As the NHL Trade deadline approaches, some
Sharks are rehearsing for a possible move to a team trying to round out their
rosters for the playoffs. Some of those Sharks are either unaware of the
audition or they're willingly trying to avoid a trade by playing at a level
unworthy of an NHLer. After taking a 1-0 lead against the New Jersey Devils on
Tuesday night at SAP Center, then promptly allowed the Devils to score 7
straight goal en route to a 7-2 loss.
It was just under a year ago
when San Jose shipped arguably their best forward to New Jersey in a mass
player swap. With many of those players participating in Tuesday's contest, it
was clear that New Jersey is a few steps ahead of San Jose in terms of roster
development.
Sharks goaltender and former Devil Mackenzie Blackwood
started the game and kept New Jersey off the scoreboard for the majority of the
opening period, but he was replaced by Kaapo Kahkonen with 2:26 remaining in
the frame. Blackwood stopped all 13 shots he faced.
With Blackwood and
Kahkonen doing their thing Nico Sturm helped the Sharks crack the score sheet
with 1:43 left in the period. The German forward went hard to the net and
redirected an Alexander Barabanov feed from in front of the right post. It was
the 41st time this season that New Jersey has allowed the game's first goal.
It also broke a 7-game pointless streak for Barabanov, who has been
mentioned in trade rumors as the NHL trade deadline quickly approaches.
San Jose blinked at the start of the 2nd period and their 1-0 lead
turned into a 2-1 deficit after New Jersey scored a pair of goals 37 seconds
apart.
Jesper Bratt tapped home a Timo Meier feed after the former
Shark drew a pair of defenders over to the right side. Bratt trailed on the off
wing and easily deposited Meier's feed for his 22nd goal of the season at 3:29.
Jack Hughes then beat Kahkonen on a breakaway chance at 4:06 to give
the Devils the lead.
Meier appeared to give the Devils a 2-goal lead
by scoring on the power play with 8:10 remaining in the period. San Jose
challenged the play for offside, which was confirmed to negate Meier's tally.
Kevin Bahl gave the Devils that 2-goal lead at 13:07 when he ripped a
shot from the inside of the left circle to beat Kahkonen with his 1st goal of
the season.
Colin Miller put the game out of reach 2:40 into the 3rd
period by snapping a shot from right side that slipped past Kahkonen's stick
side.
Defenseman Brendan Smith made it a 5-1 game at 5:01 with a blast
from the blueline that Kahkonen simply missed. The Sharks goaltender was either
late to pick up the puck or didn't see it off Smith's stick at all.
The Sharks seemed to throw in the towel at that
point. Dawson Mercer added his 16th goal of the season at 6:57 with a shot from
the inside of the right circle. Mercer floated to a soft spot 18 feet out, and
waited for Jack Hughes to set him up with the feed.
Hischier capped
his big 4-point night with a goal at 7:57. The Devils forward gathered a BRatt
feed at center ice before carrying the puck to the inside of the left circle.
He uncorked a shot at Nikita Okhotiuk laid him out with a hit on the follow
through. As was the case with almost every other Devils goal, Kahkonen seemed
late to recognize the trajectory of the shot.
Justin Bailey scored his
5th goal of the season with 7:27 remaining in regulation, firing a shot from
the left side that beat Devils goaltender Nico Daws.
Game
Notes: * The sparse crowd of 10,982, or at least those who actually
showed up gave Timo Meier a nice ovation as the former Shark made his first
appearance at SAP Center since being traded to New Jersey last March.
* Defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic missed his second consecutive game as he deals
with an injury.
* Givani Smith and Calend Addison were healthy
scratches.
* Ty Emberson and Nikita Okhotiuk were both a -3 on the
night. San Jose was a collective -25 in the game.
* Jack Hughes
recorded 11 shots on goal in the contest. San Jose had 31 shots as a team. New
Jersey recorded 44 shots in total
