Reality check: San Jose is lacking

The Sharks keep talking a big game. After an eighth straight loss Saturday — 63 to Minnesota — maybe reality will start settling in.

“No one likes losing,” Sharks coach Bob Boughner said. “You’d like to see someone go out there and make a difference. I know there’s no crowd and there’s no atmosphere in the building. But you’ve got to make your own atmosphere.”

The Sharks fell six points behind Arizona for the fourth and final playoff spot in the West Division. All but two of their remaining nine games are at home, which would traditionally be an advantage. But San Jose has lost four in a row at SAP Center and is 8112 at home.

“We have nine games left,” Sharks captain Logan Couture said. “We have to play a helluva lot harder than we did tonight.”

San Jose is holding out hope because the teams fighting for that final spot have all struggled recently. Arizona had lost two straight and was 17 in its past eight before beating Los Angeles on Saturday. Fifthplace St. Louis lost two in a row and was 491 in its past 14 before winning Saturday.

The Sharks are counting on two things. They have four games left against the Coyotes, starting with the next two. And they hope the bangedup Blues will struggle with the division’s toughest schedule to the end.

San Jose came out flat in the opening period, which followed an emotional video tribute to Patrick Marleau, who broke Gordie Howe’s record for alltime games played on the road on Monday. Marleau’s first game back at home was No. 1,770 and his 901st in a row.

“There should have been emotion,” Couture said. “That ceremony was emotional. We all love Patrick. We should have at least played for him. But we stunk it up.”

Minnesota, which clinched a playoff berth with its sixth straight win, scored three times on its first six shots including the icebreaker just 19 seconds after the opening faceoff. Wild defenseman Ryan Suter put a wrist shot from his offwing over the left shoulder of San Jose goalie Martin Jones.

“The start was a disaster right from the first shift,” Boughner said. “We’re fighting for our life from the first shot, which was a horrible goal.”

Marcus Foligno gained a step on rookie forward Joachim Blichfeld to cap a 2on1 break and score his ninth of the season at 12:00 for a 20 lead. Jared Spurgeon made it 30 at 17:43 on the rush when the Sharks allowed the Minnesota defenseman too much room in the slot.

Rookie Josef Korenar opened the second period in goal as Jones was pulled for a careerhigh eighth time in 32 starts. He made just five stops in his 20 minutes of play.

Couture broke a 16game goal drought with his 15th of the year at 1:19 of the third period before Evander Kane picked up his 18th at 4:47. Blichfeld scored his first career goal at 6:06.

“We only played 20 minutes the right way,” Couture said. “I just wish we showed up in the first period.”