The San Jose Sharks are winless at 0-5-2, sitting last in the Pacific Division as the NHL’s only winless team.
October 17 at Chicago Blackhawks
The Sharks lost 4-2, struggling with discipline as they allowed seven power plays. Despite winning the majority of faceoffs, the penalty kill lost momentum. Team Teal’s own power play went 0-for-3.
Back-to-back vs. Winnipeg Jets
San Jose suffered a blowout loss against Winnipeg, 8-3, exposing their penalty-killing weaknesses. The Jets went 4-for-7 on the power play, while the Sharks were outshot 36-22. Winnipeg dominated the Sharks in both power play efficiency and overall offense.
October 20 vs. Colorado Avalanche
Though the Sharks lost 4-1, they improved defensively, winning the shots battle 26-22. William Eklund scored the Sharks’ lone goal on the power play, a bright spot in an otherwise tough game.
October 24 at Anaheim Ducks
Team Teal continued to struggle with discipline, allowing the Ducks to convert two of six power plays in a 3-1 loss. Despite showing more physicality with a 22-15 hit advantage, their lack of anticipation was costly.
Player Performance Highlight
Defensemen Jake Walman and Cody Ceci continue to log heavy minutes for the Sharks’ blue line. Walman is averaging 23:27 TOI per game, with Ceci not far behind at 22:19.
Forward Tyler Toffoli leads the Sharks with seven points (four goals, three assists) and holds a minus-one rating overall. Mikael Granlund is also key in generating the bulk of the offense, especially on the power play. Granlund has one goal and six assists, and is averaging 21:41 TOI per game.
Struggles
The Sharks’ struggling penalty kill and frequent penalties are hurting their chances of winning. In the loss to Anaheim, Will Smith took a tripping penalty just ten seconds after Granlund tied the game.
Anaheim scored on the power play, and Smith struggled again on the penalty kill later, leading to more defensive issues. The 19-year-old is off to a slow start, but moments like these could serve as learning experiences.
Ceci reiterated post-game, telling the press, “We’ve been in the box a little too much. That comes with defending too much. When you’re always defending, you do tend to take more penalties. Definitely something we need to clear up and clean up going forward.”
Goaltenders Mackenzie Blackwood and Vitek Vanecek have been solid in net, but the team’s struggles have them on their heels. Vanecek has a 3.14 GAA and an .884 save percentage, making 84 saves over 4 games. Blackwood posts a 4.09 GAA and .896 save percentage across 4 games, making 121 saves but still winless.
Both tendies have been facing too many high-danger chances and not getting enough defensive support.
Sharks continue to look for their first win of the season against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. In their last 10 meetings, the Kings hold a 7-1-2 record against the Sharks, presenting a tough challenge ahead.
You can “Like” The Game Haus on Facebook and “Follow” us on X for more sports articles like this one.
Featured image courtesy of NHL on NHL.com
“From Our Haus to Yours”