The San Jose Sharks’ season hit rock bottom Tuesday night.
The Sharks took a four-goal lead early in the second period, only for the wheels to totally fall off in what became a disheartening 7-5 loss to the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.
The Sharks led 5-1 after Mikael Granlund scored a power-play goal at the 4:28 mark of the second period. But the Sharks sat back, lost their edge, stopped forechecking, and watched momentum completely swing the other way as the Predators scored six unanswered goals.
Nashville, in taking control of the game against the fragile Sharks, scored twice in 53 seconds midway through the second period and added three more goals in the first 8:09 of the third.
The Sharks (14-30-6) could not generate a response as they coughed up yet another third-period lead in what can easily be described as their biggest faceplant of the season — not an easy task considering what’s already taken place.
San Jose is now 8-6-2 in games in which it has held a lead after 40 minutes and is the 10th team since 1979-80 to record eight regulation losses after leading in the third period. The only team with more than eight was the 1979-80 Detroit Red Wings, who had nine.
The Sharks, who head home in 32nd and last place in the NHL standings, still have 32 games to go.
The loss marked a crushing end to the Sharks’ five-game road trip, which began with an encouraging win over the Red Wings last Tuesday and was quickly followed by losses to the Columbus Blue Jackets, the New York Islanders, and the Boston Bruins. In Boston on Monday, the Sharks took a one-goal lead into the final period before they allowed four straight goals.
The Sharks and Predators play each other again on Thursday in San Jose.
Macklin Celebrini, Luke Kunin, Granlund, and Jake Walman all scored in the first period as the Sharks took a 4-1 lead. Granlund then scored his second and 14th of the season in the second period as the Sharks converted a power play opportunity to take a four-goal lead.
But Fedor Svechkov began the Predators’ comeback with a power play goal at the 12:40 mark of the second period. That was followed by Justin Barron’s even-strength goal at the 13:33 mark.
The Sharks had a chance to regroup before the start of the third period. But just 28 seconds after intermission, noted Sharks pest Jonathan Marchessault scored his 15th of the season.
That was followed by a power play goal from Roman Josi, which tied the game 5-5 at the 5:23 mark, and an even-strength goal by Nick Blankenburg 2:46 later, which gave the Predators the lead for good.
Steven Stamkos finished off the Sharks with an empty-net goal with 1:22 left in regulation.
NOTABLE: The Sharks were without forwards Tyler Toffoli (lower body) and Nico Sturm (lower body) and defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (ill) on Tuesday.
Toffoli has now missed three straight games after he was injured before the Sharks played the New York Islanders on Saturday. Vlasic played through an illness Monday in Boston. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said Sturm has been dealing with his injury for some time. Sturm also missed three games with a lower-body injury from Jan. 4-10 after he blocked a shot in a Jan. 2 game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
With Sturm out, Ty Dellandrea became the Sharks’ fourth-line center and Carl Grundstrom, initially thought to be a scratch Tuesday, was inserted into the lineup.
Originally Published:
Source: Paradise Post