changing the culture around here," Walman said, per San Jose Hockey Now. "Whether it's this game, games to come, or this year, next year we're changing the culture. We're building something that's a winning mentality and it's going to take everybody to do it and we're kind of on the same page. Teams shouldn't take us lightly, but for sure in the future I think we're really going to turn this thing around."

The Sharks squandered a late lead to fall 4-3 to the Western Conference leaders, marking San Jose's fifth defeat in six games following a three-game win streak.

"There's going to be a lot of games like that, and I hope we go through a lot of games like that where it's battling with a top team." Walman said. "Kind of gotta show everybody what we've got."

The Sharks lost their first nine games of the season but are 11-11-3 since. That's the eighth-best record in the Western Conference over that span and 18th best overall.

"I think we've come a long way, but we're still not there yet, obviously," head coach Ryan Warsofsky said.

San Jose acquired Walman from the Detroit Red Wings over the offseason for future considerations. The 28-year-old has transitioned seamlessly, slotting in on the Sharks' top defensive pairing while recording 24 points in 29 games.