The San Jose Sharks, 8th in the Pacific Division at 14-30-6, face a season marked by missed opportunities.
They’ve endured 15 one-goal losses and six ‘close’ games decided by empty-net goals that stretched leads to two. By ‘close’ measures, that’s 21 games that could have been wins for the Sharks.
Most recently, the Sharks blew a 4-1 lead in their 7-5 collapse to the Nashville Predators, surrendering six unanswered goals.
Macklin Celebrini opened up scoring for the Sharks in an electric four-goal first period. Celebrini now has 14 goals in 38 games. Defenseman Cody Ceci and forward Wiliam Eklund picked up assists.
Luke Kunin, last scoring Dec. 23, netted a wrist shot to put the Sharks up two, with Ceci assisting again.
Mikael Granlund scored against his former team with a slapshot assisted by Will Smith and Fabian Zetterlund. Granlund leads the Sharks in points with 40 (14 goals and 26 assists).
Nashville’s Tommy Novak scored on a wrister, set up by passes from Luke Schenn and Zachary L’Heureux.
Defenseman Jake Walman scored his sixth goal of the season, assisted by Alex Wennberg, making it 4-1, Sharks.
Nashville pulled Juuse Saros after the Sharks’ exciting four goals in the first 20 minutes of play.
In the second, Team Teal slowed down with only five shots, compared to the Preds who logged 18 SOG.
Granlund’s snapper on the power play, assisted by Eklund and Celebrini, put the Sharks ahead 5-1. That would be the last significant effort from Team Teal.
Music City dominated the rest of the scoring, outperforming the Sharks for the remainder of the game.
On a Sharks penalty kill, Nashville’s Fedor Svechkov and his wrister got by goaltender Alexandar Georgiev. Colton Sissons and Novak earned assists.
Less than a minute later, Justin Barron put Nashville within two. Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault assisted on the play.
In the third, the Sharks continued to be outshot, out-hit, and out-blocked. Less than a minute in, Marchessault’s wrister, assisted by Steven Stamkos and Adam Wilsby, cut the Sharks’ lead to one.
Nashville mainstay Roman Josi scored a power play slap shot to tie the game. The defenseman’s goal was assisted by Forsberg and Marchessault.
Nick Blankenburg secured a lead, with Novak and Marchessault adding more points on the scoresheet.
Sealing the deal was Forsberg’s empty-netter from Josi’s assist. Final score, 7-5, Nashville.
Goaltender Yaroslav Askarov did not start in net after playing the previous night in the Sharks’ 6-3 loss to Boston.
Alexandar Georgiev started instead, marking his fourth appearance in the last five games. While Georgiev managed 34 saves, his second-highest total this season, his allowance of six goals stained his otherwise solid performance. Georgiev has posted a 1-3-0 record, a 4.04 GAA, and a .879 save percentage in his last four starts.
Before facing Nashville, Jake Walman told NBC the Sharks must “stay in the moment” and play a full 60 minutes. Ironically, the Sharks were outshot nearly doubly 41-24 after 60, failing to sustain offensive pressure when it mattered most.
This marked the Sharks’ sixth game where they were within one goal before an empty-net goal sealed their defeat. In just two of those six, Georgiev was in net, so clearly goaltending is not the only issue. Defensive breakdowns and lack of offensive pressure continue to cost them in key moments.
It’s worth noting Sharks’ leading scorer Tyler Toffoli (17) is day-to-day with an injury, last playing January 16. Since Toffoli’s absence, the Sharks have suffered bigger-margin losses, including a 4-1 (Islanders) defeat and a 6-3 (Bruins) setback.
Despite the second season sitting last in the league, the Sharks show flashes of promise. Young talents like Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and William Eklund make Team Teal exciting and fun to watch again. Young players consistently contribute to the score sheet, showing potential, but significant challenges remain for the rebuilding Sharks.
With the March 7 trade deadline upcoming, it could shake up the roster again.
Fan-favorite defenseman Mario Ferraro has been mentioned in trade rumors. Given his consistency, leadership role, and impact with fans, his loss would be significant for San Jose. Ferraro’s heavy minutes and consistency make him a top-three defenseman for the Sharks, despite his eight-point total. Frequent trade talks also surrounded him last season, but no deals materialized.
Fellow defenseman workhorse Cody Ceci is also an eligible trade candidate. Ceci has playoff experience, and has 14 points in 50 games with the Sharks this season.
In other recent moves, the Sharks claimed Walker Duehr off waivers from the Calgary Flames on Wednesday. Sharks also traded Justin Bailey for Pavol Regenda from the Anaheim Ducks, though these seem to target AHL roles. San Diego Gulls, AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks, reported Bailey will join them.
The question now is which teams will pursue any eligible Sharks on the trade block.
With 50 games played and 32 remaining, the Sharks have room to grow as they prove ‘The Future is Teal.’
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Featured image courtesy of San Jose Sharks on NHL.com
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