SAN JOSE – Lower than a minute after scoring the tying purpose, the San Jose Sharks gave up the game-winner to Pius Suter with 25.7 seconds left in a 3-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday evening.
The Canucks managed the puck contained in the Sharks zone earlier than Conor Garland dug it out of the nook and fired it to an open Suter, who wired an ideal shot previous Mackenzie Blackwood for his second of the sport and fourth of the season.
“It’s a gutting approach to lose,” Sharks defenseman Jake Walman mentioned. “We battle again, and it’s in our fingers, and we simply gave it away.
“I might have stopped that play (on the game-winning purpose), and I’ll take accountability for that.”
The Sharks had an opportunity to tie the sport as time expired, however Fabian Zetterlund fanned on a shot try after William Eklund fed him within the slot in entrance of the Canucks internet.
With the loss, the Sharks fell to 2-1-0 on their five-game homestand and missed an opportunity to increase their profitable streak to 4. The final time San Jose gained 4 straight video games was at first of the 2021-2022 season when it beat Winnipeg, Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto.
Earlier than the ultimate minute, the Sharks virtually despatched the sport into extra time.
Down a purpose and with the additional attacker on, Mikael Granlund scored with 1:17 left in regulation time to tie the sport 2-2.
However the ensuing breakdown inside their very own spoiled any such hopes.
“We’ve obtained to learn to win,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky mentioned. “After we play in sure conditions, we’ve got to grasp what’s going on within the hockey recreation. We can’t have the mind lapses that we’ve got, the road adjustments that we’ve got, the puck play that we’ve got and assume we’re going to win hockey video games on this league.”
The Sharks killed two penalties within the third interval but additionally missed on two energy play alternatives within the late going. It proved expensive, as simply 36 seconds after an interference penalty to Filip Hronek expired, Jake DeBrusk beat goalie Blackwood to present Vancouver a 2-1 lead.
Similar to Suter’s second purpose, puck administration points, particularly in their very own finish, proved lethal to the Sharks.
“It’s about digging in additional and being extra aggressive in these conditions,” Warsofsky mentioned. “The main focus degree’s obtained to go up, so we’ve go to be taught from it.”
The Sharks had been outshot 9-3 within the first interval however opened the scoring for the Sharks within the second.
The Sharks had the puck contained in the Canucks zone as Sturm changed Will Smith on a line change.
With the puck close to the boards to the correct of the Vancouver internet, Sturm despatched a move to the slot for Luke Kunin, whose shot was stopped by goalie Kevin Lankinen. However Sturm pounced on the juicy rebound and scored his second of the season previous an outstretched Lankinen on the 2:37 mark.
The Sharks had alternatives within the second interval to increase their lead, together with a breakaway probability for William Eklund, whose try to go five-hole after a rush up the wing on the 14:25 mark was stopped by Lankinen.
Only a few seconds later, the Sharks turned it over inside their very own zone after a forecheck by Garland. The redirected puck got here proper to the slot, the place Nils Hoglander handed it again to Suter for his third purpose of the yr on the 14:41 mark.
Whereas the Sharks had been driving a three-game profitable streak, the Canucks had been coming off a 6-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 30.
Throughout their streak, the Sharks got here again to beat Utah 5-4 in extra time final weekend, then started their homestand with wins over Los Angeles and Chicago.
The Canucks have owned the collection with the Sharks because the begin of the 2019-2020 season.
Within the final 4 seasons they’ve been in the identical division, San Jose went 2-10-3 vs. Vancouver whereas being outscored 79-39. That included a 10-1 loss to the Canucks on Nov. 2, 2023.
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