The staff writers at LetsGoSharks.com submit their league rankings each week, and we average submissions for each team. Two teams from the West emerge as front runners for the top spot in this week's rankings. New Jerse and Dallas sporting split personalities as they fall this week. Find out what everyone else is doing in this week's NHL Power Rankings.

The Sharks hit the mid-point of their 3-game road trip through Western Canada on Thursday night with a stop in Vancouver. Like the three previous games against the Canucks this season, the Sharks fell short. Significantly short. After losing 6-2 to the Canucks on December 27th, the Sharks short memory did little motivate any retribution. Vancouver finished off the season sweep with the biggest gut punch of the season, dispatching San Jose 7-2 at Rogers Arena.

The staff writers at LetsGoSharks.com submit their league rankings each week, and we average submissions for each team. There may be some consistency at the top, but the Stars, Rangers and Penguins are bouncing around like Jordan Binnington on a double espresso. Bruins at the top, Blue Jackets at the bottom. Check out the order in between in this week's Power Rankings.

The Sharks hit the road for the first of three across Western Canada on Monday night, as they limp to the finish line this season. Playing a motivated Edmonton Oilers team that is jockeying for better playoff positioning, the Sharks went toe to toe with one of the strongest offenses in the league, but fell short in overtime. Darnell Nurse scored with 15 seconds left in the extra period to help Edmonton knock off the Sharks 5-4.

As the Sharks enter the "let's get through these last few games as quickly as possible" phase of their miserable season, San Jose continued to trip at home, falling 2-1 to the Seattle Kraken in overtime at SAP Center on Thursday night. The Sharks held a brief 1-0 lead in the 3rd period on an uncommon goal, but their opponent was geared up to take 2 points as they jostle for a playoff spot.

The staff writers at LetsGoSharks.com submit their league rankings each week, and we average submissions for each team. The Canes finally slip. The Pens make a steament. The basement has a new tenant.

The "get to the off-season" tour continued for San Jose, as they wrapped up their 3-game road trip with a deflating 4-2 loss to the St Louis Blues at Enterprise Center on Thursday night. The Sharks did the 2022-23 shuffle, grabbing a lead, then losing in the end. It was the 27th time this season that San Jose held a lead and surrendered it to lose.

The Sharks already held the distinction of being the first team in NHL history to blow consecutive 2-goal leads by surrendering 4 straight goals. They did not want to make that three games in a row. They avoided the dubious record by only scoring once in the opening period. They would need a heroic goal late from Tomas Hertl to get to overtime, before Logan Couture scored in the extra period to help the Sharks win 3-2.

The staff writers at LetsGoSharks.com submit their league rankings each week, and we average submissions for each team. No movement at the top, but the Kraken and Lighting make big changes. Find out how the trade deadline activity change this week's Power Rankings.

First words from Richard of Gloucester in Shakespeare's Richard III. Good play, its held up for a few hundred years, sort of like Darryl Sutter. And yes, the Trade of Timo Meier is complete and the tribe is grumbling. We expected a first round pick and top prospect or two. We got the pick, but the prospects look like spare parts. Is Mike Grier trying to build the NHL's version of the Oakland A's?x

The Sharks lost a bad one on Thursday night when they allowed a 2-0 lead to evaporate against the St Louis Blues. Rather than learn from their errors, the Sharks play almost a carbon copy on Saturday, coughing up another 2-0 lead, once again allowing the opposition to score 4 goals in the 2nd period. This time, the Washington Capitals handed out the lesson of the day, beating San Jose 8-3.

The 2023 NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone. In his first year as Sharks General Manager, Mike Grier has not been passive in his attempts at improving the Sharks. Grier executed a flurry of deals on Friday, but the wheeling and dealing started weeks ago. Erik Karlsson and James Reimer are still Sharks, but the Sharks are a much different looking organization than on opening night.

The Sharks treated fans to the "two sides of hockey" on Thursday night at SAP Center. San Jose played a flawless opening 20 minutes against the visiting St Louis Blues, scoring twice in the frame. They would then allow 4 goals in a 2nd period that was a complete reversal in play, accountability, effort, you name it. San Jose would eventually fall 6-3 to the Blues, to help St Louis snap a 6-game losing streak.

We all know it: this season is one of the most memorably bad in Sharks' history. Even for those of us who go way back. Endless chatter about tanking and trading. But for a few days we could put things aside and concentrate on one of the true great players to spend a career in teal: Patrick Marleau.

The post Timo Meier era started on Tuesday night as the Sharks hosted the Montreal Canadiens at SAP Center. The results which warranted dealing Meier didn't change as the Sharks fell to Montreal 3-1. The Sharks actually entered the 3rd period with a 1-0 lead, but the attention to details bug nipped San Jose once again. Montreal scored a pair of goals in less than 2 minutes to erase San Jose's lead and the Sharks dropped their 3rd straight and 7th of 10 in the month of February.

Having just watched Patrick Marleau's emotional number retirement ceremony on Saturday evening, it dawned on me and probably you, too: Who should be the next Sharks greats to have this honor? It was a no-brainer that Marleau would be the first to have his number, 12, raised to the rafters (Remember when Patrick wore #14 before switching to #12?).

The staff writers at LetsGoSharks.com submit their league rankings each week, and we average submissions for each team. The Golden Knights, Avalanche, Jets and Kraken all make big moves. Some up, some down. Checkout this week's rankings as we head to the NHL Trade Deadline on Friday.

The San Jose Sharks rolled out a teal carpet for a kid from Aneroid, Saskatchewan on Saturday night. That kid, who first arrived on the South Bay scene back in 1997, is of course one Patrick Marleau. The Canadian farm boy was recognized for his accomplishments as a Shark, by having his familiar number 12 retired by the Sharks in a grand ceremony at SAP Center before a sellout crowd. He was recognized for a 23-year career that spanned four decades that included an NHL record for games played, passing Hall of Famer Gordy Howe in 2021.

The San Jose Sharks rolled out a teal carpet for a kid from Aneroid, Saskatchewan on Saturday night. That kid, who first arrived on the South Bay scene back in 1997, is of course one Patrick Marleau. The Canadian farm boy was recognized for his accomplishments as a Shark, by having his familiar number 12 retired by the Sharks in a grand ceremony at SAP Center before a sellout crowd. He was recognized for a 23-year career that spanned four decades that included an NHL record for games played, passing Hall of Famer Gordy Howe in 2021.

The Sharks had been planning the retirement of Patrick Marleau's #12 for more than a year. Lots of planning and organization went into the gala event held at SAP Center on Saturday night. The Sharks rolled out the red carpet, invited former Sharks players and held a grand ceremony. The only thing they couldn't deliver was a win on this grand evening. San Jose made a last ditch effort in regulation, tying the game late, but they would fall to the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 in the shootout.

The season of dismay began precariously back on October 7th in Prague, when the Nashville Predators beat the Sharks 4-1. They would win the next night, which would trigger a 5-game losing streak to start the season for the Sharks. The two teams squared off in their season finale at SAP Center on Thursday night, and not a lot has changed in the 4 months since the two teams last met. The Predators, controlled Thursday night's contest from start to finish en route to a 6-2 victory to sweep the season series.

The Sharks continued their season-long home stand by hosting the Seattle Kraken at SAP Center in a matinee performance. Four Shark skaters scored goals, and James Reimer return to the net with a 26 save performance and a 4-0 win. The shutout was the 27th of Reimer's career, and the 2nd of the season. Reimer had been on the fence with injuries, returning to the crease for the first time since January 27th.

The sad sack Sharks just can't help themselves this season. Carrying a 1-0 lead into the 3rd period of their contest with the host Vegas Golden Knights, the Sharks tripped over themselves and coughed up a pair of goals to drop a 2-1 decision at T-Mobile Arena. The game deciding goal was of he gut-punch variety, coming with 17.2 seconds remaining in regulation. San Jose wasted a 36 save gem of a performance by goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen, who gave his teammates plenty of chances to win this one.

The Sharks returned to SAP Center ice for the first time since January 18th, squaring off against the Pittsburgh Penguins. A game after Penguins captain Sydney Crosby was ejected for the first time in his NHL career, Pittsburgh capitalized on a pair of blatant officiating misses that resulted in two goals. They would go on to add to San Jose's loss total by taking a tainted 3-1 victory to end their West Coast swing.

SAP Center gets to dust off the ice after the Sharks wrapped up a season long 8-game road trip with a 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals on Sunday afternoon. San Jose took advantage of a Capitals team that went toe-to-toe with the Boston Bruins on Saturday, outworking Washington all three periods. Erik Karlsson scored a goal and added a pair of assists to push his point total to 73 this season.

The Sharks resumed their 8-game road trip after a week long break, hitting the south eastern part of the country. Picking up from their impressive 6-4 win over Pittsburgh before the break, San Jose battled back from a 3-1 1st period deficit against the host Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night at Amelie Arena, and stunned the Lightning with goals in each period, including the game winner in overtime.

The staff writers at LetsGoSharks.com submit their league rankings each week, and we average submissions for each team. The 2nd year Seattle Kraken are now sitting in the 6 spot. Yes, the Seattle Kraken are in the 6 spot. Winnipeg and Vegas get spanked this week, while Buffalo makes a move into the top 15 with a big jump. See where every team sits in this week's LGS NHL Power Rankings.

Logan Couture is the Sharks captain. The role of the captain can vary by team, but what's consistent from team to team is that there is an expectation that a team's captain is supposed to lead by example. Sharks captain Logan Couture did that about as well as could be expected on Saturday night in Pittsburgh as the Sharks picked themselves up off the mat after a horrific loss in Carolina 24 hours earlier. Couture turned his first career 5-point night to lead the Sharks to a wild 6-4 win over the host Penguins at PPG Paints Arena.

The Sharks have endured some gut-punch losses this season. They took one in the lower extremities on Friday night as the Carolina Hurricanes overcame a 2-goal deficit with 1:37 to play, then beat the hapless Sharks with a goal in overtime to take a wild 5-4 win in Raleigh.

So who are these new guys that Sharks General Manager Mike Grier acquired in a pair of trades this past week. Grier first shipped Jasper Weatherby to Detroit for journeyman AHLer Kyle Criscuolo last week, then dealt Matt Nieto and Ryan Merkley to Colorado on Wednesday in exchange for prospects Jacob MacDonald and Martin Kaut.

After getting thumped in Boston, the Sharks shifted west a bit to continue their season long road trip with a game in Detroit on Tuesday night. After turning a better performance than their stinker 48 hours earlier, San Jose fell asleep to start the overtime and coughed up a 3-2 loss after Andrew Copp scored 25 seconds into the extra period.

The staff writers at LetsGoSharks.com submit their league rankings each week, and we average submissions for each team. There are finally some rumblings in the rankings. The Bruins and Canes are running away with the top spots. Some level setting this week by the Devils and Jets. Tough week for the Leafs. See how all the rankings panned out this week.

The Sharks faced long odds playing in Boston on Sunday night. Those odds resulted in a gut-punch loss to the superior Bruins. San Jose had few opportunities to score, and the Bruins converted with skill plays that the Sharks had no answer for in a 4-0 loss at TD Garden. David Pastrnak, Hampus Lindhold and Charlie McAvoy each had a goal and an assist to lead Boston.

Things looked bleak for the San Jose Sharks. When Radek Faksa scored 7 minutes into the 2nd period, the Sharks had fallen behind 3-0 to the best team in the Western Conference. Everyone expected San Jose to roll over, but they didn't. After dropping a heartbreaker to the New Jersey Devils on Monday and falling behind to the Dallas Stars, the Sharks stormed back with 5 unanswered goals to stun Dallas 5-3 at SAP Center.

The staff writers at LetsGoSharks.com submit their league rankings each week, and we average submissions for each team. There are finally some rumblings in the rankings. Can anybody stop the Bruins? Their top 3 lines seem unstoppable. The Jets, Devils and Kraken make big moves. The Caps, Flames and Wild take dives. See who else is moving up or down in this week's rankings.

The Sharks came with 8.6 seconds of recording arguably their best win of the season. Unfortunately, the game is a 60 minute affair, and they failed to finish off the New Jersey Devils at SAP Center on Monday afternoon in a special holiday matinee. The Devils threw the kitchen sink at the Sharks in a closing stages of regulation and bagged the equalizer at 3-3 with less than 9 seconds on the clock. Neither team could score in overtime, but the Devils were a lone goal better than San Jose in the shootout to steal a 4-3 win.

There are ugly losses, and then there are split your face open with a lead pipe ugly. The Sharks endured the latter on Friday night as the visiting Edmonton Oilers ran roughshod on SAP Center Ice. The Oilers scored the first 7 goals of the game en route to a 7-1 spanking of the Sharks. There was nothing lucky about 7 goals allowed on a Friday the 13th that turned out to be a bludgeoning affair for San Jose. Connor McDavid a pair of goals and added an assist in the win. Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins added a goal and 2 assists each in the massacre.

Consecutive Shark wins these days are a rarity. San Jose had a chance to extend their win streak to 2-games after dropping the Arizona Coyotes 24 hours earlier, but they couldn't seal the deal in Los Angeles on Wednesday night. Playing on the back end of back-to-backs, San Jose lost focus for 53 seconds in the 3rd period and the Kings pounced, scoring a pair goals to keep them in the hunt with Vegas for the top spot in the West.

The Sharks made their first visit to Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona on Tuesday night, and they turned in some hair raising hockey en route to a 4-2 victory over the host Arizona Coyotes. Kicking off a brief 2-game road trip, San Jose got scoring from 4 different skaters and Kaapo Kahkonen made 25 saves to earn his 5th win of the season.

Not much drama in a game you know you'll likely lose. Squaring off against the best team in the NHL left little to be answered save the final score. The visiting Boston Bruins scored in all three periods to take a 4-2 win over a feisty Sharks lineup on Saturday night. San Jose was out-gunned in pretty much every phase of the game, but they put up a fight. Special teams would do them in, as the league's top ranked penalty kill denied 4 San Jose power plays. The Bruins would also add a power play goal to help squeeze 2 points out of the Sharks.

The Sharks can't buy a break these days. Teams wallowing in the standings basement really don't deserve breaks, but you'd think there would be some balance when playing other cell-dwellars. The wasn't the case on Friday night. Failing to play with the intensity that David Quinn has preached all season, they lost a 3rd period lead on an antiquated interpretation of the offside rule, then coughed up the game in overtime on a simple turnover.

The staff writers at LetsGoSharks.com submit their league rankings each week, and we average submissions for each team. There are finally some rumblings in the rankings. After a two-week break, the rankings are back. The Bruins have a lock on the top spot but there's a new challenger in the 2 spot. New Jersey goes free-falling, dropping 9 spots in one of the biggest moves of the season.

San Jose brushed off their 5-2 loss to the Dallas Stars on Saturday and kicked off the new year with a 5-2 win of their own over the host Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center on Sunday. Five different skaters scored goals for San Jose who moved to 8-10-1 on the road this season. The win also allowed defenseman Erik Karlsson to establish a new Sharks record. Goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen made 20 saves to earn his 4th win of the season.

If the Sharks learned any lessons from their 6-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, they failed to show it on Thursday night at SAP Center. Hosting the Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose carried a 3-1 lead into the 3rd period. A 2-goal lead against a team they had shutout in Philadelphia back in October. In what seems to be the season of giving, the Sharks gave this one away, by allowing the Flyers to tie the game late in regulation, then losing in overtime. The Sharks really didn't learn a thing.

The NHL's Christmas break allows player and coaches to recharge their batteries over a league imposed 4-day holiday. The Sharks last played on December 22nd, but from the looks of it on Tuesday night, they may have been in a coma the last 2 years. San Jose resumed pay with a quick trip to Vancouver, sleep-walking through a 6-2 pasting by the host Canucks.

Remember when the Sharks used to pack the building night after night? Year after year? Those were the good old days. Who knows if they will ever return? Official attendance at Sharks games (and we all know the actual figures are less) for the past few games has been as follows: 13,128, 10,431, 14,207, 10,462. Capacity is 17,562. The Sharks rank 31st in attendance out of 32 teams. Even the Anaheim Ducks, lower than we are in the standings and sharing a market with the LA Kings, are ahead of us.

The Minnesota came calling on Thursday night, riding a season high 6-game wining streak. The Sharks had lost their last 3 games. All of that was flipped upside down as the Sharks scored 5 times to beat the Wild 5-2 at SAP Center. Erik Karlsson was all over the ice, recording a goal and 3 assists for a mammoth scoring night. James Reimer made 24 saves to earn his 7th victory of the season. It was also the Sharks 4th win on home ice this season.

Sometimes you're late for the party. Sometimes you don't even get an invitation. The Sharks missed the opening bell, then gave up a bushel of 3rd period goals to drop a 7-3 beat down for the 2nd consecutive game at the hands of the Calgary Flames. As was the case on Sunday night, the Sharks sat within a lone goal of the Flames in the 3rd period, but defensive lapses allowed Calgary to blitz the Sharks with 4 tallies in the last 10 minutes of the game.

The staff writers at LetsGoSharks.com submit their league rankings each week, and we average submissions for each team. There are finally some rumblings in the rankings. Carolina and the Rangers make a push. New Jersey and Winnipeg nose dive. How did all 32 teams fare in this week's power rankings.

When the Sharks have lapses in focus, they pay for it. Case in point was the start of their 3rd period against the Calgary Flames on Sunday night at SAP Center. A dumb penalty, and an absence of defensive presence netted the Flames 3 goals in the blink of an eye and the Sharks would fall on home ice for the 14th time in 17 games this season by a 5-2 score.

The Sharks traveled to Southern California for a quick one-game stop in Los Angeles after last playing on Tuesday night and fell 3-2 in the shootout to the Kings. With two days extra rest, the Sharks should have been the fresh team. They didn't use the advantage, even with a big 2-minute power play in the overtime, but such is life for the Sharks these days. They are an inferior team when compared to the Kings, who spent 5 years wallowing in the Pacific Division while they retooled their roster. It's the position San Jose is in now, and it showed.

After missing the last 7 games due to a lower body injury, goaltender James Reimer made his return to the Sharks lineup on Tuesday night. His return couldn't come soon enough. The veteran netminder stopped 19 Arizona Coyote shots to help San Jose win for the 3rd time in 15 tries on SAP Center ice this season. Reimer was cool as a cucumber in his 16th start of the season, which earned him his 6th victory of the 2022-23 campaign.

The staff writers at LetsGoSharks.com submit their league rankings each week, and we average submissions for each team. No change at the top and bottom, but the Jets make a move on the upper grouping. Edmonton and Washington rewarded for strong weeks. Check out all of this week's Power Rankings.

So the Sharks are now wearing their California Golden Seals knockoff jerseys regularly. I thought this should have been a one-night gimmick but it looks like these sweaters are having some real staying power, unlike the actual Seals franchise itself.

Eetu Makiniemi made his 1st NHL start a memorable one. The rookie goaltender made 23 saves to help propel the Sharks to a 6-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center on Friday night. Makiniemi spelled Kaapo Kahkonen, who is the Sharks number one netminder with James Reimer on the shelf with a lower body injury. After making his NHL debut in a mop-up role for the Sharks on Wednesday night, the Sharks eased Makiniemi into a starting role against an softer opponent in the Ducks.

Some things are difficult to explain in hockey. Losing 11 times in 13 tries on home ice is one of the mysteries of San Jose Sharks hockey this season. Allowing opponents to repeatedly score in the last minute of a period is another baffling unexplainable phenomenon that the Shark have mastered. San Jose allowed the visiting Vancouver Canucks to score goals within the final 60 seconds of a period three times on Wednesday night, including the game winning goal with 35 seconds left in overtime, as they fell 6-5 at SAP Center.

The staff writers at LetsGoSharks.com submit their league rankings each week, and we average submissions for each team. The Bruins continue to command the top spot, and the Ducks hold a firm grip on the basement. Between them it's anybody's guess as to who will evolve by the time playoffs begin. Plenty of team's trending in the right direction, but teams like Colorado and Los Angeles need to establish more consistency. See how each team is ranked in this week's rankings.

The captains of inconsistency wrapped up their 4-game road trip with a deflating 6-3 loss to the worst team in the Eastern Conference in the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday night at KeyBank Center in Western New York. Playing on the tail end of back-to-back games, the only thing the Sharks were consistent with was the way in which they lost both games. San Jose carried a 2-1 lead into the 2nd period on both nights, and a flurry of penalties and mistakes turned the tables on them. Buffalo scored 3 times in the middle period to grab the lead and twice more in the final period to kick the Sharks in the teeth.

Consistency is one indicator of maturity in the NHL. The Sharks have a ways to go in the consistency department. After impressive games in Montreal and Toronto on their current 4-game road trip, the Sharks got sloppy in Ottawa dropping a 4-2 decision in Canada's capitol. San Jose uncharacteristically gave up 3 power play goals in the loss.

For whatever reason, the Sharks are playing their best hockey on the road. They demonstrated that in Toronto on Wednesday night, where they battled the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. In a brutal twist of fate, a late mistake would cost the Sharks after they played one of their best games of the year. The Maple Leafs forced a high speed level of play, but the Sharks responded even though they played in Montreal 24 hours earlier.

The Sharks opened their 4-game road trip in Montreal on Tuesday night with an impressive 4-0 victory at Bell Centre. San Jose opened the game with a quick goal, then played on egg-shells for the next 40 minutes, until they opened up the scoring with 3 goals in the final frame. Tomas Hertl had a pair goals, but goaltender Kaapo Khakonen was the man of the hour. The netminder stopped all 28 shots he faced, several of which were of the tough variety.

The staff writers at LetsGoSharks.com submit their league rankings each week, and we average submissions for each team. The Seattle Kraken are now a Top 3 team. We repeat, the Seattle Kraken are no a Top 3 team. The Tampa Bay Lightning are the biggest movers of the week and the Sharks are still in the bottom 10 in the league. See all of the this week's rankings.

The Sharks closed out their brief homestand with a frustrating overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks, which was their 12th loss on home ice in 14 chances this season. Their inability to win at home is bewildering, given that they've been a .500 team on the road. The familiar confines of SAP Center should be a safe haven for the fledgling Sharks, but it continues to be a house of horrors.

The Sharks paid tribute to the California Golden Seals, the first NHL team to call the Bay Area home, by donning their new reverse retro uniforms in a home contest with the Los Angeles Kings. San Jose played like the underachieving Golden Seals, losing to the Kings 5-2 in a game more of a gift to the Kings.

The Sharks needed an opponent like the Ottawa Senators to come to town. After dropping their last two games on home ice, the Sharks squared off with the worst team in the Eastern Conference on Monday night at SAP Center. San Jose scored a trio of 2nd period goals to take a 5-1 win over the Senators. The win was only the 2nd on home ice for San Jose this season and 1st regulation win in their own barn.

The staff writers at LetsGoSharks.com submit their league rankings each week, and we average submissions for each team. the B's and Knights continue to hold the top two spots, but there are some movers and shakers who are starting to push on the front runners. Come see who made big moves up and down in this week's Power Rankings.

Winning on home ice continues to elude the San Jose Sharks. Skating in their 10th contest on SAP Center ice, the Sharks fizzled late to fall to the New York Rangers 2-1 in a game that didn't see any scoring for the first 54 minutes of the contest. James Reimer stood on his head, stopping 41 of 42 shots, but his teammates could not generate the necessary offense to compete.

The winning streak is no more. The Sharks returned home on Thursday night, and brought back their abysmal home ice play to drop a 7-4 decision to the visiting Detroit Red Wings. Sloppy play afforded the Red Wings too many easy goals, especially late in the 3rd period where Detroit scored 4 times to hand the Sharks their 9th loss on home ice in 10 games this season.

When the Sharks departed for their 4-game road trip last week, they were still licking their wounds from a tough opening 14 games that netted a paltry 3 wins. They concluded the trip on Tuesday night by winning their 3rd straight, beating the Vegas Golden Knights 5-2 at T-Mobile Arena. San Jose had to overcome a pair of Vegas leads, then scored 4 unanswered goals in the 3rd period to stun the Knights.

The staff writers at LetsGoSharks.com submit their league rankings each week, and we average submissions for each team. The teams on top are starting to solidify their position as the cream beings to rise. No movement in the top 2, but the Islanders make a big move. See who moved up and down in this week's rankings.

Consecutive wins have evaded the San Jose Sharks all season. That ended on Sunday night as the Sharks stole a victory from the host Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center in Minneapolis. The third stop of their current 4-game road trip looked as if the Sharks were headed to their 13th loss in 17 games, but a pair of 3rd period goals helped San Jose get to overtime and ultimately the shootout where they beat the Wild 3-2.

After dropping a 5-3 decision to a beatable team on Thursday night, the Sharks bounced back 24 hours later by beating one of the tougher opponents in the league on Friday. The Sharks scored 5 times en route to a big 5-4 victory over the host Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center.

The Sharks hit the road on a 4-game, 6-day trip, starting in what should have been the easiest city to break their 4-game losing streak in St Louis. The Blues entered play having lost 8 consecutive games, but that streak would be snapped as they dispatched the Sharks 5-3 at Enterprise Center. The Sharks tied the game 3 times throughout the contest, but a pair of 3rd period goals would do in San Jose, who have fallen for the 12th time in 15 games this season.

The staff writers at LetsGoSharks.com submit their league rankings each week, and we average submissions for each team. The teams on top are starting to solidify their position as the cream beings to rise. Some surprises in the middle as some early front runners are beggining to get sloppy and a couple of teams that were expected to struggle are finding success through the first month of the season.

The Sharks started the season unable to establish any leads late in games. Now they can's hold them. For the second consecutive game, the Sharks blew a 3rd period lead. It would lead to a 3rd consecutive loss in the shootout, after San Jose was outplayed in the skills competition, falling to 5-4 to the Anaheim Ducks. San Jose ended their 6-game homestand with a single victory to show for it.

Based on the last two games, the San Jose Sharks are terrible in the shootout. They demonstrated that once again on Thursday, falling to the Florida Panthers 4-3 in the shootout at SAP Center. San Jose overcame a 2-goal deficit in the 3rd period and actually claimed the lead, before allowing Florida to tie the game with 82 seconds left in regulation. The Sharks then missed all 4 chances in the shootout, falling when Sam Reinhart converted for the Panthers in the 4th round of the skills competition.

Tuesday night featured a match up of the cellar-dwellers in the Western Conference as the Anaheim Ducks visited SAP Center to take on the Sharks. After watching the two teams square off for 65 minutes, it's safe to say that defense is not a major strength of either the Sharks or Ducks. The two teams combined for 10 goals, a fruitless overtime and a shootout that ended in Anaheim's favor.

The staff writers at LetsGoSharks.com submit their league rankings each week, and we average submissions for each team. It was a WILD week in terms of fluctuations in the rankings. We had a team jump 14 spots and another drop 18. How is that even possible? It's early days in the NHL, but the rankings are all over the place.

With three of my favorite Sharks - Ryan Merkley, William Eklund, and Thomas Bordeleau - actually now playing for the Sharks' AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, and the 'Cuda now playing in a brand new arena, I thought I'd take in a 'Cuda game to check things out on Friday night.

Erik Karlsson was having a tough night. The high-priced defenseman was missing wide open nets, taking bad penalties, and simply not in synch. Then he helped everyone forget all his misgivings by scoring in overtime to give the Sharks a 4-3 win over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs at SAP Center on Thursday night. The Swede used the wide open ice in the overtime period to use his skating ability to help the Sharks to 2 points for only the 3rd time this season.

It's been easy to pile on the Sharks this season. Well, the past three seasons for that matter. After a 2-7 start to the 2022-23 campaign, this is clearly a team in need of fixing. First year General Manager Mike Grier and head coach David Quinn knew this was a reclamation project when they took their respective jobs, but it would be interesting to know if they thought the Sharks were 2-7 bad. The Sharks are easy targets for the jabs and criticisms right now, so let's turn the tables and focus on the positives through the team's first nine games.

The Sharks returned home after their recent 4-game road trip, starting with a date with the Vegas Golden Knights. San Jose held a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes, but they fell apart in the 3rd period, allowing the Knights to score 3 unanswered goals in the final frame to take the 4-2 decision. The loss was the 7th in 9 games for the Sharks, who failed to follow up their 3-0 win over Philadelphia on Sunday.

Second periods have been cruel to the Sharks so far this season. Not so on Sunday night in Philadelphia, where San Jose earned a split on the 4-game road trip, beating the host Flyers 3-0 at Wells Fargo Center. They scored a pair of goals in the middle frame, but more importantly locking down the opposition. James Reimer made 31 saves, including 17 in the 3rd period to help the Sharks win for the second time.

The Sharks returned to the loss column on Saturday afternoon, dropping a 2-1 decision to the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center. San Jose squandered a chance to extend their lone win streak of the season, dropping the matinee game. The broken record story of the season continued to be a bad 2nd period defensively followed by a fruitless 3rd period sent the Sharks to their 6th loss in 7 games this season.

The losing streak is no more. The Sharks dug deep late in a tie game and into overtime to beat the host New York Rangers 3-2 at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. Erik Karlsson punched home a Timo Meier feed from behind the net 49 seconds into the extra period to help head coach David Quinn earn his 1st victory as the Sharks bench boss.

In their 30 years in the NHL, they never started a season 0-5. That can be said no more. San Jose established a new franchise record in futility by losing for the 5th consecutive game to open the season. Starting a 4-game road trip with a stop on Long Island, the host Islanders continued the trend of bum-rushing the Sharks in the 2nd period, taking a 5-2 decision at UBS Arena. Attention to detail continues to bite the Sharks, who made mistakes in key situations that always seemed to find the back of their net.

The staff writers at LetsGoSharks.com submit their league rankings each week, and we average submissions for each team. New teams at the top of the rankings this week, after a handfull of surprise game outcomes. It's early, but here we are. Here are the LGS NHL Power Rankings for this week:

This is looking like the proverbial long, long season for the Sharks, as in a season that is going to be filled with lots and lots of losses. They're off to an 0-4 start, despite having leads in the last three games, including a 2-0 advantage that quickly evaporated Saturday, on Doug Wilson Night. Six Sharks goals in 12 periods of hockey so far this season is just not going to cut it. Neither will allowing back-to-back shorthanded goals, as they did Saturday.

The Sharks honored their long time general manager, Doug Wilson, on Saturday night. They elected to hold the festivities while Wilson's former team, the Chicago Blackhawks, were in town. Ironically, the Sharks and Blackhawks entered play a combined 0-5 on the season, so one of the two teams would earn their first win of the season. IT wasn't San Jose. The Sharks paid homage to Wilson by showcasing the discombobulated roster that was partly his handy work.

The Sharks returned home to open their true home schedule with a game against the Carolina Hurricanes at SAP Center on Friday night, but the sad sack hosts played good hosts by gift-wrapping a 2-1 decision for the visitors from the east on a last second goal. San Jose also welcomed home former defenseman Brent Burns, how was traded to Carolina over the off-season. San Jose may be going through the curse of the Burnzbino as they are having issues scoring, and giving up key goal late.

Here back home from Prague. How was it? My third time in that city and the trip was only messed up by some below expectation hockey. Not counting the British Airways experience. At one time Britain bossed and bullied around 1/4 of the planet, now their big chance at us is changing planes at Heathrow. They want to show they can still treat everyone like crap.

The Sharks return home on Friday to begin their official home schedule with a game against the Carolina Hurricanes. The game will also mark the homecoming of former defenseman Brent Burns, who was traded to Carolina last July. Being the second game of the season for Carolina, Burns hasn't been gone long enough to warrant much of a sentimental reunion. The Sharks actually did Burns a favor by shipping him to a contender, but their bigger favor was a gift by former General Manager Doug Wilson. Almost.

The staff writers at LetsGoSharks.com submit their league rankings each week, and we average submissions for each team. We kick off the 2022-23 season with a fresh rankings, complete with player additions and subtractions by team. Here are the LGS NHL Power Rankings for this week:

24 hours after dropping their season opener in Prague, the Sharks looked to redeem themselves in the back half of the NHL's Global Series with the Nashville Predators. The level of play improved for San Jose, but the results were the same as San Jose dropped a 3-2 decision at O2 Arena in the Czech Republic. San Jose grabbed an early lead, but another miserable middle frame doomed the Sharks, who dropped both games of the series and limp home for games in their own barn next Friday.

The Sharks hit the international stage to kickoff the 2022-23 NHL Season on Friday, playing in the NHL's Global Series against the Nashville Predators. San Jose played a solid 20 minutes to open the game, then stumbled through the next 40, dropping a 4-1 decision to Predators lineup that is superior on paper. The Predators capitalized on their chances and the Sharks inability to generate enough offense set the foundation of the season opening loss.

The 2022-23 NHL Season kicks off on Friday morning with the Sharks squaring off with the Nashville Predators in Prague, Czech Republic, a mere five months after San Jose wrapped up arguably one of their worst seasons in franchise history. Lots of new faces from top to bottom for a franchise that finds itself with a new general manager, coaching staff and a spattering of players that weren't on the roster when the Sharks last played. For those of you who forgot, that last game was a 3-0 loss to the expansion Seattle Kraken.

The Sharks formally introduced new head coach David Quinn to the media on Tuesday morning during a press conference at SAP Center. Quinn becomes the 11th head coach in franchise history, replacing Bob Boughner who was relieved of his duties earlier this summer.

The Brent Burns era in San Jose is done. After spending the last 11 seasons in the South Bay, the eccentric defenseman was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes, along with Lane Pederson in exchange for centerman Steven Lorentz, goaltender Eetu Makiniemi and a conditional 3rd round draft pick on Wednesday. The Sharks made the move largely to rid themselves of Burns contract, although they will retain 33% of the remaining $24 million due to the defenseman.

The rehabilitation of the San Jose Sharks took its first step on Tuesday when the club announced the hiring of Mike Grier who will serve as the Sharks new General Manager. Grier, a former Sharks player, will serve as the fifth GM in the team's history. The 47 year-old was introduced to the media in a press conference at SAP Center, just two days before the NHL Entry Draft.

Last Tuesday, Patrick Marleau announced his retirement from the NHL in a ceremony at the Shark Tank. All of us who follow the Sharks expected this day to happen, but were rather hoping it would be on a June evening following a skate around carrying the Stanley Cup after a deciding game in the Finals. Instead it was a morning in May and the live attendance was press, family, Sharks' staff and alumni, and several hundred season ticket holders.

Patrick Marleau is calling it a career. You would be forgiven for thinking he'd already retired as Marleau didn't play an NHL game this season. Despite that, it only became official today when the 23-year veteran decided to make the announcement. While he certainly earned the right to take as much time as he needed to find his peace with retirement, the gap does mean that we all have a harder time putting his career into perspective. There was no farewell tour. No last trip around the SAP center in front of the hometown fans. No outpouring of respect and admiration from the hockey world.

For most of the past quarter century, Patrick Marleau has held the unofficial title of Mr. Shark - the player most easily identified with the San Jose Sharks franchise. We knew some day his long career would finally come to an end, and that officially happened today.

The 2021-22 NHL campaign is all but wrapped up for the Sharks, but they used the second to last game of the season to make a game of their stop in Edmonton on Thursday night. The Sharks held leads on three occasions, but fell to the Oilers on an overtime goal to Zach Hyman. It would have been easy for San Jose to roll over as they prepare for the off-season, but they showed enough fight to push the Oilers to extra hockey. Edmonton was playing to lock up the 2nd spot in the Pacific Division, so they were motivated to win.

Thirty years ago, I had just graduated from college and found myself staring at my first paycheck from my first "real job" as an adult. It was 1991 and the Sharks had just setup shop in the South Bay. Having grown up in San Jose, it was the novelty of all novelties to have a professional sports team call my hometown their hometown. So I took that paycheck, and I did what any twenty-something sports nut with new found riches would do. I signed up for season tickets.

The St Louis Blues came to San Jose on Thursday night with an objective. Continuing their play as a sudden juggernaut, the Blues won for the 10th time in their last 11 games. The Sharks held them in check for waves, but a series of penalties cost them in the end. San Jose trailed by a goal for the final 40 minutes until St Louis tacked on an empty-net goal in the closing seconds to take a 3-1 decision at SAP Center.

Doug Wilson announced on Thursday that he is stepping down as Sharks General Manger after serving in the role for 19 years. Wilson took a leave of absence from the team earlier this season for health reasons. Joe Will continues to serve as interim-GM until the Sharks can find a replacement.

The Sharks continued the "playing out the season" parade with a stop in Denver to take on the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night. The Sharks went toe-to-toe with the league's best team, but in the end, the Avalanche simply outclassed the Sharks. The teams were tied 2-2 with 8 minutes to play, before Colorado's deadly power play took advantage of the Sharks.

The Sharks appear to have recognized their fate this season, and are playing accordingly. Nobody seems to be concerned with preserving their job or auditioning for next season. They are a team ready for the golf course. Case in point was Wednesday night's game in Glendale, Arizona. The Sharks were in the Valley of the Sun to take on a Coyotes team that had lost 6 straight games and had been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs earlier this week. The Sharks didn't even bother to take advantage of a wounded opponent, dropping a 5-2 decision to Arizona.

Don't attempt to understand the psychology of professional hockey. A day after losing a couple of roster regulars at the NHL trade deadline, and facing the 2nd best team in the West in the Calgary Flames, the Sharks overcame a 3-1 deficit, scoring a pair of 3rd period goals to win 4-3 at Scotiabank Saddledome. It would have been easy to throw in the towel after Sharks management suggested that was the approach after being sellers at the deadline, but the Sharks overcame a little diversity for a night to win a game they should have lost on paper.

The Sharks dominance over the Los Angeles Kings took a night off on Thursday. After beating the Kings in their first three meetings, San Jose could do nothing in their 4th affair, falling to Los Angeles 3-0 at Crypto.com Arena. Cal Petersen made 29 saves to shutout the Sharks, whose listless offense never really challenged the Kings goaltender. With the loss, San Jose fell 9 points out of the last playoff spot.

The grand Joe Thornton reunion finally happened on Tuesday night at SAP Center. The Panthers seemed destined on winning it for Jumbo. The Sharks seemed destined to lose it as a gift to their former heart and soul. The Panthers overcame a 2-1 deficit in the 3rd period, tying it on a Frank Vatrano goal, then winning it when the Panthers centerman blasted his second tally of the game in overtime.

With 25 games to play, the Sharks don't have the luxury of making any mistakes if they're going to pull of a miracle and make the playoffs. Games against Western Conference opponents are doubly important. San Jose kicked off an odd 4-game stretch which pits them against the Los Angeles Kings 3 times. They started with a gritty 4-3 overtime victory at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Thursday night.

To err is human. To err and not try to fix the error is today's NHL. The whole notion of replay being used to ensure the right calls are being applied is simply a way for the league to deflect the fact that their officiating ranks make lots of mistakes. They made a grand one on Sunday night, but replay was not an option, because certain calls are not reviewable. In the case of the Sharks and Ducks, a missed to many men call cost San Jose a win.

The Sharks ship is taking on water and they're only equipped with had drills. The roster has too many holes and the youngsters that are being asked to fill those holes just don't have the NHL maturity required to be competitive. That formula is resulting in lopsided losses like the one in Vegas on Tuesday night. Even against a struggling Vegas Golden Knights club, the Sharks were out-gunned, losing 3-1 at T-Mobile Arena.

It was a night of firsts in San Jose on Sunday. The Sharks finally eat the Seattle Kraken for the first time. They were also powered by two young players who each scored their first NHL goals, en route to a 3-1 victory at SAP Center. Scott Reedy and Jonah Gadjovich propelled the Sharks to their 2nd win in the last three games, closing out a tough month of February on a high note.

The Sharks entered play on Thursday night having lost 7 straight games. They played the New York Islanders like a team that had lost 7 straight, but James Reimer wouldn't allow it. The Sharks goaltender made 44 saves, then stopped all three shots he faced in the shootout to help San Jose scratch out a 4-3 victory at SAP Center.

The losing streak extended to 7 games for San Jose on Tuesday night, as they fell 4-3 in a shootout to the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center in Southern California. San Jose squandered two leads, a power play in overtime and a chance in the shootout to fall even further in the Western Conference and Pacific Division standings. San Jose last beat an opponent on January 26 in Washington D.C..

The Sharks short 3-game home stand concluded with a thud, as San Jose dropped the finale 3-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday night. San Jose lost all three games on the home stand falling even further out of a playoff spot in the Western conference. The Sharks never challenged Vegas, who started a rookie goaltender, who had one NHL start prior to Sunday's game.

The Sharks knew their south east swing was going to be a tough road trip, if not the toughest trip of the season. Little mistakes prevented them from scoring big points against big time opponents. Tuesday night's finale against the Tampa Bay Lightning should have been a turning point for a team that has struggled. Shoddy officiating played a pivotal role in a 3-2 overtime loss at Amelie Arena, which ended the 1-1-2 trip.

The Avalanche turn a monster 10 games into a trip to the top spot in this week's NHL Power Rankings. The Panthers and Hurricanes have been king of the hill all season, but the West is starting to wake up. See who paid the price this week. Some of the team positions may surprise you.