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SAN JOSE -- Sure, Rob Blake spent time with the Colorado Avalanche.
It was among those four-plus seasons he won a Stanley Cup title.
Still, when you think of Blake patrolling the blueline through NHL rinks, it's as a member of the Los Angeles Kings, the franchise that drafted him way back in 1988 and where he spent nearly 13 full seasons.
And that makes it strange to see him wearing teal for the California rival San Jose Sharks.
"Yeah, being a team from the same division where I spent the most part of my career and the rivalry you have being another California team, on that aspect, it is a little different," admitted Blake as he unlaced his skates following yesterday's morning session. "But when I looked at teams where I could fit in and help, San Jose was a good fit."
Good fit? Try perfect fit.
For Blake -- and the Sharks.
There are so many obvious reasons the Sharks entered last night's meeting with the Calgary Flames atop the NHL's standings.
Captain Patrick Marleau appears to be back on top of his game after a surprisingly disappointing season a year ago.
Joe Thornton leads the offensive attack, mainly with his deft passing skills.
You've got breakout sniper Devin Setoguchi, all-star defenceman Dan Boyle, top-rate goalie Evgeni Nabokov and on and on.
One of the keys bringing it all together is Blake.
The veteran blueliner may have celebrated birthday No. 39 a little more than a month ago, but he still has great game.
It's like he's been rejuvenated following a couple of down seasons back in L.A.
"It doesn't feel any different than the past couple of years. but when you play on a good team, good things happen. You come to the rink every morning, and there's a smile on your face," said Blake, who'd collected 29 points (7-22-29) this season before facing the Flames.
"With five losses in regulation compared to last year -- we probably had 25 at this time -- it's a big difference and it changes the mentality when you approach every game."
Of course, the way the Sharks play the game helps, too.
One of the league's most prolific clubs, their offensive attack involves a huge amount of input from the defencemen.
Blake, who still can skate and move the puck with the best of them, can't help but relish the way his team creates chances.
"It's a style, I think, a lot of guys want to play. Whether you're a forward or a defenceman, it's a high-tempo pace," he said. "The reason it looks like the defence is responsible for a lot of the attack is the way the forwards push the pace.
"You'll see our guys get into the zone, and when they pull up, there's room for the defencemen to jump in. It's a system you want to play. It's fun and it's rewarding."
Making his decision to leave the Kings for a one-year, US$5-million deal with the Sharks feel right.
"I looked at a lot of older guys and the decisions they made near the end of their careers as to where they wanted to go," he said. "You look at Larry Murphy and Chris Chelios, guys who surrounded themselves with a good team where they could fit in. That's what I looked for here."