Goalie Yaroslav Askarov was the San Jose Sharks’ best player for a third straight game on Thursday.
But thanks to a mostly sloppy and lethargic performance by his teammates, Askarov’s effort didn’t result in a win.
Askarov made 34 saves, but the Sharks couldn’t get out of their own way in a 2-0 loss to the Calgary Flames, ending their four-game winning streak.
The Sharks managed just one shot in the first period and five more in the second against a Flames team that entered Thursday in last place in the NHL standings.
Flames goalie and Gilroy native Dustin Wolf made 16 saves for his fourth NHL shutout, as the Sharks were blanked for the second time this season. Flames forward Samuel Honzek scored an empty-net goal with 4.1 seconds left to seal the win for his team.
Askarov made 38 saves in the Sharks’ 3-1 win over the Florida Panthers last Saturday in San Jose, and followed that up with a 28-save performance in a 2-1 overtime win over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.
Thursday, puck play and miscommunication haunted the Sharks through the first two periods, leading to the Flames’ first goal.
With the puck in the Sharks’ zone, Philipp Kurashev tried to send a pass toward the middle of the ice for defenseman Sam Dickinson just inside the blue line. Dickinson reached for the puck, but Kurashev skated toward him, looking like he wanted to take control.
Instead, no one took possession. Flames forward Blake Coleman picked Dickinson’s pocket, went in alone on Askarov, and scored his seventh of the season at the 5:46 mark of the second period.
The Sharks were outshot 27-6 in the first two periods.
Sharks winger Jeff Skinner had to leave Thursday’s game in the first period with what appeared to be a right leg injury.
Skinner and Flames forward Rory Kerins were chasing after a loose puck inside the Calgary zone when Skinner caught an edge and lost his balance, causing his right skate to collide awkwardly against the boards.
Skinner immediately crumpled to the ice, clutched his lower right leg, and was unable to put any weight on it as he was helped off and led to the Sharks’ dressing room at the 18:07 mark of the first period.
The Sharks announced before the start of the second period that Skinner would not return.
The 33-year-old Skinner, who signed a one-year contract with the Sharks in July as a free agent, came into Thursday with seven points in 16 games. In 1,095 career NHL games, Skinner has 377 goals and 329 assists.
The Sharks were coming off a 2-1 overtime victory over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, which extended their winning streak to four games and their point streak to seven games (6-0-1) as they moved to within one point of a playoff spot.
The Sharks were looking to win a fifth straight game for the first time since November 2019, when they won six consecutive games.
Coming into Thursday, the Flames were the NHL’s lowest scoring team – by a wide margin — at 2.06 goals per game. The Seattle Kraken, the Sharks’ opponent on Saturday, is 31st in scoring, averaging 2.50 goals per game.
Earlier Thursday, the Sharks recalled goalie Jakub Skarek from the Barracuda, their AHL affiliate, on an emergency basis as Alex Nedeljkovic continues to tend to a personal matter in San Jose.
Nedeljkovic was expected to get the start against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, but, per the Sharks, a personal matter came up shortly before the game. Instead, Askarov started for the third time in four games, with Nedeljkovic sitting on the bench during what became a 2-1 win for the Sharks in overtime.
Nedeljkovic has since been granted non-roster status, creating a spot on the Sharks’ 23-man roster for Skarek.
It was not immediately known how long Nedeljkovic would be away from the team.