Sharks burned by familiar issues in loss to Ducks, are now NHL’s last winless team
The number of penalties the San Jose Sharks have taken in the first two weeks of the regular season borders on the ridiculous.
The number of goals they’ve scored is downright dreadful.
Again, the Sharks had way too much of one and not enough of the other Tuesday in a 3-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, extending their winless skid to seven games before an announced sellout crowd of 17,174 at Honda Center.
With the Nashville Predators beating the Boston Bruins 4-0 earlier Tuesday, the Sharks (0-5-2) are now the last winless team in the NHL.
Two of the penalties they took against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday were particularly costly.
The Sharks allowed power-play goals to Troy Terry and Leo Carlsson, with Will Smith serving tripping penalties on both occasions, with Carlsson’s marker at the 5:36 mark of the third period proving to be the winner.
With the Ducks moving the puck around the Sharks’ zone, Cutter Gauthier got a shot on goal that goalie Mackenzie Blackwood stopped. But Carlsson scooped up the rebound in front of the net and beat Blackwood for his third goal of the season.
The Ducks’ first goal also came in the second period, as Terry came through the neutral zone, crossed the blue line, and fired a shot that beat Blackwood high to the glove side at the 6:56 mark of the second period.
“Obviously, can’t take those types of penalties, the stick penalties,” Sharks coach Ryan Warosfsky said of Smith. “He’s got to move his feet in certain areas. I thought he did some good things tonight. That was his best first period that I’ve seen him play. So he did some good things, but obviously he can’t take those penalties.”
Carlsson’s goal came just 41 seconds after Mikael Granlund scored a power-play goal for the Sharks off assists from forward William Eklund and defenseman Jack Thompson, with the rookie Thompson collecting his first NHL point.
Alex Killorn scored an empty net goal with 1:51 left in the third period to seal the win for Anaheim. Smith was bodied off the puck after he came across the Ducks blue line, and Killorn picked it up and fired it 150 feet into the empty Sharks net.
The Sharks were shorthanded six times Tuesday — draining energy and momentum — and have been down a man or more 35 times this season. That’s the most after seven games for any Sharks team since 2009-10 when they were shorthanded 36 times.
“Penalties hurt and we couldn’t find a way to win the hockey game,” Granlund said. “It’s been a story and we’ve just got to find a way to get on the other side of these games and get the win.”
The Sharks continue their four-game road trip Thursday in Los Angeles. They will then play in Las Vegas on Saturday and Utah on Monday.
The Sharks have scored 12 goals in seven games this season and eight goals in their last six games without injured rookie center Macklin Celebrini, who will be out for at least another two weeks with a hip issue.
“We have practice (Wednesday) and we get back to work. That’s all you can do, go day-by-day,” Granlund said. “It’s not easy to lose, we all know that. But at the same time, we’re only seven games in, so let’s just keep going and show up to practice.”
In the last four games, the Sharks worn-down penalty-killing units have allowed nine power-play goals.
That was only half of it. Aside from Granlund’s goal, it was another frustrating offensive night for the Sharks.
Danil Gushchin and Luke Kunin both took turns hitting the crossbar. A remarkable toe save by Lukas Dostal denied Smith his first NHL goal. A tipped shot by Barclay Goodrow slid through the blue paint but hit the post.
Blackwood finished with 37 saves, and Dostal had 27 saves, 10 days after he had 30 saves in Anaheim’s 2-0 win over San Jose at SAP Center on Oct. 12.
Both Gushchin and Kunin hit the crossbar on odd-man rushes in the first period. Smith on another 2-on-1, was denied by Dostal, who stretched his right leg to deny the Sharks rookie center on a backhand to forehand move.