The momentum the San Jose Sharks possessed at the start of this six-game road trip now seems like a distant memory.
The Sharks, after a turnover in their zone, allowed a goal to Matthew Tkachuk just 23 seconds into the first period and struggled to create many quality scoring chances at the other end in a 3-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on Saturday at Amerant Bank Arena.
Against the defending Cup champion Panthers, the Sharks managed just 16 shots through the first two periods and went 1-for-7 on the power play. Tyler Toffoli scored with the man advantage with 1:25 left in regulation to prevent the Sharks from being shut out for the second time this season.
Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood finished with a staggering 50 saves in a terrific performance, but the Sharks were outscored 11-2 in their games against the NHL’s two Florida teams. San Jose was throttled 8-1 by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday in its most lopsided loss of the season.
Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves as the Panthers beat the Sharks for the 11th straight time dating back to Dec. 1, 2017.
The Sharks are rebuilding, and several of their younger players are still learning what it takes to win consistently. The Lightning and Panthers — who have combined to win three of the last five Cups — have all or most of the pieces to go on deep playoff runs.
The Sharks now finish their road trip with games against the equally challenging Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday and the improving St. Louis Blues on Thursday.
The Sharks began the road trip a 4-2 win over the Seattle Kraken last Saturday, and a 2-1 overtime victory over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday.
Saturday, the Sharks dug themselves a hole early in the first period, as Blackwood and Jake Walman mishandled an exchange behind their net. Shortly afterward, Walman’s pass was intercepted by Sam Bennett, who fired the puck at the Sharks goal.
Blackwood stopped it, but with the puck still loose, an untouched Tkachuk got two whacks at it before he knocked it into the Sharks net.
Tkachuk then scored his second of the game and his 10th of the season at the 10:05 mark of the second period. Just 3:12 later, Aleksander Barkov added another insurance goal on a Panthers power play.
Certainly, the rebuilding Sharks would like to emulate the Panthers in many ways.
“They’re competitive, they’re big, they’re heavy. They get on you. They never quit,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said before Saturday’s game. “They come at you in waves. They’ve got good goaltending, and they’ve got the big defensemen. I mean, they’ve got it all, and that’s the reason why they won the Stanley Cup.
“But what I like is they’re ultra-competitive. (Panthers coach) Paul (Maurice) does a really, really good job. Not taking anything away from him, but I think he would say too, and I think I heard him say in the final where he was kind of steering the boat and the players were driving it, and that’s when you win.”
The Sharks were without rookie forward Will Smith, who was out with an upper-body injury he sustained in the lopsided loss to the Lightning. Smith, who has 11 points in 24 games this season, is considered day-to-day.
So far this season, when Smith has not dressed for games, it’s because the Sharks have given him what they’ve called ‘development days,’ which were introduced in part to help reduce the 19-year-old’s chances of getting injured. Before Saturday, though, Smith had played in seven straight games from Nov. 23 to Thursday, collecting three goals and four assists.
With Smith out, rookie Ethan Cardwell, who has sat out the last two games, drew back into the Sharks lineup and played on a line with Mikael Granlund and Klim Kostin. Warsofsky also made one change on defense, as Henry Thrun replaced Jack Thompson in the lineup
DECISION NEARING?: With Marc-Edouard Vlasic nearing a return from an upper-body injury that’s kept him out since the start of training camp, the Sharks might soon have to make a roster decision on what to do with Thompson.
Thompson, on Thursday, made his first appearance for the Sharks since their Nov. 23 game against the Buffalo Sabres. He had 17:47 of ice time against the Lightning and was on the ice for three goals against and the Sharks’ only goal, scored by Alexander Wennberg.
Perhaps the Sharks’ simplest option — if there are no more injuries (Barclay Goodrow remains on injured reserve) by the time Vlasic is activated — is to return Thompson to the AHL since the 22-year-old remains waivers exempt.
Still, with some more experience and improvements, Thompson seems to have the potential to become a full-time, every-game defenseman.
“He’s taken steps towards it,” Warsofsky said of Thompson. “I think he’s gotten better defensively this year. He’s playing with more jam below the top of the circles and in the defensive zone. For me, it’s his puck-moving ability. There’s an ability there to move pucks. He needs to be more consistent with it.”
Regarding Vlasic, Warsofsky said, “We’re inching closer to him joining us here in a hockey game and being available for us. We’re going to probably get through the weekend and go from there.”