LetsGoSharks.com - Inside San Jose Sharks Hockey
Support this community by becoming a Sponsor
  
Big lead evaporates in 7-5 loss
Sharks drop 11th in a row to Nashville
1/21/2025 - By Mike Lee

There have been tough losses this season, and then there were losses like the one in Nashville on Tuesday night. Holding a 5-1 lead at the midway mark of the game, San Jose turned in one of the more impressive implosions of the season, allowing Nashville to score 6 unanswered goals to take a 7-5 victory at Bridgestone Arena.

The patented Sharks 3rd period meltdown started early. After giving up a pair of goals to end the 2nd period, San Jose gave up a 4-spot in the 3rd to cough up what should have been a sure victory.

Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky talked about his team's immaturity after their 3rd period letdown in Boston 24 hours earlier. This was more than just a team with the yips. It has more to do with the personnel and the absence of players that can simply get the job done.

The Sharks jumped out to the early 1-0 lead when rookie Macklin Celebrini collected a long Cody Ceci feed, gained the Nashville zone, then snapped a shot off the rush from the right side. Celebrini's shot sailed over goaltender Juuse Saros' glove, catching the upper right corner of the net. The goal was Celebrini's 14th of the season.

San Jose went on the power play right off the ensuing faceoff after Vinnie Hinostroza lofted a puck over the glass to earn a delay of game penalty. The Sharks power play missed on an opportunity to jump on the Predators early with a second goal.

They would use a pair of even strength situations to scores goals 14 seconds apart to push their lead to 3-0.

Luke Kunin scored a goal with a shot from the high slot at 11:42 after Cody Ceci fed him the puck following a faceoff win in the zone. Kunin's shot eluded everyone on the ice except for referee Ghislain Hebert who saw it catch the top of the net then tuck under the padding in the back of the goal.

The Predators took exception to a stoppage that wasn't called on what they believed was a hand pass by Henry Thrun after the puck wound around the glass and hit the Sharks defenseman near the blueline.

Former Predator Mikael Granlund added his 13th goal of the season right after Kunin's tally with a shot from the right dot off a one-time feed from Will Smith. Saros tried clearing the puck by winding it around the right wing boards, but Fabian Zetterlund intercepted it and sent the puck to Smith at the left dot.

Nashville got one back when Tommy Novak lifted a puck past Alexandar Georgiev after a Fedor Sveckov shot from the blueline hit Thrun in the skate and kicking right to the Predators centerman.

The ice began to tilt toward the Sharks net later in the period as the Predators tried to respond to the three Sharks goals. They put 8 shots on Georgiev in the period, but they would only pot Novak's tally.

With the period coming to a close the Sharks could have been content with their 3 goal output, but Celebrini forced a turnover with a big forecheck hit on Justin Barron. Alexander Wennberg scooped up the loose puck then slid to this right where Jake Walman raced in on net and lifted a backhand chance past Saros for his 6th of the season and a 4-1 lead.

Predators head coach decided to pull Saros to start the 2nd period and replaced him with Justus Annunen.

Steven Stamkos opened the period by cross checking Jan Rutta into Georgiev to earn an interference penalty 23 seconds in. The Sharks capitalized when Granlund potted his 2nd of the game on a feed from Eklund.

Credit to the Predators who didn't throw in the towel. That would earn them a pair of goals that made it a 2-goal game.

Svechkov bagged his 5th of the season at 12:40 on a power play after Will Smith was sent off for holding. Colton Sissons fired a shot on goal from the left side, but the puck hit Georgiev and kicked back out to the slot where Svechkov was waiting.

Barron tacked on his 3rd goal of the season 53 seconds later.

Whatever motivational speech Warsofsky gave his team at the 2nd intermission, it didn't work. Nashville converted just 28 seconds into the 3rd period when Jonathan Marchessault walked the puck down the slot and snapped a shot past Georgiev for his 15th goal of the season.

William Eklund continued the head scratching decisions by hauling down Nick Blankenburg, which then led to Roman Josi power play goal at 5:23 to tie the game.

The implosion came full circle after a would be delay of game penalty to Nashville was challenged and overturned after it was ruled that Blakenburg clearing attempt hit the boards before it sailed over the glass. That allowed the Predators to keep their defenseman on the ice to fire a shot that squeezed through Georgiev at 8:09 to give Nashville the 6-5 lead.

Filip Forsberg added an empty net goal to cap the game's scoring.

Game Notes:

* Nico Sturm was scratched for an undisclosed injury. He joined Tyler Toffoli and Marc-Edouard Vlasic on the scratch list.

* Nikolai Kovalenko made his return from the injured reserve. The young winger missed 6 games while dealing with a lower body injury.

* The win was Nashville's 11th in a row over San Jose. They can make it 12 on Thursday as both teams go at it in San Jose in 48 hours.

* Jonathan Marchessault recorded his 3rd career 4-point game. All of them have come against the Sharks.

* Henry Thrun played in his 100th NHL game.


SHARE THIS STORY:



What did you think of this article? Post your comments on the Feeder Forums

 
What did you think of this story? Post your comments on the
Feeder Forums
Scoring
1 2 3 T
SJ 4 1 0 5
NSH 1 2 4 7
1st period - 1, SJ, Celebrini 14 (Ceci, Eklund), 1:07. 2, SJ, Kunin 11 (Ceci), 11:42. 3, SJ, Granlund 13 (Smith), 11:56. 4, NSH, Novak 6 (Svechkov, Schenn), 12:20. 5, SJ, Walman 6 (Wennberg), 19:31.
2nd period - 6, SJ, Granlund 14 (Eklund, Celebrini), 4:28, (pp). 7, NSH, Svechkov 5 (Sisson, Novak), 12:40, (pp). 8, NSH, Barron 3 (Forsberg, Stamkos), 13:33.
3rd period - 9, NSH, Marchessault 15 (Stamkos), 0:28. 10, NSH, Josi 9 (Forsberg, Marchessault), 5:23, (pp). 11, NSH, Blankenburg 3 (Novak, Marchessault), 8:09. 12, NSH, Forsberg 16 (unassisted), 18:36, (en).
Penalties
1st period - Hinostroza, NSH (delay of game - puck over glass), 1:18.
2nd period - Stamkos, NSH (interference), 0:23; Walman, SJ (holding), 2:07; Skjei, NSH (high sticking), 4:20; Smith, SJ (holding), 11:24; Wilsby, NSH (tripping), 16:59.
3rd period - Eklund, SJ (holding), 3:51.
Goaltending
Shots Saves
SJ - Georgiev 40 34
SJ - empty net 1 0
NSH - Saros 8 4
NSH - Annunen 16 15
Shots On Goal
1 2 3 T
SJ 8 5 11 24
NSH 8 18 15 41
Power Play Conversion
SJ 1 of 4
NSH 2 of 3
3 Stars of the Game
Jonathan Marchessault
Tommy Novak
Nick Blankenburg
Attendance
Bridgestone Arena - 17,159
Officials
Referees: #22 Ghislain Hebert, #27 Eric Furlatt. Linesmen: #87 Devin Berg, #50 Scott Cherrey.





Privacy Statement   |   Contact Us   |   Advertise
Copyright 1997-2022 LetsGoSharks.com. All rights reserved.
This website is an unofficial and independently operated source of news
and information not affiliated with the San Jose Sharks, any team, or league.