Sharks Outmatched by Stars in 5-2 Loss

The San Jose Sharks failed to replicate the magic from their previous win where Macklin Celebrini scored an overtime winner against the Detroit Red Wings as they ran into a buzzsaw Dallas Stars team Wednesday night. 

The Sharks loss wasn’t for a lack of effort, which was apparent until the end, but rather a lack of discipline and skill. 

This game served as a litmus test for the progress the Sharks have shown in their play this season compared to last. The final score shows a respectable 5-2 score padded by two empty net goals. Compared to nightmarish final scores from last season, the Sharks demonstrating growth by not giving up touchdowns every other night or the occasional double digit goal mark. 

The Sharks suffered a couple early penalties that disrupted any evidence of offensive flow for San Jose. Henry Thrun took the first penalty, firing the puck out of play for delay of game, and Klim Kostin showed why he’s been scratched this season with a terrible open ice tripping penalty, slew footing Logan Stankoven. Thankfully the Stars forward avoided injury. 

Jason Robertson opened the scoring at 15:13 of the first period after the Sharks failed to clear the puck from their defensive zone, giving the Stars another chance to score. 

The Sharks later failed to score on a power play of their own, and San Jose killed another penalty taken by Thrun, this time for high sticking. 

During Thrun’s second penalty, a William Eklund pass led Mikael Granlund on a breakaway where he fought off a vicious Roope Hintz back check and beat Jake Oettinger to even the score short handed.

The first period ended with the Sharks stealing momentum courtesy of their second short handed goal of the season, but once the puck dropped in the second, the Stars snatched it right back. In just 55 seconds, Wyatt Johnston scored a beautiful goal on a great pass from Robertson. 

Ryan Warsofsky had to have been thankful to only trail by a pair heading into the third as the Stars dominated the second stanza. 

The Stars extended their lead to 3-1 when the Sharks suffered a defensive breakdown at 10:56. Jamie Benn snuck into the slot while both Sharks defenders chased the puck behind the net  leaving the Stars captain wide open in front to bury a prime scoring chance. 

In the third period, the Sharks strung together more scoring chances maintaining pressure in the Dallas zone for longer durations. San Jose even made it a one goal game at 13:25 when Jake Walman took a Granlund pass across the slot where the San Jose defenseman picked the corner, beating Oettinger glove side. 

28 seconds later, the Sharks were gifted a power play and a chance to tie the game when Mason Marchment was sent to the sin bin for delay of game. Unfortunately, the Sharks were denied again on their third and final power play and two empty netters by Dallas put the game on ice. 

Overall, we knew the Sharks weren’t going to win a lot of games this year, but they are far more competitive and have shown they can comeback in games when that was essentially an impossibility last season. 

Warsofsky’s influence can be seen on the ice each night as his group doesn’t roll over when they have a deficit, they truly grind out a full 60 minutes of hockey driven by effort. On the bright side, Warsofsky is reinstalling a competitive fire in the team and definitive progress is being made. 

As the Sharks are approximately a quarter through the season, they are on pace for roughly 64 points, which still doesn’t sniff a playoff spot but is a remarkable boost from last year’s abysmal 47 point season. 

This season, the Sharks aren’t just playing better hockey, but they are far more fun to watch. Once the Sharks inevitably get another lottery pick at the end of this season, look for the next season to build on momentum established this year. Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith will be better, some more prospects will break in and learn the NHL game, and the Sharks will take another step back to contention. 

The future is bright for the Sharks, and there have been tremendous signs of improvement this year. They just have to keep competing for a full 60 minutes, learn from their mistakes, and San Jose will be fighting for the playoffs in no time. 

In the meantime, the Sharks travel to St. Louis to take on the Blues tomorrow before returning home to play the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday where they will retire franchise legend and Celebrini’s housemate Jumbo Joe Thornton’s number 19 into the rafters at SAP Center before puck drop.