Numbers are dancing around the San Jose Sharks like some scene out of "A Beautiful Mind.''

	Evgeni Nabokov has had a subpar season after missing the first seven games due to a contract impasse.

First, there's the 1-6-0 record from their season-long seven-game road trip, which ended Monday with a 3-2 defeat against the Los Angeles Kings.

Then, there's the penalty-killing numbers that place them at the bottom of the league.

Then, there's the daunting task of figuring just what it will take to get this team into the playoffs.

If you figure that the eighth place team in the West needs at least 90 points to continue into the postseason, the Sharks would have to go 18-4-1 over their remaining 23 games just to hit the contention level. If you think they might need more than that (92 points, maybe), then a smart accountant will tell you they can't afford more than three losses for the rest of the season.

Those kinds of figures will clear your mind.

"We're well aware of the numbers," said veteran Mike Ricci. "You try to ignore them and concentrate on game to game, but, yeah, you stop and look sometimes and see what it will take."

What it will take, it seems, is a miracle.

A miracle that is not in this year's team.

"Last year, this team found ways to win games," new coach Ron Wilson said. "This year, we're finding ways to lose them."

That theory has been on display in this hope-dashing trek through the Midwest. The Sharks were up 2-0 on Minnesota and blew it in the end -- a 4-3 loss.

They played one of their best offensive games of the year against Detroit and lost 5-4. They followed that with no goals against Columbus in a 1-0 loss.

"We play great and then one play just beats us," said winger Todd Harvey, whose team is 8-13 in one-goal games. "We're not shirking responsibility; we're the players that are making it happen. But it just seems like every mistake we make comes back to hurt us."

And that's a sentiment that can be shared throughout the organization. GM Dean Lombardi knew he had to walk a fine line this summer with a handful of players.

He played a little bit of hardball with Teemu Selanne, allowed him to test the free agent market and then signed him at a cut in pay. That move worked.

He played a little bit of hardball with Brad Stuart, knowing the defenseman was injured and probably couldn't play early in the season anyway. That move was a wash.

And he played a little bit of hardball with goalie Evgeni Nabokov, knowing he had a capable backup in Miikka Kiprusoff ready to step in. That move backfired in a huge way. Kiprusoff flopped, the team got off to a slow start, and Nabokov has been mediocre since signing in October.

Technically, you could say Lombardi made only one mistake this season. The problem is it was a big one.

And now, the questions are coming from all around whether it's time for major changes. Do they trade captain Owen Nolan? Do they consider deals for Vincent Damphousse or Adam Graves or Bryan Marchment? Do they tear down a team that was built solidly over 400 games just because of the last 58?

Numbers, numbers, numbers. They sag on the score sheet; they soar on the balance sheet. This team was supposed to win now. This was a team looking for the missing piece when it found defenseman Kyle McLaren. Now, it's looking to unload salary. What's more, missing the playoffs will hurt the bottom line and make Lombardi check it even closer when he's looking to make more offseason improvements.

Then again, maybe it's time to move out a few high-priced veterans. Maybe it's time to restructure a little.

"As players, we don't make decisions, but we certainly understand them," Damphousse said. "When you don't win, things change. We understand that."

Still, the numbers on paper seem so promising. Like an economic theory broken down to formula, the Sharks are supposed to be winners. They have size and speed and skill. They have a mix of veterans and youth. They have built this team over time and have convinced half of the experts in the league they can win a Stanley Cup.

And yet … well, one insider put it this way: "They've only won two playoff series in the past five years, so what have they built, really?"

And maybe that's the X-factor that can't be accounted for. Maybe that's the variable that messes up the whole formula. Maybe this team is just a paper Shark, built to look good but lacking something deeper.

There will be much dissection as the season draws to a close. Expect them to throw out the numbers.

Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.