SAN JOSE – Few NHL teams need some time away from the rink more than the San Jose Sharks.
In their last game before the league pauses its schedule to hold the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Sharks gave up three goals in a lopsided first period. They never fully recovered in an 8-3 loss to the playoff-bound Dallas Stars on Saturday before an announced sellout crowd of 17,435 at SAP Center.
After taking a 2-1 lead on goals by William Eklund and Fabian Zetterlund, the Sharks allowed goals to Jason Robertson and Mason Marchment 3:16 apart to fall behind for good, as they went on to lose for the 10th time in the last 11 games.
Sharks goalie Vitek Vanecek was under siege early on as he faced 16 shots in the first period. In his second NHL start since sustaining a fractured cheekbone in mid-December, Vanecek allowed eight goals on the first 31 shots he faced as his record this season fell to 3-9-2.
The eight goals the Sharks allowed were the most they’ve given up in a home game this season.
The game marked the first for Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci back in San Jose since the Sharks traded them to the Stars on Feb. 1. Granlund and Ceci, both pending unrestricted free agents, were traded by the Sharks to the Stars on Feb. 1 for two 2025 draft picks, including a first-rounder.
In three games with the Stars before Saturday, Granlund had two assists and was averaging 18:11 in ice time, and Ceci, filling in for the injured Miro Heiskanen, had one assist and was averaging 21:36 in ice time.
Saturday, Granlund had two assists in the first period, with one on Duchene’s first goal at the 3:02 mark and Marchment’s goal at the 13:24 mark, giving the Stars a 3-2 lead.
Dallas is now 2-1-1 since the trade, and the Sharks are 0-2-1. The Stars, who advanced to the Western Conference Finals each of the last two seasons, entered Saturday in second place in the Central Division standings.
“Just go out there and play. No time to think about anything,” Granlund said of jumping into Stars’ lineup immediately. “So it’s been good. It’s a really good group, really good team that’s had some success lately. It’s obviously easy to jump into a really good team. … It’s been a pretty easy transition so far.”
Before Saturday’s game, Ceci said he planned to join some Sharks players on a trip to Hawaii.
“My whole break is planned with the other side,” Ceci said about the trip, which was planned well in advance.
“It is quick to turn around and play your old team. But I’ve been on a number of teams now, and that just kind of happens in the game. So you just try and stay focused and focus on your own game.”
The Sharks aren’t scheduled to practice again until Feb. 18. Their next game is Feb. 23 against the Calgary Flames, the opener of a seven-game road trip that lasts until March 6, the day before the NHL trade deadline.
Source: Paradise Post
