Oct 22, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; San Jose Sharks center Mikael Granlund (64) plays for the puck against Anaheim Ducks defenseman Brian Dumoulin (6) during the third period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
The San Jose Sharks are running out of patience in their quest to win their first game of the season.
Their next try will be Thursday night against the Los Angeles Kings in the second game of a four-game road trip.
The Sharks have started the season with an 0-5-2 record, most recently losing for the second time this season to the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night, 3-1, in a closely contested game.
While the game was still scoreless in the first period, San Jose’s Danil Gushchin took a quick shot that hit goalkeeper Lukas Dostal’s arm, deflected off the crossbar, fell on the goal line, and then slid off the post before after an Anaheim defender cleared the puck from the crease.
With the Ducks leading 1-0 in the final minute of the second period, the Sharks’ Barclay Goodrow deflected a shot off the post.
“That’s sports. Sometimes the ball goes in,” said first-year San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky. “It’s a game of centimeters, and sometimes it’s not.”
San Jose rallied to tie the score in the third period, but the Ducks quickly retook the lead with their second power play goal of the game (and the season), and sealed the victory with an empty-net goal.
“We have practice (Wednesday) and we get back to work,” said San Jose forward Mikael Granlund, who scored the only goal Tuesday. “That’s all you can do, take it day by day. It’s not easy to lose, we all know that. But at the same time, we’ve only played seven games, six games, so let’s keep going and show up for training.”
A good start for the Sharks would be to reduce the number of penalties they commit. On the season, they have committed 38 penalties, the third-highest number in the NHL. That has led to nine power-play goals against them, the second most in the league.
“Penalties hurt,” Granlund said. “It’s been a story and we just have to find a way to get through these games and get the win.”
The Kings will finally be able to play their first home game after going 3-2-2 on a seven-game road trip.
“Obviously, everyone loves playing at home,” Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson said. “You have the fans, you have the last chance, you can get a lot of benefits from that.”
The Kings beat the Ducks 4-1 on Sunday, but then had a rough patch on Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights, losing 6-1 in the travel finale.
“There were a lot of positives,” Los Angeles coach Jim Hiller said of the trip. “We have seen that we have to do better. If you don’t do better, you lose away from home. In general, we will accept it and move on.”
A bright spot has been the third line of Warren Foegele, Alex Turcotte and Alex Laferriere.
Turcotte has four points (one goal, three assists) in his last five games; Laferriere has goals in two of the last three games and four in total; and Foegele scored his first goal of the season on Tuesday to account for the only goal against Vegas.
“The three of them still play pretty well together,” Hiller said. “They are dangerous, they are hungry, they are tenacious and I think there are probably some players in our team who, while they are sitting on the bench, could take a page out of their notebook, because I think we are missing that with some of our players.”
The Kings did not practice Wednesday.
–Field level media
