SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks game on Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights carried with it all the pomp and circumstance — and the hope – that’s usually associated with a season-opener.
But with the Sharks in the depths of a rebuild, and the Golden Knights seeking a second straight Stanley Cup, perhaps it was only a matter of time before the game started to tilt in a certain direction.
Nicolas Hague and Nicolas Roy scored 53 seconds apart late in the second period, breaking a tie and helping the Golden Knights earn a 4-1 win over the Sharks before an announced sellout crowd of 17,435 at SAP Center.
The two teams were tied 1-1 when Hague scored at the 18:31 mark of the second period, and Roy added another goal 36 seconds before intermission as the Sharks were put into a hole they couldn’t escape.
Brayden Pachal also scored for the Golden Knights.
Filip Zadina scored at the 17:48 mark of the first period for the Sharks’ only goal. Goalie Kaapo Kahkonen made xx saves in the loss.
The Sharks are beginning the year with a vastly different roster than one that finished last season with a dismal 22-44-16 record. Of the 23 players on the Sharks’ active roster right now, eight are new to the organization as Mike Grier continued his team’s extreme makeover in his second full season as general manager.
The new faces include forwards Zadina, Mike Hoffman, Anthony Duclair, Mikael Granlund and Givani Smith, defensemen Kyle Burroughs and Jan Rutta and goalie Mackenzie Blackwood. Zadina, Smith, Burroughs and Blackwood were all signed as free agents, with Hoffman, Granlund and Rutta brought in as part of the trade that saw reigning Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson shipped to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Despite the changes, oddsmakers and prognosticators are not optimistic that the Sharks can improve upon last season’s record. In fact, some expect the Sharks to have the worst record in the NHL, and therefore the best chance to own the No. 1 overall pick for the 2024 NHL Draft.
That didn’t mean much to Sharks coach David Quinn, of course.
“I want to see an honest effort physically and mentally,” Quinn said. “One of the things that we need to do night in and night out is earn respect. One of two things happen every time you show up here and you go on the rink. You’re either going to earn a little respect, or you’re going to lose a little respect and for us, it’s about gaining respect.
“When you play with the right intentions, you usually gain respect.”
Thursday’s game marked the beginning of a demanding season-opening schedule in which the Sharks play seven playoff teams from last season in their first nine games. San Jose’s homestand continues Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche, followed by games against the Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.
“The schedule is what it is,” Quinn said. “You’re going to play these teams eventually and if you’re sitting here worried about who you’re playing and you wish you had a different schedule, you’re already behind the eight ball.
“To me, if I’m a player, what better way to start the season than play at home against the defending Stanley Cup champion? That’s why you play this game, and if you’re hiding from these types of challenges, then we’ve got the wrong people here.”
