Fairly simply, the San Jose Sharks’ least favourite matter of dialogue because the begin of coaching camp has been any point out of final season once they hit all-time low and completed with the worst report within the NHL.
“Last year was last year,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky mentioned Friday morning earlier than his workforce’s recreation in opposition to the Winnipeg Jets. “We’re completely on to this season and this group.”
That could be true. However earlier than the Sharks can sit up for Sunday’s dwelling recreation in opposition to the Colorado Avalanche, they should handle the 2 stinkers they simply performed to complete their first highway journey of the season.
As a result of these video games most positively had the identical unhealthy aroma as most nights featured final 12 months.
After sleepwalking by the primary interval in what turned a 4-2 loss to the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, the Sharks have been simply as unhealthy – if not worse — in opposition to the playoff-contending Jets.
Earlier than some followers had settled into their seats at Canada Life Centre, the Sharks have been down a aim as Josh Morrissey’s blast from contained in the blue line received previous {a partially} screened Mackenzie Blackwood.
Three minor penalties later, the Sharks have been down by three targets and did not decelerate the onslaught in an 8-3 loss to the Jets, dredging up some unhealthy reminiscences in what was simply San Jose’s most lopsided lack of the season.
Requested in regards to the gradual begins, Sharks middle Nico Sturm mentioned, “That’s on each individual. Obviously, we’re professionals, so you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to prepare for games.
“We’ve had team skates in the morning. We’ve had optionals. It really makes no difference. You’ve got to be ready when the puck drops, whether you go to bed at 9 p.m. the night before or stay up till (3 a.m.) playing video games. Nobody really cares, as long as you’re ready. It’s taken us half the game, both in Chicago and here tonight, to be ready.”
Warsofsky was requested if there was any subject with the workforce’s preparation for video games, particularly the night time earlier than.
“No,” the coach shortly responded.
Regardless, the Sharks took seven minor penalties for the second straight night time, and for the third straight 12 months, they’re winless of their first 5 video games.
“The truth is, we did take a big step back these last two games set up,” Sturm mentioned. “I thought we were really, really good the first three games with the season. We looked really good in Dallas on the road against a Stanley Cup contender, and then we took two massive steps back these last two nights.
“And it felt a lot like last year.”
The Sharks (0-3-2) may take some solace of their performances in losses to St. Louis, Anaheim, and Dallas to start out the season, video games determined by a mixed 4 targets.
However these good vibes are gone, for now, because the hard-to-play-against mantra the Sharks are attempting to instill was principally nowhere to be present in Chicago and Winnipeg.
The Sharks have been with out Macklin Celebrini (lower-body damage) for the final 4 video games. On Friday, they have been additionally with out forwards William Eklund (upper-body damage) and Will Smith (upkeep day).
Whereas Celebrini hasn’t skated once more since his lone recreation on Oct. 10 and remains to be thought of week-to-week, Smith figures to be in Sunday’s lineup. The query mark is Eklund, one other key a part of the Sharks’ offense, who is taken into account day-to-day.
All of it pressured Warsofsky to do some critical line juggling for Friday’s recreation (like his predecessor needed to do final season when accidents took their toll).
However the Sharks’ greatest subject in opposition to the Jets wasn’t the offense. Moreover the penalty issues, which resulted in 4 power-play targets, the Sharks have been far too informal in their very own finish, permitting the Jets quite a few scoring possibilities throughout 5-on-5 play.
Pure Stat Trick has the Jets with 32 scoring possibilities at even power and simply 13 for the Sharks. The Sharks gave up a median of 27.2 scoring possibilities per recreation final season on their option to that putrid 19-54-9 report.
“Too much time and space,” Warsofsky mentioned. “(The Jets) obviously had a really good game plan, and for the most part, we’ve done a really good job in our D zone of cutting the motion down and stopping pucks up.
“But at times, we’d stop a puck up, and then we just couldn’t make the next play. So you’re back in D-zone coverage again. So that was big, big part of it.”
The Sharks have talked about closing out performs faster within the defensive zone and have performed to that id with some success within the first three video games. However there’s clearly work to do earlier than Sunday, or this season dangers spiraling uncontrolled like final 12 months’s did with a 0-10-1 begin.
“The first three games, there was some confidence in our power play, in our penalty kill, and 5-on-5, you look up and down the bench, there was a good mojo in the locker room,” Sturm added. “There was confidence within the group, amongst each other, and these last two games felt a lot like last year, honestly.”
Initially Printed: October 18, 2024 at 10:38 p.m.
