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This was not a game that a playoff team would lose.
That’s just my opinion about the San Jose Sharks’ 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators. The obvious response? Well, this isn’t a playoff team.
So we can look at this defeat in the prism of this is a game that a future San Jose team might not blow.
Of course, it’s crazy to even be talking about the post-season with a Sharks squad that hasn’t been over .500 this “late” in the season since 2021-22. It’s the first time since that year that we’re legitimately talking about real victories and not just moral victories.
These weren’t the only mistakes in a game where San Jose struggled after a strong opening frame. But each of the Senators’ three goals were caused by unforced Sharks’ errors.
Philipp Kurashev took an unnecessary retaliatory penalty on Jake Sanderson, after a hard-but-clean Sanderson hit, leading to a Dylan Cozens power play goal.
The top line of Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and Kurashev changed early twice, resulting in a Fabian Zetterlund strike and Tim Stutzle’s game-winner.
On the Stutzle goal, I know fans are out for blood with John Klingberg for his failure to clear the puck in the crease after the initial Alex Nedeljkovic save, but I think that’s crazy, that’s a bang-bang play, not an obvious structural problem like the 2-on-0. Because there were no forwards back, Klingberg and Shakir Mukhamadullin were basically left on an island.
“Very immature,” San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky said about this loss, adding, “very uncompetitive when it came to puck battles, as well.”
We’ll see how the Sharks respond tomorrow against the Boston Bruins.
Warsofsky, on the Fabian Zetterlund and Tim Stutzle goals:
You can’t change. Two goals, we shouldn’t have changed.
Warsofsky, on the San Jose Sharks power play:
We’re just disconnected. We got the one. You would think that would get us going, but we ad lib a lot of things, and that makes us unconnected, and you don’t have success when [you’re] that.
Warsofsky, on Sharks’ effort tonight:
Very immature, very uncompetitive when it came to puck battles, as well.
Smith, on how his line’s line changes could be better:
Just got to time it more. We got put [the] other line in a tough position there when their D have the puck and they’re coming at us pretty fast…we just got to put them in a better spot.
If it was a deeper puck [in their zone], it would probably have been a little better. We change when their D have the puck, just kind of puts the other line in a bad spot.
Smith, on how it feels for himself and the other youngsters on the team to know that Ryan Reaves has their backs:
I can’t say enough good things about him. He’s been awesome for this team, and he brings a great energy. We all love him.
Klingberg, on what he saw on the Tim Stutzle goal:
I’m a D, I got to know what’s going on behind me, but I’m thinking it’s a 1-1-3, so I’m gapping up on Stutzle, and then they pass it, and there’s a breakaway 2-on-0 behind me. I gotta realize that a lot quicker.
And then, Ned obviously makes a huge save. I get stuck with my stick in his pad. Otherwise, I’m clearing that on the goal line, but yeah, I just got stuck in his pad.
Goodrow, on how the San Jose Sharks’ unforced errors doomed them tonight:
Too many errors. Not enough O-zone time. Breakouts, not connected enough, and we were spending way too much time in our end.
When we play the way we’re capable of, we follow the game plan, it looks good on the ice. When we’re not doing that, losing puck battles and off on our own page, it will look like that.
Zetterlund Gets Revenge, Scores in Sharks’ 3-2 Loss to Sens
NBC allowed the very knowledgeable and entertaining Drew Remenda back on the television broadcast.
The Sharks are not the most talented team, perhaps they can improve by doing better on the forecheck. Perhaps they need a better forechecking strategy.
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