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.
Alexander Barabanov put his team in a hole 6 minutes into the
game, when he was called for a tripping infraction. The Predators converted on
the game's first power play when Nino Niederreiter scored his 17 goal of the
season. Niederreiter was trying to hit Matt Duchene in front of the net, but
his pass hit Mario Ferraro, redirecting it past James Reimer for the 1-0
Nashville lead.
The Sharks had their own 1st power play to try and
level the score after Cody Glass was sent off for interference. The Sharks
would generate a single shot on goal on that power play chance, coming in the
form of a Martin Kaut tip right before the penalty expired.
San Jose
would only record 4 shots on goal in total in that opening 20 minutes, fueled
by an effort that was devoid of the same energy that fueled their 4-0 win over
Seattle on Monday afternoon.
Nashville doubled up their lead just 1:28
into the 2nd period. Mikael Granlund fired a shot from the space between the
left dot and the bottom of the circle that slipped between Reimer's pads for
his 8th goal of the season. Philip Tomasino had put a shot on goal that kicked
back out to Granlund who was in the right spot at the right time.
From
the hockey oddities department, referees Peter MacDougall and Kyle Rehman
called a major penalty on Nico Sturm 7 minutes into the period after Juuso
Parssinen crumpled to the ice following a whistle. The play was reviewed, which
showed that not only was a major penalty an overreaction, but there wasn't a
penalty on the play at all. Sturm was allowed to exit the box as Rehman
announced the absence of any penalty on the play.
Erik Karlsson was
called for a hook at 8:05, and this penalty stuck. Sturm responded by gathering
a Steven Lorentz lead pass, then racing up the right side and lifting a puck
past goaltender Juuse Saros.
Karlsson just missed tying the game after
he missed on a breakaway chance after exiting the penalty box.
Nashville regained their 2-goal lead at 13:34 when Tomasino set up Granlund
with a pass through the slot. Granlund had floated over to the right side
undefended. Karlsson was slow to get back, allowing the Predators forward to
stuff home his 9th goal of the season and a 3-1 lead.
San Jose looked
to get back into the game late in the period when Kevin Gravel was sent off for
pushing Noah Gregor into Saros. The Predators dispatched any idea of a comeback
when Yakov Trenin flipped a puck past Reimer for the short-handed goal. That
pushed the Predators lead to 4-1.
Martin Kaut scored his first goal as
a Shark, depositing a Tomas Hertl feed from the right post 50 seconds into the
3rd period.
Tanner Jeannot leveled Barabanov from behind at 4:02
to put the Sharks on the power play, but San Jose would not capitalize.
Niederreiter added his second goal of the game at 10:48 with a shot
from the right side.
Mikey Eyssimont irritability landed him in the
penalty box for roughing at 13:13. Nashville answered with their 6th goal of
the game when Tommy Novak deposited a Matt Duchene feed for his 8th tally of
the year.
Game Notes: * Nico Sturm's short-handed goal
in the 2nd period was on the second goal of that type for the Sharks this
season.
* Tim Meier missed his second consecutive game with what's
being reported as an upper body injury.
* Tomas Hertl was back in the
lineup after he missed Monday's game to welcome his 2nd son Theo.
*
Radim Simek was activated before the game off the injured reserve, but he was
not in the lineup for San Jose. The defenseman has missed the last 20 games due
to issues related to a lower body issue.
* Several Sharks alumni were
in attendance for the game. They are in town to play in the special alumni game
at Tech CU Arena on Friday night. That game is all part of the Patrick Marleau
number retirement festivities, which culminate with the retirement ceremony
before Saturday's game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
