While the San Jose Sharks won back-to-back games against the Philadelphia Flyers and the Edmonton Oilers, they continued to be outshot. Tuesday’s game against the Flyers saw Sharks outshot 39-19 and Thursday’s Oilers matchup outshot 41-18.
On Friday the Vegas Golden Knights delivered a 5-0 win over the Sharks, ending a short-lived winning streak. Again, San Jose was outshot 39-20. This was Team Teal’s third shutout loss of the season. Three of the five goals came from the Stanley Cup Champs’ blue-liners.
“Our number one problem was we just didn’t end plays. We got to people and they had way too much time,” Coach David Quinn said, “If you can’t end one-on-one’s you’re gonna have a hard time. That certainly was, in my mind, the story of tonight.”
Friday’s game also saw changes in the lineup with left winger Anthony Duclair out due to illness. He is also expected to be out against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday. The winger has five points in 13 games.
Tomas Hertl and Mikael Granlund were the shot attempt leaders for the night.
Post-game, Granlund spoke to where the team is offensively, “As a team we haven’t been scoring a lot obviously, so hopefully we can figure that one out.”
If the Sharks had more goal scorers they might be in a different position, or even in the hunt.
After the Vegas loss, Quinn spoke on Granlund’s offensive ability, “I know statistically it’s not what he wants but I’m pretty confident he’s going to get going here.”
The Sharks conclude their short road trip with the last NHL game of the evening on Sunday versus the Ducks. Then it’s back to The Tank for two games at home against the St. Louis Blues and the Vancouver Canucks.
The Canucks are fourth in the NHL Power Rankings and it will be their second of four meetings with the Sharks. (San Jose is last in the rankings). In their previous matchup the Sharks suffered an embarrassing 10-1 loss.
Going into Sunday’s game Fabian Zetterlund and Hertl will likely be on the first line with William Eklund. Zetterlund has two goals in his last five games and six points in his 14 games played. Hertl is team leader with seven assists and two goals in 14 games.
Defenseman Jacob MacDonald was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday.
The Sharks are 2-11-1 and eighth in the Pacific Division.
Radio play-by-play announcer Dan Rusanowsky will receive his award for the 2023 Foster Hewitt Memorial Trophy on November 13 in Toronto, Canada.
The award was first presented in 1984 for the “Voice of Hockey” Foster Hewitt. Rusanowsky’s career as the Sharks “voice” has spanned over three decades beginning in 1991.
He will be inducted with a plaque by the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Great Esso Hall in downtown Toronto.
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Featured image courtesy of NHL.com
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