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.
San
Jose committed 6 minor penalties, which was also unusual for a team that ranked
4th in times shorthanded per games played. They averaged 2.73 penalties per
game entering play, which they exceeded by more than double in the loss.
Special teams was the name of the game all night.
Brady
Tkachuk was called for breaking his stick across Luke Kunin's face at 6:56, and
the Sharks voiced their displeasure by scoring on the ensuing power play. Tomas
Hertl lifted a shot from the end line on the right side, beating Senators
goaltender Anton Forsberg for his 8th goal of the season.
An Oskar
Lindblom holding penalty setup the Senators to tie the game 3 minutes later.
Tkachuk took several swipes at the puck as he sat at the top of the crease. The
Sharks had two defenders flanking him, but couldn't stop the Ottawa forward
from jamming the puck past goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen.
San Jose
answered immediately when Hertl one-timed an Erik Karlsson feed at 11:03. Hertl
sliced in on net, heading for the left post as Karlsson setup the goal with a
pass form the right corner.
A patented 2022-23 Sharks mistake
resulting in a goal end up in the Sharks net at 5:22 of the 2nd period when
Matt Benning floated a puck out to the front of his own net from the end
boards. Claude Giroux pounced on the gaff and put it past Kahkonen for his 10th
goal of the season.
The Sharks surrendered a 2nd goal off a Senators
power play at 16:40 after Radim Simek was sent off for holding. Tim Stutzle
buried Drake Batherson feed through the slot tic-tac-toe style. San Jose had
only surrendered 3 power play goals on the road entering play.
Thomas
Chabot bagged the Senators 3rd power play goal 5:18 into the 3rd period after
Jonah Gadjovich was sent off for slashing.
The game went off the rails
with just under 5 minutes to play. Thomas Hertl and Alex Debrincat were set off
for roughing, setting up a 4-on-4 situation. Chabot was sent off for tripping
giving them a 4-on-3 power play. The Sharks came within an inch of scoring when
a Logan Couture shot slid through Forsberg and sat on the goal line before
being swept away.
As all penalties expired the Sharks had the puck at
the Ottawa blueline when Timo Meier was blatantly tripped. Referees Peter
MacDougall and Kendrick Nicholson kept their whistles in their pockets,
allowing Claude Giroux and Tyler Motte to skate up ice unimpeded. Giroux would
up from the slot, firing a shot past Kahkonen for his 2nd of the game and the
5-2 lead.
Sharks head coach David Quinn livid with the non-call,
giving both referees an ear full. It was meaningless as it wouldn't negate the
goal, as San Jose fell for the second straight game.
Game Notes:
* Goaltender James Reimer is traveling with the team, but he
suffered an undisclosed setback in practice and has been ruled out of Sunday's
game against Buffalo.
* In addition to their penalty killing woes in
the loss, the Sharks were also deficient in the faceoff circle, where they won
only 23 of 56 draws for a 41% conversion rate.
* Timo Meier, Logan
Couture, Tomas Hertl and Alexander Barabanov combined for 21 of the Sharks 37
shots in the game.
* Not surprisingly, the Sharks offense sputtered in
the 2nd and 3rd periods, where they committed 5 of their 6 minor penalties.
Mark Kastelic tried to light a fire on the Senators bench by fighting Jonah
Gadjovich early in the 2nd period. It appeared to work.
* The Sharks
have zero opportunity to dwell on the loss, as they wrap up the road trip in
Buffalo on Sunday night.
