Loss to Ducks was alarming, despite Karlsson’s hat trick
SAN JOSE >> The Sharks showed up for practice Wednesday with both the most productive defenseman in the NHL in Erik Karlsson and the worst record in the league in terms of points percentage (.292).
Clearly, the Sharks’ numerous issues can’t be overcome by one player, even if that person is off to one of the best starts of his career.
After Tuesday’s 6-5 shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks, the Sharks are at 3-8-1, the slowest start they’ve had to a year in terms of points (seven) after 12 games since they went 1-7-4 to begin the 1995-96 season.
The Sharks finish the homestand, on which they’re now 1-2-1, with games against the Florida Panthers on Thursday and a rematch with the Ducks on Saturday.
The Sharks’ five goals represented a seasonhigh, as Karlsson recorded the first hat trick of his 14-year NHL career and Timo Meier scored his second and third goals of the year. Karlsson’s third goal came with 2:12 left in the third period and tied the game 5-5 — the biggest reason why the Sharks were at least able to collect one point.
But among the most alarming aspects of Tuesday’s loss was the way the Sharks started.
For some reason, unlike some games on their East
Coast road trip last month, or even their overtime win over Toronto last week, the Sharks felt it was unnecessary to check or play with much structure in the first period.
Anaheim scored three goals in the first 20 minutes, including one with 15 seconds left when Adam Henrique danced past Matt Benning just inside the blue line and went forehand to backhand before he roofed a shot past Kaapo Kahkonen for a 3-2 Ducks lead.
“I thought the first period might have been as bad a period as we’ve played all year,” Sharks coach David Quinn said. “But I give Anaheim credit. I thought they came ready to play.”
What was also curious was that the Sharks had plenty of rest before Tuesday. They’ve been home now for over a week, had the day off Sunday, and had a practice on Monday. Fatigue, physical or mental, should no longer be an issue.
“The things that we’ve done well for the most part defensively all year we didn’t do tonight,” Quinn said. “It was an upand-down game, it had a little bit of a pond hockey feel to it in a lot of ways and it was entertaining. But certainly not the way we’re going to be able to have any success if we play like that. I think our guys realize that.”