Follow me on Twitter:
@BenShelley_20
Follow HockeyBuzz Sharks Twitter:
@HB_Sharks
The San Jose Sharks dropped their second home game against the Calgary Flames in just three days, losing 7-3 last night.
Mario Ferraro returned to the lineup, with Jaycob Megna being scratched as a result, while Oskar Lindblom got back into action with Tomas Hertl suspended.
The Sharks found themselves down right away, with Tyler Toffoli burying a pass from Dillon Dube only 15 seconds into the game. Then only another 15 seconds after that, Dube got one for himself off a turnover by Erik Karlsson, and it was 2-0 just 30 seconds into the game, in pretty much the worst start imaginable for the Sharks. Despite San Jose being completely outshot for the first 15 minutes of the game though, they did manage to get one back with about five minutes to go in the period, with Nico Sturm capitalizing off a Flames’ turnover. Then right after scoring, we saw Sturm drop the gloves with Brett Ritchie, with San Jose showing some life near the end of the frame.
In the second period though, Calgary once again took over most of the period, outshooting San Jose by a 12-5 margin. Then midway through the period, Trevor Lewis reinstated the three-goal lead, burying a rebound from the high slot. However, the Sharks once again managed to pull things back to within reach near the end of the frame, as Alexander Barabanov scored off a broken play with under a minute remaining in the period, making it a one-goal game again.
The Sharks actually did manage to draw even about four minutes into the third period, with Timo Meier ripping a shot past Jacob Markstrom, making it a 3-3. However, when a chance to take the lead off an odd-man rush midway through the frame was denied, Calgary went right back the other way, with Nazem Kadri getting in alone in-close to beat Reimer, putting the Flames back ahead. While the Sharks did press a bit, with only about three minutes left, Milan Lucic put a shot on goal that ramped off Reimer’s stick and in, which basically sealed the deal. The Flames added an empty netter after that, along with one more goal from Kadri that Reimer barely reacted on, as the Sharks fell 7-3.
The Sharks were probably lucky to be in the game by the third period (especially after the start they had), being outshot by a 2-1 ratio through 40 minutes. We saw way too many defensive breakdowns leading to quality chances, though Reimer’s performance in the third period also left something to be desired.
Mario Ferraro took on a big role right away in his return, playing over 19 minutes. While Ferraro is a fairly steady presence though, he alone isn’t going to help a ton when turnovers are coming as frequently as they do with the Sharks.
Not having Tomas Hertl available didn’t help, but it’s the defensive errors that stood out more than any missed offense.
In other news, Luke Kunin is also out for the rest of the season, following ACL surgery. While Kunin didn’t necessarily take the step the Sharks were likely hoping for, it’s still a blow to San Jose’s offense.
Kunin is a solid middle-six forward and through 31 games with San Jose, he scored five goals and 13 points, a pace of 34 points per 82 games.
San Jose’s final game before the break comes tomorrow, when they wrap up their brief homestand against the Minnesota Wild.
OTHER ARTICLES FROM DECEMBER
Sharks come up short against Maple Leafs, fall 3-1
Sharks give up three power play goals, lose 5-2 to Senators
Sharks fall to Sabres in final game of road trip for third straight loss
Ranking the Sharks’ offseason additions based on their play this season
Sharks beaten by Canucks in overtime for fourth loss in a row
Eetu Makiniemi earns win in first NHL start, Sharks beat Ducks 6-1
Sharks fall to Kings in shootout but point streak extends to four games
Sharks collapse against Flames, Tomas Hertl suspended 
San Jose Sharks Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»