Sharks Fall 2-1 to Stars, Losing Streak at nine

Dallas Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa (2) and center Joe Pavelski (16) defend against San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture (39) in real close battle at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Sat Apr 16, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

The Sharks lost their ninth in a row Thursday, 2-1 to the Dallas Stars. Tyler Seguin and Michael Raffl scored for the Stars. Jake Oettinger made 23 saves for the win. Timo Meier scored for the Sharks and Kaapo Kahkonen made 24 saves in the loss.

After the game, Sharks Head Coach Bob Boughner compared the game to the previous outing:

“I thought tonight we played exactly how we want to play in this building against an urgent team. We know how important this game was for Dallas, we tried to match that urgency early. I thought we did. I just thought our game was better, I thought that we played with good structure.”

The Sharks were eliminated from playoff contention after their loss to the Blackhawks on Tuesday. So it should be no surprise that a number of rookies in need of game time were in the lineup Thursday. Out of the lineup were Alexander Barabanov, Erik Karlsson and Radim Simek with injuries of varying degrees. Forward Jasper Weatherby had 8:01 TOI and won 29% of his face-offs, centering Jeffrey Viel and Scott Reedy. Viel had 7:51 TOI. Reedy had two shots, a hit and a blocked shot in 12:10 TOI. Sasha Chmelevski had three shots, two hits, and won 29% of his face-offs in 16:56 TOI, centering Noah Gregor and Matt Nieto. Defenseman Ryan Merkley had an assist, three shots, a blocked shot and a hit in 16:40 TOI, playing with Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Defenseman Nicolas Meloche had a shot, a hit and a blocked shot in 20:31 TOI, playing with Mario Ferraro.

Boughner was not unhappy with the performance of the younger players, and said:

“I thought the young guys all played well, I thought Weatherby coming in, I thought he played fine in the middle. I thought he had a little trouble in his face-offs. You know, but I thought Reedy, and Sasha, [Merkley], all those guys gave us good minutes.”

Tyler Seguin scored the first goal, at 5:55 of the first period. He redirected a shot from Jamie Benn that came across the ice to Seguin, right in front of the blue paint. Assists went to Benn and Ryan Suter.

Michael Raffl scored the second Dallas goal, short handed at 13:32 of the second period. Luke Glendening carried the puck from one o-zone to the other, two on one with Raffl. Glendening made the pass through a sliding Brent Burns to Raffl, who had a clear shot. Assists went to Glendening and Esa Lindell. It was the eleventh short-handed goal that the Sharks have given up this season.

Timo Meier scored at 19:23 of the second, his 33^rd of the season. Ryan Merkley sent the puck to the middle of the slot for Meier, who took the shot through traffic. Assists went to Merkley and Mario Ferraro.

The shots were close throughout the game, with a final count of 26-24 Stars. Each team had three shots on the power play, but the Stars had three short-handed shots as well as the short-handed goal. The Sharks won 41% of their face-offs.

The Sharks next play on Sunday at 2:30 PM PT in Minnesota against the Wild.

Sharks Fall to Blackhawks 5-4 in Shootout

Chicago Blackhawks center Dylan Strome (17) scores against San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer, left, at the United Center in Chicago on Thu Apr 14, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks fell 5-4 in a shootout to the Blackhawks in Chicago on Thursday. Patrick Kane, Taylor Raddish, Calvin DeHaan, and Dylan Strome scored for Chicago. Kevin Lankinen made 33 saves for the win. Timo Meier, Scott Reedy, Rudolfs Balcers, and Jaycob Megna scored for San Jose.

James Reimer made 28 saves in the loss. Going into the game, the Sharks had lost seven in a row and the Blackhawks had lost eight in a row. The win was fortuitous, as the game was the last for long-time (39 years) Chicago broadcaster Pat Foley.

After the game, Sharks Head Coach Bob Boughner talked about missed opportunities in this game and other recent losses. He said he would like to know “how many breakaways we’ve had probably in the last ten games, either five-on-five, short-handed. Shoot-outs, all those situations, you know, two nights ago in Nashville, Tommy Hertl. We missed a few breakaways in Vancouver. So those are golden opportunities to shift the momentum and we haven’t been able to take advantage of that.”

Patrick Kane gave the Blackhawks a lead at 2:03 in a three-on-one attack. Kane, arriving at the side of the net received, the pass from Dylan Strome and tapped the puck over the line. Assists went to Strome and Alex Debrincat.

Timo Meier tied it up at 4:45. Brent Burns took a shot from the point. Tomas Hertl redirected it and it went off of a Chicago defender, bouncing right to Meier, who shot it in off of the far post. Assists went to Hertl and Burns.

Taylor Raddish scored for Chicago on the power play at 13:35 of the second period. Assists went to Seth Jones and Patrick Kane.

Scott Reedy tied it 2-2 at 15:53. Matt Nieto passed the puck to a trailing Reedy who took the shot up the slot through traffic. The puck went in off of the crossbar. Assists went to.

The NHL reviewed a play at 17:14 after the Blackhawks celebrated, thinking they had a goal. But Reimer twisted around to reach for the puck and sweep it out while it was still on the red line. Before play resumed, Nicolas Meloche and Jake McCabe seemed ready to fight but the officials intervened and gave them each four minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The Blackhawks scored during the ensuing four-on-four at 18:42. Patrick Kane sent the puck at the net just as Calvin DeHaan was passing in front of the blue paint for a neat redirection. Assists went to Kane and Debrincat.

Dylan Strome made it 4-2 Chicago at 4:45 of the third. Four Blackhawks entered the zone, and four passed the puck across the ice before Strome took the shot from just below the circle. Assists went to Seth Jones and Alex Debrincat.

Rudolfs Balcers cut the lead back down to one with a goal at 5:40. With a scramble going on in front of the Chicago net, Balcers found the puck out front. He took his time to set up and shoot the puck up over the prone goaltender. Assists went to Logan Couture and Erik Karlsson.

Jaycob Megna tied the game at 16:35, after a flurry of shots from the Sharks late in the third. Megna caught a rebound at the bottom of the circle and shot the puck into the far side. Assists went to Meier and Hertl.

After a scoreless overtime, James Reimer saved shots from Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, but gave up a goal to Alex Debrincat. Kevin Lankinen stopped shots from Tomas Hertl, Logan Couture and Erik Karlsson.

Alexander Barabanov did not skate after he took a body check early in the first period, but he returned for the second period. Radim Simek also left early the first period, returned for two shifts before the end of the period and then did not return for the second. Matt Nieto sustained an upper-body injury at the end of the second period but returned for the third.

The shot count was close in the first and second periods, 22-20 Sharks. In the third, the Sharks stepped on the gas and out-shot the Blackhawks 13-6. In OT, the Blackhawks had four shots to the Sharks’ one. In the face-off circle, the Sharks took a beating, winning only 36% of the draws.

The Sharks next play on Saturday in Dallas against the Stars at 5:00 PM PT.

Sharks Fall 1-0 to Predators in OT

Nashville Predators’ Mattias Ekholm (14) celebrates with Ryan Johansen (92) after Johansen scored the winning goal against San Jose Sharks goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen (34) in overtime at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Tue Apr 12, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks lost their seventh in a row 1-0 in overtime to the Nashville Predators Tuesday. Ryan Johansen scored the lone goal of the game. Juuse Saros made 25 saves for the win. The Predators moved into the first wild card spot with the win. Kaapo Kahkonen made 40 saves for San Jose in the loss.

Sharks goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen described what he saw from his team: “Good road game. We battled hard and we didn’t step back and did a lot of good things. We were in the game all game, just a tough result again. But I think a lot of good things for being on the road and playing a good team.”

Despite their current losing streak, the Sharks have been very close in many of their recent games, including this one. Sharks forward Rudolfs Balcers described the mood in the room after the game: “Frustrating, you know, trying to get that win here, it’s been too many losses. I mean, it’s just tough, you don’t score goals you don’t win a game. So, the guys are a little down.”

The Sharks put up a good fight, including fights in the first period and the third from Jeffrey Viel and Nicolas Meloche. In general, the team played well and certainly improved on their prior meeting with Nashville, when they lost 8-0. After the game, Sharks Head Coach Bob Boughner said:

“I think that we did a decent job of sort of establishing our game. I think I looked up at the clock at one point in time it was 11 or 12 minutes to play in the first period and the shots were 2-1. So, those were things that we wanted to come out and establish. You know, we stood up to them physically and [Couture] came out hitting, [Viel], Meloche, guys like that. We took the hit to make the play we gave hits, it was a physical grind and I thought we answered the bell.”

There were two goals from the Predators in the game, but the first one was called back when the Sharks challenged the play for offside. Ryan Johansen’s overtime goal came 3:18 into the the extra frame. Johansen took the shot from a bad angle and it seemed to deflect of off a Shark before slipping under Kahkonen and into the net. Assists went to Mattias Ekholm and Filip Forsberg.

The Sharks were outshot by the Predators 25-41 through the game. In the face-off circle, they did well in the first period but by the end of the game were down to 43%. The Sharks killed two penalties, allowing just three shots. Their power play had one opportunity and got one shot on goal. Matt Nieto led the team in shots with four.

The Sharks play again on Thursday in Chicago against the Blackhawks at 5:30 PM PT.

Sharks Fall 4-2 to Canucks, Canucks Sweep Season Series

Vancouver Canucks’ Alex Chiasson and fans celebrate his goal during third period action at Rogers Place in Vancouver on Sat Apr 9, 2022 (The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Canucks’ Alex Chiasson and fans celebrate after Chiasson scores in the third period against the San Jose Sharks at Rogers Place in Vancouver on Sat Apr 10, 2022 (The Canadian Press via AP)

By Mary Walsh

VANCOUVER- The San Jose Sharks dropped their sixth in a row, a 4-2 road loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday. The loss concluded the season series between the teams, with the Canucks winning all three games. The win put the Canucks within four points of a playoff spot. Jason Dicksinson, Conor Garland, Alex Chiasson and Luke Schenn scored for the Canucks. Thatcher Demko made 35 saves for the win. Tomas Hertl and Nick Bonino scored for the Sharks and Kaapo Kahkonen made 35 saves in the loss.

Like many of the Sharks recent losses, the game was close in many respects. Sharks Head Coach Bob Boughner listed some of the missed opportunities that the Sharks had on Saturday:

“Had our scoring chances, again, I mean, I sound like a broken record but we had breakaways, we had three posts, you know, we had looks at the end in our six on five, six on four situation. You know, we had plenty of opportunities to score, we didn’t get it done.”

Sharks defenseman Ryan Merkley took a hit early in the first period after missing the mark with a drop pass in the Canucks zone. While he was getting to the bench, the Canucks went the other way and scored. He left the game until late in the period. Boughner discussed the hit and the play:

“I thought [the hit] looked a little high. Concerned about that, also concerned about the play. In the back of our net, that’s how we start the game. Things that we’re trying to get out of his game, out of our game. He’s a young guy. But I think that he got hit high, I looked at it a few times. He went through protocol, got checked out, it was good to see him come back healthy and ready to help us. But those are learning plays.”

Jason Dickinson gave the Canucks the lead just 2:05 into the first period. He intercepted a pass in the Sharks zone and went the other way two-on-one. He tucked the puck into the net at the last minute after Kahkonen had come too far out of the net.

Tomas Hertl tied it at 7:33 with a power play goal. Erik Karlsson set up Timo Meier for a shot from the circle. Demko stopped Meier’s shot but the rebound went right to Hertl on the other side. Assists went to Meier and Karlsson.

Conor Garland made it 2-1 at 4:49 of the second period. Garland picked up the puck at the Sharks blue line and went the other way with speed. He took the shot from the circle and to score his 15^th of the season. Alex Chiasson got the assist.

Nick Bonino, playing his 750^th NHL game, deflected a Brent Burns shot from the point to tie it at 18:37. Assists went to Burns and Noah Gregor.

Alex Chiasson made it 3-2 at 2:07 of the third period. He caught the puck low in the circle and put the shot through the short side. Assists went to Bo Horvat and Tyler Myers.

Luke Schenn scored a short-handed goal into and empty net with a second left in the game to make it 4-2.

The Sharks killed seven penalties in the game, allowing 12 shots to the Canucks power play. The Sharks power play had five opportunities and got one goal and five shots. In the face-off circle, the Sharks won 55% of the draws.

The Sharks next play on Tuesday in Nashville against the Predators at 5:00 PM PT.

Doug Wilson Steps Down, Search For New Sharks GM Begins

San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson at a news conference Sep 18, 2018 stepped down on Thu Apr 7, 2022 after 19 seasons as GM. Interim GM Joe Will is running the club until a new general manager is found (AP News file photo)

By Mary Lisa Walsh

SAN JOSE- Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson has been quietly but conspicuously absent for most of this season. Last Fall, shortly after being inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame, Wilson began a leave of absence for health reasons. Assistant GM Joe Will stepped in. On Thursday, the Sharks announced that their GM of 19 years had stepped down. In a press release, Wilson said of his decision:

“Finally, I want to thank everyone who has reached out during my leave of absence. While I have made great progress over the last several months, I feel it is in the best interest of the organization and myself to step down from my current duties and focus on my health and full recovery. I look forward to continuing my career in the NHL in the future.”

Thursday morning, the Sharks released a statement from owner Hasso Plattner:

“I want to personally thank Doug for his 19 seasons as general manager of the San Jose Sharks. Doug and his staff produced remarkable results over a span that very few NHL teams can match, highlighted by our 2016 Stanley Cup run. Doug has been an integral part of this franchise since the team’s inception in 1991, and his impact – on and off the ice – will continue to be felt long into the future. Doug, and his wife Kathy, will always have a place as members of the Sharks family.”

The team in charge of the search is made up of Sharks President Jonathan Becher, Interim General Manager Joe Will and Hasso Plattner. It does not seem that anyone expected Wilson to make this decision at this time. Of their plans so far, Becher said:

“Quite honestly, this is a late-breaking thing, so to say we have a hard list of criteria written down and I can cite them all would be exaggerating. Joe and I are going to meet this afternoon, put together the outline of the kind of person we’re looking for, probably bat around even some original ideas.”

Accordingly, the Sharks have no set timeline for finding a new GM. While they do not expect to fill the position before the draft, they anticipate finding someone before the next season starts. While the search is described as an external one, they have not absolutely ruled out choosing someone from within the organization.

Becher was asked whether they anticipate any changes to the team culture or style of play. He said:

“The culture of San Jose as a destination, as a family environment, that is highly unlikely to change as part of that. The culture of winning first, winning in the right way, that is unlikely to change. As I said in my opening remarks, Doug’s fingerprints are all over this thing and they’re unlikely to disappear. But as candidates come through they’re likely to have ideas that we haven’t thought of before and that’s what we want to be open to.”

Sharks Head Coach Bob Boughner heard the news Thursday morning. He called the news “stunning,” and said: ” Doug means a lot to me personally, I know what he’s done with this organization and, you know, his legacy is tough to compare. I think that a lot of people in that dressing room, including myself, have a lot to be thankful to Doug for. It’s, I guess, a changing of the guard and we’re trying to get our head around that.”

Several Sharks players spoke with the media Thursday afternoon, expressing their surprise at the news and also gratitude for the support that Wilson gave to them through their careers in San Jose. Sharks captain Logan Couture said: “Definitely going to miss him. Hopefully see him down the road here and talk to him and all that. But, happy that he’s taking steps to, you know, get to where he needs to be and doing what’s best for himself and his family.”

Sharks Lose 4-2 to Flames, Reimer Injured

Calgary Flames left wing Milan Lucic (17) chases down the puck as the San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (65) is in pursuit at the SAP Center in San Jose on Apr 7, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

SAN JOSE– The San Jose Sharks lost to the Calgary Flames for the first time this season, by a score of 4-2 at SAP Center. It was the Sharks’ fifth loss in a row. For Calgary, the win was the capstone for a California sweep after they won in Los Angeles and Anaheim. Matthew Tkachuk, Trevor Lewis, and Elias Lindholm scored for the Flames. Dan Vladar made 31 saves for the win. Nick Bonino and Logan Couture scored for the Sharks. James Reimer made 32 saves before being injured in the third period. Kaapo Kahkonen made five saves in relief.

After the game, Sharks Head Coach Bob Boughner said:

“Our execution could be better. From a compete standpoint, and for being in games with some of the top teams, you know, we’re banging heads with them. I think that I always come back to the same thing: it’s tough to win games when you’re only scoring one and two. I know I sound like a broken record.”

The Flames took the lead at 7:19 of the first period. Matthew Tkachuk stole a puck at the Sharks blue line. He didn’t break stride as he skated at the Sharks net and shot the puck over Reimer’s shoulder.

The Sharks tied it with a goal off Nick Bonino’s skate at 14:29. Assists went to Jaycob Megna and Matt Nieto.

Trevor Lewis made it 2-1 for Calgary at 19:05, carrying the puck into the zone and all the way to the net to jam it past Reimer’s pad. Assists went to Rasmus Andersson and Noah Hanifin.

Elias Lindholm made it 3-1 at 13:28 of the second period. Tkachuk carried the puck across the line and then dropped it to a trailing Lindholm. Lindholm’s shot went between two defenders and over Reimer’s glove. Assists went to Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau.

The Sharks got the first six shots of the third period and were rewarded. Logan Couture cut the lead down with a power play goal at 5:24. Timo Meier sent the puck at the net from just above the goal line. Couture was at the net and the puck went off his leg and in. Assists went to Meier and Mario Ferraro.

James was injured midway through the third period after a collision with Couture who had tripped over Blake Coleman’s skate right in front of the net. Couture’s leg slid right into Reimer’s neck and head. There were no updates after the game about his injury.

The Sharks pulled Kahkonen with a little under 90 seconds left but lost control of the puck with 32 seconds left. The Flames went the other way and Lindholm scored into the empty net.

The Sharks power play had three opportunities and got three shots on net. Their penalty kill gave up seven shots to three Calgary power plays and had one short-handed shot. In the face-off circle, the Sharks won 48% of the draws. The Sharks blocked ten shots, Calgary blocked 20. Neither John Leonard nor Jonah Gadjovich, who both left the game Tuesday, were in the lineup.

The Sharks’ next game is on Saturday in Vancouver against the Canucks at 7:00 PM PT.

Sharks Fall 2-1 in OT to Oilers, Three Injured Blocking Shots

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Mike Smith (41) blocks a shot by San Jose Sharks left wing Alexander Barabanov (94) as Tyson Barrie (22) at the SAP Center in San Jose on Tue Apr 5, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

SAN JOSE- The San Jose Sharks fell 2-1 in overtime to the Edmonton Oilers Tuesday at SAP Center. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid scored for the Oilers and Mike Smith made 31 saves for the win. Tomas Hertl scored for the Sharks and James Reimer made 22 saves in the loss.

Tomas Hertl scored the first goal of the game on the power play at 15:32. Hertl caught a pass from Brent Burns on the blue line and scored with a one-timer through the short side. Assists went to Burns and Timo Meier.

After the game, Sharks Head Coach Bob Boughner said:

“We did everything we needed to do five-on-five. It’s one of our best, most solid games in a long time and, you know, a little bit the story of our year. You know, out-chanced the team, we had so many chances, Smith plays great and you can’t get that second goal you need.”

Sharks goaltender James Reimer said: “Good game. I think both teams played hard, played well. Unfortunately someone has got to lose.”

The Sharks held that lead until mid-way through the third period, when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tied the game with a short-handed goal. The Sharks had spent over a minute trying to set up their power play when the Oilers attacked in numbers. They moved the puck across the ice three times before Nugent-Hopkins took the shot from in close. Assists went to Zach Hyman and Darnell Nurse.

Connor McDavid scored the game winner 31 seconds into overtime. Mike Smith caught Brent Burns’ shot and made a pass to McDavid who was on his way up the ice. McDavid scored with a back hand past Reimer’s glove.

John Leonard was injured blocking a shot on his first shift of the second period. The shot appeared to hit him in the ankle and he left the game. Jonah Gadjovich and Jaycob Megna both sustained injuries blocking shots late in the third period, within seconds of each other. Both stayed on the ice until the whistle blew, at which time Gadjovich went to the dressing room and Megna went to the bench.

The Sharks power play got three shots and a goal and gave up one goal. Their penalty kill gave up no shots and got one short handed shot. In the face-off circle, the Sharks won 54% of the draws. Timo Meier had nine shots on goal, nearly twice as many as the second most shots in the game, five from Logan Couture.

The Sharks next play on Thursday at home against the Calgary Flames at 7:30 PM PT.

Sharks Fall 5-4 to Stars; SJ’s fourth loss in last five games

After being down 4-1 the San Jose Sharks closed the gap on the Dallas Stars but in the third period a goal by the Stars Joe Pavelski (center) at 7:44 proved to be the game winner celebrates with center, celebrates with Miro Heiskanen (4) and Jason Robertson (21) at the SAP Center in San Jose on Sat Apr 2, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

SAN JOSE- The San Jose Sharks fell 5-4 to the Dallas Stars Saturday after nearly erasing a three-goal first period deficit. Jason Roberston, Vladislav Namestnikov, Jani Hakanpaa, Roope Hintz, Jason Roberston, and Joe Pavelski scored for Dallas. Scott Wedgewood made 24 saves for the win. Nick Bonino, Brent Burns, John Leonard and Logan Couture scored for San Jose. Kaapo Kahkonen made 10 saves in the first period and James Reimer made 14 saves in the loss.

Nick Bonino gave the Sharks an early lead, scoring off a rebound from a Noah Gregor shot. The goal was scored just 1:25 into the first period. Assists went to Gregor and Erik Karlsson.

Vladislav Namestnikov tied it up just 25 seconds later. Tyler Seguin intercepted a pass behind the Sharks net and centered it for Namestnikov, right on the doorstep.

Jani Hakanpaa gave the Stars the lead at 8:11. Tyler Seguin tried for a shot from up above the circle, but the puck went off the heel of his stick and wound up on the other side of the ice, on Hakanpaa’’s stick. Assists went to Seguin and Namestnikov.

Roope Hintz made it 3-1 a couple of minutes late. John Klingberg flung the puck at the net as Hintz and Pavelski skated to the net. The puck went off of Hintz’s leg and in for his 30^th goal of the season. Assists went to Klingberg and Joe Pavelski.

Jason Roberston made it 4-1 in the final second of the period. The Stars pulled their goaltender after an icing call against the Sharks. Robertson scored by banking the puck off of the goaltender. Assists went to Denis Gurianov and Tyler Seguin.

The Sharks replaced Kahkonen with Reimer after the first period.

Brent Burns scored for San Jose at 7:53 of the second period, going to the net and trying to make a pass across the slot to Chmelevski. The puck went off of a defender’s skate instead and bounced into the net. Assists went to Chmelevski and Jaycob Megna.

Joe Pavelski scored what would be the game-winner, 7:44 into the third period. Pavelski and Hintz skated into the Sharks zone with the Sharks hot on the heels of the puck carrier Hintz. Hintz got a pass away to Pavelski in the slot and Pavelski lifted the puck past Reimer on the blocker side. Assists went to Hintz and Robertson.

John Leonard narrowed the lead at 15:21 with his first goal of the season. After Erik Karlsson threw the puck into traffic at the net, Leonard found the puck on a rebound and shot it past Wedgewood. Assists went to Karlsson and Mario Ferraro.

Logan Couture brought the Sharks within one at 18:32. He pushed the puck over the line after Sasha Chmelevski doggedly pushed the puck past the goaltender’s skate at the corner of the net. Assists went to Chmelevski and Gregor.

The Sharks power play had one opportunity but got no shots on goal. Their penalty kill successfully killed three penalties, giving up just three shots. In the face-off circle, the Sharks won 47% of the draw.

Mario Ferraro and Jonathan Dahlen were both back in the lineup, recovered from injury.

The Sharks next play on Tuesday at home, against the Edmonton Oilers at 7:30 PM PT.

Sharks Fall 4-2 to Avalanche; SJ loses six of last nine games

San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture, left and Colorado Avalanche left wing Andre Burakovsky (right) scramble for the puck at the Ball Center in Denver on Thu Mar 31, 2022 (AP News photo )

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks fell 4-2 to the Colorado Avalanche Thursday, the second loss in as many nights for the Sharks. Alex Newhook Darren Helm, Mikko Rantanen and Andre Burakovsky scored for the Avalanche. Pavel Francouz made 25 saves for the win. Timo Meier and Brent Burns scored for San Jose and Kaapo Kahkonen made 42 saves in the loss.

This was Kaapo Kahkonen’s second start as a Shark. After the game, Sharks Head Coach Bob Boughner said, of Kahkonen: “I thought he was excellent, I thought that, you know, a couple of those goals he had no help on. I thought he made some big saves for us at the right time. I thought he played extremely well.” Of the team’s performance, he said: “I thought that we played hard for being in a back-to-back situation. I thought there’s a lot of good things to our game.”

Alex Newhook gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead at 1:54 of the second period. Kurtis MacDermid sent the puck to the slot for Newhook, who spun and shot it past three skaters in front of the goaltender. Assists went to MacDermid and Erik Johnson.

Timo Meier tied it up at 12:09. Tomas Hertl fought his way into the zone and to the net before being pushed down in the slot. The puck still got to Meier to the side of the net so he could score his 31^st of the season. Assists went to Hertl and Alexander Barabanov.

Darren Helm made it 2-1 for the Avalanche at 2:05 of the third period. Helm was going to the net when he caught the pass from Valeri Nichushkin. He skated across in front of the goaltender before taking a shot that went off of the post and in.

Brent Burns tied it at 6:29 when Tomas Hertl got the puck to him off of a face-off. Burns carried it to the middle of the ice and took a quick wrist shot.

Mikko Rantanen restored Colorado’s lead with a power play goal at 12:17. Nazem Kadri set him up with a nice cross-ice pass down low for Rantanen’s 34^th of the season. Assists went to Kadri and Cale Makar.

Andre Burakovsky scored the insurance goal at 15:16, collecting a rebound in close and lifting it into the net. Assists went to Erik Johnson and Nazem Kadri.

The Avalanche outshot the Sharks 46-27. The Sharks power play had three shots in three opportunities and their penalty kill allowed nine shots I three penalty kills, including one five-on-three.

The Sharks next play on Saturday back in San Jose against the Dallas Stars at 7:30 PM PT.

Sharks Sink Ducks 4-1, Meier Scores Hat Trick

San Jose Sharks right wing Timo Meier (28) tries to get the puck away from Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras (46) at the SAP Center in San Jose on Sat Mar 26, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

SAN JOSE- The San Jose Sharks beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 on Saturday. It was Anaheim’s ninth loss in a row. Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Timo Meier scored for the Sharks, Meier with the hat trick. James Reimer made 27 saves for the win. Gerry Mahew scored for the Ducks and Lukas Dostal made 20 saves in the loss.

The Sharks started slowly on Saturday, taking two first-period penalties and getting just six shots in the first. After the game, Sharks Head Coach Bob Boughner talked about his goaltender’s performance:

“I thought Reims really kept us in it, at the beginning of the game, made some huge stops, especially on the penalty kill. We were just a little sloppy. But we used that, Reims’ saves, and we settled down and played a pretty good hockey game after that.”

Marc-Edouard Vlasic gave the Sharks the lead with his third goal of the season, at 14:48 of the first period. Ryan Merkley made a pass from just above the goal line back up the ice to Vlasic for the shot. Assists went to Merkley and Scott Reedy.

Timo Meier made it 2-0 at 1:41 of the second period. Meier got the puck from Alexander Barabanov near the boards, then carried it out to the slot for the shot. It was his 28^th of the season.

Gerry Mahew got the Ducks on the board at 1:05 of the third period. Dominik Simon caught a turnover in the neutral zone and went the other way. Mahew followed in a hurry and Simon dropped the puck to him for the shot.

Timo Meier scored his second of the night on the power play at 3:56 of the period. Meier gathered up the puck from a cross-ice pass across the ice then skated closer to the net and shot the puck right by the goaltender. Barabanov and Hertl got the assists.

Meier completed his hat trick at 15:55. Tomas Hertl carried the puck into the zone and almost to the net before making a pass back to Meier, through three defenders. The pass was a little behind Meier so he reached his stick back and tapped it between his skates to set up for the shot. Hertl and Burns got the assists.

The Sharks power play had three shots and one goal in three opportunities. Their penalty kill gave up five shots in four penalties. The Ducks out-shot the Sharks 28-24. In the face-off circle, the Ducks won 57% of the draws.

Logan Couture was out of the lineup with the upper body injury sustained on Thursday.

The Sharks next play on Wednesday against the Coyotes in Arizona at 7:00 PM PT.