The San Jose Sharks got a much-needed jolt from their youngest players on Saturday night, but the penalty kill dragged the whole night down in a 4-3 loss to the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center.
San Jose scored three times, its best offensive output in a week, yet still watched the game slip away after surrendering power-play goals to Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson in the first period and to Thomas Harley at 14:30 of the second. That left the Sharks chasing 4-2 before Will Smith pulled them back within one with a power-play goal at 17:02 of the second. They never got the equalizer, and the defeat became their fifth in a row.
The Sharks had one last chance late, when Justin Hryckowian was called for tripping with 7:08 left in regulation. But the power play came up empty, losing two faceoffs and never getting a shot on Jake Oettinger, who stopped 20 shots.
Michael Misa and Ivar Stenberg, both 19, also scored for San Jose, while Macklin Celebrini set up three goals. Rookie defenseman Eric Pohlkamp picked up his first NHL point with an assist on Stenberg’s goal at 2:47 of the second period. Alex Nedeljkovic, back in net for his first start since the Sharks’ 5-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 31, made 26 saves.
The result closed out a 0-3-0 road trip that also included losses to the Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota Wild. It also left the Sharks with a familiar frustration: the penalty kill. San Jose went 2-for-5 while shorthanded Saturday, but the road trip still featured 15 trips to the box and eight goals against.
There was at least some offensive life to take from the night. The three goals were the most the Sharks had scored since a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Oct.
- Before Saturday, they had managed just five goals over their previous four games, and only three of those came at 5-on-5.
Coach Ryan Warsofsky kept Celebrini, Smith and Misa together on the top line for a second straight game. The trio of early first-round draft picks had already shown some chemistry against the Wild, combining for 10 of the Sharks’ 24 shots and the team’s lone goal in that game, when Celebrini redirected a Dmitry Orlov pass past Jesper Wallstedt at 12:11 of the second period.
The Sharks still haven’t settled on a replacement for Igor Chernyshov on Celebrini’s left side, but Misa may be the answer. Entering Saturday, Misa, Celebrini and Smith were three of the team’s top four scorers, with a combined 16 goals and 39 points. Misa also joined the top power-play unit midway through the second period.
“I liked his game,” Warsofsky said Friday about Misa. “He was good.
He was engaged. Thought he was good on that power play. too.
Made nice plays down low.”
San Jose returns home to face defenseman Matthew Schaefer and the New York Islanders on Monday, then Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday.
In Other News...
Sharks Young Scorers Offered Hope Before Another Brutal Late Collapse
The Sharks got exactly the kind of jolt they have been waiting for in Dallas, where Michael Misa, Ivar Stenberg and Will Smith all found the net in a game that briefly looked like it might tilt San Joses way. For a team searching for offense and confidence, the sight of three young scorers contributing in the same night was a welcome change, especially against a Stars club that has usually made life difficult at American Airlines Arena.
But the encouraging start did not survive the finish, and the latest loss fit too neatly into a frustrating pattern for San Jose. The Sharks have now dropped seven of their last eight, and while the goals from Misa, Stenberg and Smith showed there is some promise in the groups emerging talent, the late collapse left the bigger question hanging: how long can those flashes matter if the points keep slipping away? [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Let Another Winnable Game Slip As Familiar Problem Returns
Macklin Celebrini did his part in a game the Sharks badly needed, piling up three points and helping San Jose build an early lead before the night turned into another frustrating chase. Michael Misa got the opening goal with Celebrini on the assist, and for a while it looked like the Sharks might finally turn a strong start into something more lasting against Dallas.
Instead, the Stars leaned on the power play to swing the game back their way, and San Jose spent the rest of the night trying to dig out of the hole. Will Smiths late power-play goal gave the Sharks a chance to steal a point at the end, but the equalizer never came and the 4-3 loss became their fifth straight defeat, another reminder that the margin for error keeps shrinking. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Need Alexander Wennberg Back More Than Ever Right Now
Alexander Wennberg is inching closer to a return, and the Sharks could use the help. The center has been on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, but he has been skating with the team and was recently moved from week-to-week to day-to-day, a sign that his comeback is getting closer. For a San Jose group that has struggled without him, his presence would be a welcome boost as the schedule shifts into an important homestand.
The timing matters because the Sharks have been trying to steady themselves without one of their more reliable two-way options in the middle of the ice. Wennbergs return would not solve everything overnight, but it would give the lineup more structure and experience at a time when the team needs both. There is still a little waiting to do before the next update, and the Sharks will be watching closely to see how soon they can get him back in the mix. [Read more 🡒]