It took last season's Sharks team 12 games to
win their first game of the season. This year's roster may be on their may to
matching that underachievement. The Sharks hit the halfway point of that mark
by dropping a 4-1 decision to the Colorado Avalanche at SAP Center on Sunday
night. The Sharks misfired on a handful of power play chances which took the
pressure off a Colorado team that has been slow out of the gate themselves.
The Sharks coaching staff has been preaching the need to stay out of
the penalty box, but actually executing on the plan has been a challenge for
the Sharks the last three games. A too many men penalty 6 minutes into the
contest turned into a 1-0 deficit after Ross Colton put a knuckling shot past
Vitek Vanecek for a 1-0 lead.
Colorado pushed their lead to 2-0 with
3:23 left in the period when Mikko Rantanen led Colton with a pass after the
Avalanche forward slipped past Ty Dellandrea. Colton took the feed at the top
of the circles then skated in unimpeded before lifting apuck past Vanecek.
San Jose cut the Colorado lead in half late in the period after a Luke
Kunin hit drew a response from John Manson that put the Sharks on the power
play. William Eklund converted by taking a Mikael Granlund feed as he sat
parked outside the right post. The young Sharks forward then powered to the net
and lifted the puck past Avalanche goaltender Justus Annunen for his 1st tally
of the season.
The penalty misgivings continued in the middle period
when Jan Rutta took a tripping penalty at 2:09, followed by a Granlund slashing
penalty 1:20 later. San Jose killed both penalties, but it was more of the
wrong direction.
San Jose enjoyed a 5-on-3 power play opportunity with
7 minutes to play in the period, but their power play could not generate any
pressure on Annunen.
Four total power play chances in the period went
unfulfilled, allowing the Avalanche to carry their slim lead to the 2nd
intermission.
The lack of urgency on those power play
opportunities caught up with the Sharks in the 3rd period. Colorado lulled the
Sharks to sleep with lots of back and forth hockey. The Avalanche 4th line
would sting San Jose at 9:57, when Joel Kiviranta slipped past the Sharks
defense before receiving a Manson feed in the slot and lifting abackhand chance
past Vanecek to make it a 2-goal lead.
The Sharks pulled Vanecek with
3:34 to play for the extra attacker. Cale Makar made use of the unguarded net
by scoring an empty netter at 18:23 to cap the game's scoring.
Game
Notes: * Will Smith returned to the lineup after a planned scratch
in Winnipeg on Friday. William Eklund also returned after dealing with a
maintenance issue. Matt Benning, Givani Smith and Klim Kostin were scratches
for San Jose.
* Macklin Celebrini missed his 5th game while he
recovers from an undisclosed injury. The Sharks did announce that Celebrini has
resumed skating, but is still listed as week-to-week.
* Tyler
Toffoli's goal-scoring streak ended at 3 straight. He did extend his point
streak to 4 games with the assist on William Eklund's 1st period, goal.
* Mikael Granlund extended his point streak to three games. He has 5
assists over that span.
* San Jose out-shot the Avalanche 26-22.
Defenseman Cody Ceci led San Jose with 4 shots on goal.
