Better effort, same result as Sharks’ trip to Prague ends in frustration
The Sharks made things more competitive in the second game of the NHL’s Global Series in the Czech Republic but still couldn’t keep up with Nino Niederreiter and the Nashville Predators.
Niederreiter scored twice, including the go-ahead goal midway through the second period as the Predators handed the Sharks a 3-2 loss Saturday to sweep the two-game series at O2 Arena in Prague.
Luke Kunin scored his first goal with the Sharks on the power play in the first period and Logan Couture added an even-strength goal at the 4:45 mark of the second period to give San Jose a 2-1 lead.
But longtime Sharks nemesis Filip Forsberg scored a wraparound goal at the 6:29 mark of the second period to tie the game, and Niederreiter gave the Predators the lead moments after he came out of the penalty box.
Joining an odd-man rush after serving a boarding penalty, Niederreiter took a nifty pass from Eeli Tolvanen past a sprawled-out Sharks defenseman and beat goalie Kaapo Kahkonen at the 12:13 mark of the second period for his third goal of the season.
The Sharks outshot the Predators 15-3 in the third period but couldn’t get the equalizer, as San Jose fell to 0-2-0 to start the season for the second time in five seasons.
Niederreiter also scored Friday in the Predators’ 4-1 win, as the Sharks have now lost six straight games to the Predators since the end of the 2019-2020 season. Niederreiter signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Predators as a free agent in July.
The Sharks had an opportunity to tie the game early in the third period but could not capitalize with Jeremy Lauzon serving an interference penalty, and are now 1-for-7 with the man advantage in two games. San Jose is also 7-for-7 on the penalty kill.
The Sharks’ next two games are in San Jose, as they host Brent Burns and the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday and the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. Before the game with the Blackhawks, the Sharks will honor Doug Wilson, the team’s captain from 1991 to 1993 and general manager from 2003 until earlier this year.
As part of the ceremony, a banner will be unveiled at SAP Center, detailing Wilson’s contributions to the team as a player and executive.
Along with playing Kahkonen, Sharks coach David Quinn made other lineup changes, inserting Jaycob Megna for Scott Harrington on defense, and winger Evgeny Svechnikov for Noah Gregor.
Also, Oskar Lindblom was moved from the second line to the third line, and Steven Lorentz was promoted from the fourth line to the second line with Couture and Labanc. Lorentz assisted on Couture’s second-period goal, as that line created nine scoring chances through two-plus periods.