As the Sharks continue to develop their identity along with their gaggle of young players, the steps forward will be offset by steps backward. Thursday night was a step backwards for a San Jose lineup that played a decent opening period against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden, but they followed that up with an awful 2nd period that would cost them a 3-2 defeat to the defending Easter Conference Champions.

Playing with consistency will always be the hardest thing for young players to learn and this game was a perfect example of what happens when they don't bring that consistency.

The Rangers woke up from a lethargic opening frame and put the pressure on the Sharks, allowing them to pot 3 goals that would be enough to hold off the upstart California bunch.

The newest member of the Sharks, Timothy Liljegren staked his team to an early 1-0 lead by way of his first goal in teal. The defenseman threw a puck to the front of the net from the left point, but there was so much traffic out front that Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin lost sight of it. The shot appeared to hit a Rangers defender, forcing the puck down toward the ice as it skipped pas the Rangers netminder.

A penalty parade created a 4-on-3 power play for San Jose early in the 2nd period, but the Sharks would not capitalize. When 5-on-5 play resumed the Sharks generated a pair of decent scoring chances including a William Eklund shot that rang off the left post.

New York tied the game 11:41 of the period after Adam Fox fired a puck on net from the right side that Mackenzie Blackwood stopped, but the rebound kicked out to Mika Zibanejad for the put-back chance. Defenseman Henry Thrun was guilty of puck-watching on the play, rather than tying up Zibanejad on the weak side.

The Sharks blew a huge opportunity on the next shift when they failed to put the puck on net as they skated up ice on a 4-on-1. Filip Chytil collided with teammate Sam Carrick, then two other defenders were caught deep.

Jimmy Vesey gave New York the lead at 13:15 on a put back after his pass attempt bounced right back to him. The Rangers forward lifted a backhand shot that beat a partially screened Blackwood for his 2nd tally of the season.

The Rangers thought they had stretched their lead to 3-1 moments later when Fox pumped a shot past Blackwood from the high slot, but the Sharks challenged the play for goaltender interference after Vinny Trocheck knocked Blackwood's stick out of his hands a split second before Fox's shot arrived. That challenge was upheld and the lead was reverted to the lone goal.

Trocheck would make amends on the next shift when he converted a pretty feed from Artemi Panarin. The Rangers winger slipped past Tyler Toffoli on the right side before receiving Panarin's feed and lifting a shot past Blackwood.

William Eklund was called for an iffy hooking penalty late in the period and the Rangers deftly just skated the puck around their own end to wind down the period and start the 3rd period with a full 2-minute power play.

The Sharks could have taken a big bite out of the New York lead when former Ranger Barclay Goodrow beat two Rangers to a loose puck an raced up ice on a short-handed breakaway chance. The chance went unfulfilled when Goodrow pushed a shot attempt wide of the left post.

After trading shot for shot in the final frame, the Sharks were forced to pull Blackwood with 2 minutes to play. Zibanejad would trip Mikael Granlund with 60 seconds left in regulation to give the Sharks their 3rd power play of the night.

Fabian Zetterlund would convert on the 6-on-4 power play when William Eklund sent a feed out front from behind the Rangers net with 26 seconds to play.

Alexander Wennberg may have had a chance to put a challenging shot on net right before the clock expired, but the puck heeled on him to disrupt what should have been a decent scoring chance.

Game Notes:

* In a first for head coach Ryan Warsofsky, he had both Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith on the 1st power play unit.

* Nico Sturm was injured in the 2nd period and did not return to the game.

* Igor Shesterkin moves to 5-0-2 all time against San Jose. The netminder finished the contest with 25 saves.

* Mackenzie Blackwood had to deal with another high volume of shots. He stopped 32 of 25 pucks thrown at him for the hard luck loss.

* Mikael Granlund recorded 7 of the Sharks 27 shots. Fabian Zetterlund added 4 shots. Artemi Panerin, Chris Kreider and K'Andre Miller combined for 14 of New York's 35 shots.