SAN JOSE – The Sharks were their own worst enemy at times during their game against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
Questionable Sharks line changes led to both the game-tying and go-ahead goals by the Senators, who earned a come-from-behind 3-2 win before a sellout crowd of 17,435 at SAP Center.
With the game tied 2-2, the Sharks allowed a 2-on-0 to the Senators’ Dylan Cozens and Drake Batherson, as the puck got behind defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin. The play resulted in the puck lying next to the goal line, and Sharks defenseman John Klingberg was unable to clear before Tim Stützle poked the puck across the line with 6:38 left in the third period.
Both Klingberg and Barclay Goodrow scored for the Sharks, and goalie Alex Nedeljkovic finished with 24 saves.
The Sharks were looking for their third straight victory on this homestand after earning an overtime win over the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday and a shootout win over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.
The Sharks finish the homestand on Sunday against the Boston Bruins.
Nedeljkovic had to be sharp in the second period as he stopped 14 of 15 shots. The one that got by him came off the stick of former Sharks winger Fabian Zetterlund, who took a long pass from defenseman Tyler Kleven, skated into San Jose’s end and fired a shot over the shoulder of goalie Alex Nedeljkovic at the 18:38 mark for just his second goal of the season.
The Sharks made a bad change on the play, and Timothy Liljegren was caught up ice, resulting in a Senators 3-on-1.
The two teams traded power-play goals in the first period.
With Philipp Kurashev in the box for roughing defenseman Jake Sanderson, the Senators took a 1-0 lead at the 7:50 mark as Dylan Cozens, from the bumper spot, redirected a pass from Tim Stutzle past goalie Alex Nedeljkovic.
With Hayden Hodgson called for charging Mario Ferraro, Klingberg took a pass from Macklin Celebrini, took a stride forward and beat Senators goalie Linus Ullmark with a wrist shot from between the circles for his third goal of the season, all on the power play.