SAN JOSE – A powerful second-period comeback by the San Jose Sharks went for naught Friday as a pricey turnover by goalie Yaroslav Askarov resulted in a go-ahead aim by Liam O’Brien and gave the momentum again to the Utah Mammoth, who went on to a 6-3 win at Delta Middle.
The Sharks had been badly outplayed within the first interval, however erased a 2-0 deficit on second-period objectives by Tyler Toffoli and Jeff Skinner. However late within the second, Askarov went behind his internet to play the puck after it had been despatched into the Sharks’ zone, couldn’t management it, and a forechecking O’Brien was there to take management and rating his first aim since April 17, 2014, the Arizona Coyotes’ closing recreation.
Nick Schmaltz scored early within the third interval to finish the hat trick, and Michael Carcone and Clayton Keller later tacked on extra insurance coverage objectives at hand the Sharks their fourth straight loss to start out the season.
Macklin Celebrini scored his first aim of the season on the 16:51 mark of the third interval to chop Utah’s lead, however, naturally, didn’t have fun as San Jose stays the final winless staff within the NHL. The Sharks host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday at SAP Middle.
Askarov completed with 28 saves for the Sharks (0-3-1). Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic will doubtless get the beginning in opposition to the Penguins (3-2-0).
Askarov’s mistake on Friday was harking back to Nedeljkovic’s puck-handling adventures within the Sharks’ season-opening recreation in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights. Nedeljkovic couldn’t cease a lob shot by Jack Eichel into the Sharks’ zone that tied the sport late within the third interval, and he turned the puck over in time beyond regulation, which led to a 4-3 Vegas win.
Skinner and Toffoli scored 1:50 aside within the second interval.
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Toffoli’s aim got here on the Sharks’ first energy play, as Dmitry Orlov took a move from Will Smith and fired a shot that Karel Vejmelka saved, however Toffoli was there to assemble the rebound and rating his second of the season from brief vary.
Skinner’s aim, his third of the season, got here on the 7:13 mark. He despatched a backhand move to the entrance of the web supposed for Macklin Celebrini, however it as a substitute went off Mammoth defenseman Ian Cole and previous goalie Vejmelka to the sport.
Askarov was making his second begin of the season and was trying to bounce again from a 7-6 loss to the Anaheim Geese on Oct. 11, during which he made 37 saves.
It didn’t begin properly; the Sharks had been down 2-0 to the Mammoth after the primary interval and had been most likely a bit lucky that the rating wasn’t extra lopsided.
Defensemen Nick Leddy and Dmitry Orlov took tripping penalties one minute aside within the first interval. Schmaltz, with time from the bumper place, scored on the 5-on-3 as he took a move from Logan Cooley and beat Askarov with an ideal shot contained in the far publish for his first of the season on the 9:39 mark.
Lower than 4 minutes later, the Sharks turned the puck over from behind their internet. Orlov tried to ship a brief move forward to Collin Graf, however the puck wound up on Clayton Keller’s stick, and he shortly despatched a nifty move to the entrance of the web to Schmaltz, who had sufficient time to settle the puck down, flip round, and hearth a shot previous Askarov on the 13:31 mark.
Initially Printed: October 17, 2025 at 8:35 PM PDT
