Sharks Losing Streak Extends to 8 Heading into 2025

2025 New Year’s Resolutions 

The Sharks skid continues, as San Jose dropped their 8th game in a row on New Years Eve. While it seems likely for the Sharks to continue padding the number in the loss column, it’s important to go into the New Year with a positive outlook. Instead of looking at the second losing streak of at least 8 games this season negatively, the Sharks’ New Year’s resolution for 2025 should be to nail another draft pick, which very well could be No. 1 overall again this year. 

Macklin Celebrini’s opening shot hitting the post foreshadowed that tonight wouldn’t be the Sharks night as San Jose struggled to capitalize scoring chances all night while allowing the Flyers to cash in on theirs. Frankly, since 2020 it hasn’t been the Sharks’ years, but with another high draft pick looming, this is a friendly reminder that “The Future is Teal,” not the present. 

Blocked Shots

The Sharks struggled all night moving the puck and sustaining any pressure in the offensive zone, largely due to Philadelphia’s adept shot blocking. The Flyers racked up a staggering 20 blocked shots to the Sharks 11, 17 of which coming before the third period started. Every time the Sharks looked like they were finally moving the puck setting up a prime scoring chance, their shot on net seemed to hit a Flyer in front of the goal, ricocheting to another player in white who quickly disposed of the puck. You miss 100% of the shots that don’t reach the net. 

Missed Goalie Opportunity

The Sharks struggled so mightily to put pucks on net, it didn’t matter who was in net tonight, San Jose wasn’t scoring. Literally. Coming into the game, the Flyers had the league’s worst .876% save percentage and it didn’t matter that the Flyers replaced starting netminder Samuel Ersson with Aleksei Kolosov to open the third period due to injury. The Sharks were shutout because of stagnant offense and missing a key offensive player.

Despite losing a lot of their games, the Sharks have felt like they were in most of them until the end, but tonight was not one of those nights. Seeing the strife San Jose operated under on offense, the game felt over when Travis Konecny buried a one-timer 8 seconds into their power play at 13:44 of the second period.

WIlliam Eklund’s Absence

Any team feels the negative impact after losing their second leading scorer, but the Sharks especially missed William Eklund who provides a playmaking ability that is thin on the roster. Celebrini and Mikael Granlund are still performing at an excellent clip and Will Smith is getting better each night, but outside of that the Sharks are struggling to generate offense. Eklund was placed on IR earlier today, erasing a massive scoring chunk from their lineup. With the offensive ability on the roster, the Sharks need all their playmakers if they want to put up points, and unfortunately had to suit up without one of their best. 

The Sharks look to change their frustrating vibes by Christening 2025 with a win when they welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning to the SAP Center on January 2.