Sharks Are Eliminated From Playoffs + Season Wrap

The Sharks were fully entrenched and embattled in a highly contested four-game series against the Colorado Avalanche, and there was no wavering change in game two of the series. Alexander Barabanov has been nothing short of absolute gold for the Sharks since he came up, who quickly pots his second goal of the season from Hertl and Karlsson just past four minutes gone in the first, 1-0 Sharks. Sharks make their best effort to waiver the Colorado onslaught but start the falter about 7 minutes gone in the second, giving up the following three unanswered Colorado goals, 3-1 Avalanche. Almost midway through the third, while on the Avalanche powerplay, Evander Kane snags a turnover at mid-ice that he puts on net that and Logan Couture cleans up in front of the net for the Sharks score, 3-2 Avs. Five minutes later, Miko Rantanen tips in another Colorado goal. A little over 2 minutes later, Tomas Hertl attempts to mount a Sharks comeback on a deflected shot that goes in, but time expires, Sharks lose 4-3.

Any inkling of playoff hope lies in the balance for the remainder of the season. In game three of the four-game series against Colorado, the Sharks saw more of the same see-saw play as in game three. Evander Kane gets the Sharks on the board almost four minutes in when he cleans up Alexander Barabanov's shot out front to give the Sharks the 1-0 early lead. Two minutes later, Nathan McKinnon off the faceoff who feeds Miko Rantanen to tie the game at 1. Moments into the second period, the Avalanche turn the puck over in their defensive zone, and Hertl skates in and puts it home, 2-1 Sharks. Six minutes or so later, Hertl feeds Kane on the breakaway, adding to the Sharks lead, 3-1. A few minutes before the first ends, Colorado makes it 3-2 on a Nichushkin wrist shot. Three minutes into the third period, Timo Meier makes the score 4-2 when he scores a highlight-reel worthy goal, which would prove to be the last goal the Sharks score of the night. Sharks again prove their inability to hold the lead against the caliber of present company, for Colorado goes on a tear, scoring the following three unanswered goals ultimately surrendering the game-winner in overtime. Sharks lose 5-4 and are officially eliminated from playoff contention.

In the fourth and final game of the Colorado series, as the Sharks season winds down, they find themselves playing with more freedom and without the weight of playoff expectations and all the scrutiny that comes with that—just playing the game that they're accustomed to. After an uneventful opening period and half the second, Colorado gets on the board with two quick strikes starting at 15:49 and then again at 18:18 for the 2-0 Avalanche advantage. As Colorado aimed to escape the second period unscathed, Barabanov put a breakaway pass onto Evander Kane's stick, who dishes it over to Hertl, scoring the first of his two goals in his 500th career game with 13 seconds remaining in the second period, 2-1 Colorado. Then again, in the third, without even three minutes gone by, Kane throws it out front to Knyzhov and then to Hertl, who puts it home as he stumbles to the ice to tie the game at 2-2. Around 10 minutes left in regulation, Erik Karlsson puts the Sharks ahead when he catches a dish across the point from Kane, and this time the Sharks managed to weather the Avalanche offense down the stretch, getting a much-needed W in the final meeting between the two teams. Colorado blows the two-goal lead. Sharks win 3-2!

When the Sharks welcomed the Arizona Coyotes to the SAP Center for the start of their final two-game series of the season and a game for all intents and purposes, I was supposed to be at but couldn't make it. The Sharks came out with considerable step, perhaps a high off snagging a game against Colorado, who knows. But the Sharks get the scoring started with his little less than four minutes left in the first period when Erik Karlsson rockets in a wrister from beyond that beats Kuemper stick side, 1-0 Sharks. Sam Jose makes it 2-0 with three and a half minutes gone in the second when Timo Meier scores on a two-on-one breakaway, saying one over Kuemper's left shoulder. Arizona mounts the comeback scoring the following four unanswered goals to take a commanding 5-2 lead. Sharks doomed themselves on breakaways and lack of defensive presence in front of the net.

As they continue down the stretch and attempt to swallow their pride and play meaningful hockey with an emphasis on the youth movement, the Sharks attempt to salvage the last remaining game of the season against the Arizona Coyotes. Alexei Melnichuk gets his first start since February 11th, but the Sharks stumble off the get, surrendering the initial goal of the game, a wrist shot with only three and a half gone in regulation, 1-0 Yotes. Sharks respond with an answer three minutes later on a slapshot by Balcers from Chemelevski to tie the game at 1. About 5 minutes later, Arizona breaks the tie on a powerplay goal to put the Totes ahead 2-1. Almost four minutes go by in the first, and once again, San Jose gets the game-tying equalizer from Kevin LeBanc, an unassisted wrist shot, 2-2. Come more than five minutes gone in the second, Timo Meier scores a true power forward's goal when he skates across the crease, putting it past Hill for the 3-2 Sharks advantage. Arizona goes on to score over the following two unanswered goals before trade deadline sensation; Barabanov ties the contest at four in the initial moments of the third period. Still, the coyotes ultimately come away with the victory on a Phil Kessel overtime game-winner. Arizona sweeps the Sharks. Sharks lose another one 5-4.

In the final game of the season for the Sharks, the Vegas Golden Knights aimed to fine-tune their game before the start of the playoffs. The sharks who had been eliminated last week again we're playing for nothing other than pride. Vegas outclasses them in the first period, though, scoring the first six unanswered goals for a 6-0 shutout to end the Sharks 2021 season. Was this the final time we Patrick Marleau and Brent Burns suit up for San Jose? I think the shark showed a lot more promise as a makeshift AHL team this season than they did last season. They obviously had a lot of ups and downs, a lot of good things to build on but also a lot of things to work on in the offseason. I expect the Sharks to be a more competitive club going forward. The Sharks finish the season at 21-28-7 with 56 points, good for 7th in the Honda West Division

Marleau Honored at Home + Sharks Get Off the Snide

Saturday, April 24th, for the first time all season, people were allowed to attend a Sharks game at the SAP Center. Players families and Arena workers only but still the perfect occasion for the Sharks to hold a pregame ceremony commemorating Patrick Marleau and his recent historic achievement. The Wild gets on the board only 19 seconds into the game on the first shot Martin Jones saw, which predicted the game to come. The Wild scored the next four unanswered goals until about a minute into the third, when a gift from God finds the loose stick of Logan Couture in a scramble in front of the net for his first score in 16 games, 4-1 Minnesota. About three minutes later, Minnesota makes it 5-1 on a powerplay score. Sharks make it interesting, though, scoring the next two goals, including the 1st goal of Joakim Blichfeld's career, until Nick Benito effectively ends the game for the Wild with his 6-3 empty-net score. To extend the sharks losing streak to an abysmal eight games.

After eight long games, the longest Sharks losing steak since the 2005-2006 season, sick and tired of being on the wrong end of almost every bounce, the sharks look to get back on track finally and put a W in the win collum when the Arizona Coyotes skated into the Tank for a two gamer. In a role reversal of the previous game, the Sharks get on the board only 17 seconds into the game on a feed from the back of the net to Noah Gregor for the early 1-0 Sharks advantage. San Jose assaulted Arizona netminder Darcy Kuemper with a barrage of shots scoring the three unanswered goals with scores by the big guns: Burns, Couture, and Karlsson, a 4-0 Sharks lead. Arizona proves they aren't going away quietly, scoring the following three unanswered goals themselves. Sharks still lead 4-3. With 8:50 left in regulation, Evander Kane enters the zone. He puts the puck on net, which ricochets and rebounds, which Alexander Barabanov, playing in his first NHL game, cleans up out front scoring what is eventually the game-winning goal to make it. 5-3 San Jose game. Jakob Chychrun of Arizona, a thorn in the Shark side all night, makes 5-4 with a little less than 5 minutes remaining in regulation. Evander Kane seals the deal, finally finding the net for 6-4 empty netter. Breaking the eight-game losing in front of their first actual crowd of fans of the season, securing the Sharks first victory since April 9th, and Josef Korenar picks up his first career NHL win

In a game that was virtually a mirror image of the game previously, the Sharks and the coyotes kicked off the second game of this set in virtually the same fashion. Sharks score first, early and often, potting the first three unanswered goals of the game by Kane, Balcers, and LeBanc. Until Arizona comes storming back, scoring the next two of their own. The Sharks, whether the storm, fighting off several Arizona surges before Tomas Hertl puts a bow on it, scoring the empty-net goal. Sharks win 4-2, a decisive sweep of the two-game series, a series in which the Coyotes never lead!

The upper echelon juggernauts of the Honda West Division, the Colorado and Vegas' out there are not opponents to be taken lightly. That is precisely what should be so worrisome to the Sharks when they travel to Denver for the first of four straight against the Avalanche. It is of the utmost importance that the Sharks are not drawn into penalties against this team for they tout one of the most lethal powerplays in the league. Sharks chose to find that out the hard way firsthand, when they are baited into two separate penalties, resulting in two separate powerplay goals for the Avalanche, 2-0 Colorado. After skating on their heels for most of the period and taking two more additional penalties, the Sharks managed to escape the second period unscathed. The Sharks entered the third with no high danger scoring chances through the first two periods, which continued well into the third, after a spirited, feisty bout between Kevin LeBanc and Nathan McKinnon and then a nullified Hertl goal after review. Sharks are shutout 3-0 after an empty-net goal as Time dwindled down.

Valiant Efforts & There's A New Sheriff in San Jose.

In the second game of the series and an attempt to yet again win two consecutive games, the Sharks yet again fall short in the effort in the losing end of 4-0 shutout. I feel Boughner's constant juggling, and changing of lines was partially to blame. Before the game, we saw the Sharks make a roster transaction, sending down 5 players, including Noah Gregor. While also calling up an additional 5 players, including Joachim Blichfeld and goaltender Josef Korenar. In the 3rd period, Blichfeld was assessed a match penalty for his hit on Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon and was subsequently given a 2-game suspension.

Up next, the hated Vegas golden knights came to town in a tale of two different games. Vegas goes up 3-0, spelling the end of the night for Martin Jones, who is replaced in net by Devin Dubnyk for San Jose. Newcomer Kurtis Gabriel fights Ryan Reeves, which seems to change the complexion of this game a bit. Brent Burns and Matt Neito add goals of their own, making it 3-2 Vegas. The Knights soon add another tally making it 4-2, but Captain Logan Couture soon adds one of his own, but not to be outdone by Kevin LeBanc scoring the game-tying goal with only 1:07 left in regulation. Max Pacioretty ends it soon in overtime for the 5-4 Vegas victory, but in my opinion, there were a lot of positives to take away from this game.

In the second game in the series against Vegas, the sharks couldn't muster up anything against the goaltending of Marc-Andre Fleury. The Sharks drop a frustrating match 4-0 to the Knights, ultimately giving Vegas the series sweep.

In a contest where we see new resident tough guy Kurtis Gabriel drop the gloves with Kyle Clifford early in the 1st for the antics of his goaltender Jordan Binnington the last time the two met. The Blues find the back of the net first, but the Sharks soon after answer with Marc-Edouard Vlasic's first of the season. The Blues go on to add another and go up 2-1 on a powerplay goal. Couture responds with a Sharks powerplay goal of their own, sending it to overtime, where Kane wins it for the teal guys in the extra frame. It's worth noting; Bob Boughner benched Kevin LeBanc late in the 3rd for his part in two separate bad penalties. After the game, Gabriel had resounding words for anyone aspiring to disrespect the Sharks in the future: "Nobody will disrespect this team while I am around and not have to pay up for it."

Heartbreak Ridge and the Best Sharks Win of the Season

Imagine you're playing a solidified projected playoff contender in the St Louis Blues, and you are dominating. Imagine you're doing everything you need to do to win, Martin Jones; you're starting goaltender is phenomenal and then imagine you watch that all slip away with 40 seconds to go in regulation, then watch them give up the game-winning power play goal in overtime with a minute left to play. That's was the Sharks reality Thursday night, February 18th. Eliminating any dreams the Sharks had of two regulation wins in a row for the first time this season.

With all that said, imagine your young, relatively inexperienced defense looked pretty damn good out there despite being without their $11m stalwart.

A Saturday matinee matchup saw Devan Dubnyk return for the San Jose Sharks for the 1st time in 2 weeks. The Sharks go up 3-0 against the Blues with tallies by Kane, Couture, and rookie, Rudolfs Balcers with his first-ever NHL goal. Blues and the Sharks then trade the next two goals, including the first goal of the season for Patrick Marleau. Blues soon after tilt the ice, scoring 3 unanswered goals to tie the affair, before Logan Couture shoots a puck off the back of Jordan Binnington, scoring the game-winner for a 5-4 victory for the sharks.

On February 22nd, we saw the Minnesota Wild come to town, and Brent Burns gets the Sharks out to an early lead, but that's where I end drawing positives from this game. The wild end up scoring six goals in a 6-2 rout of the Sharks. Couture also contributed a tally at the 11:57 mark of the 2nd period.

 On Saturday evening February 27th, the St Louis Blues come to San Jose for an absolute slugfest. Neither team scoring more than one goal in a row at any point. The story of the game was Jordan Binnington being pulled after the third shark's goal, going on an absolute tirade trying to fight the Sharks bench, fake punching Erik Karlsson as he skated by before getting into a small tussle with goaltender Devin Dubnyk before being escorted off the ice. Saw 2 goals apiece by Timo Meier and Evander Kane with tallies as well by LeBanc and Couture before ultimately surrending the game-winning goal to St Louis in the third period for a 7-6 loss.

Next up, we saw the high-powered offense of the Colorado Avalanche come to the tank for a 2-game set with the return of Erik Karlsson and the San Jose Sharks. The Avs get off to a two goal lead with goals at the end of the first and the beginning of the second. that is where this game becomes drastically different. The Sharks go on to score 6 unanswered goals (tallies by Simek, LeBanc, Meier, Karlsson, Leonard, and Kane) and go on to put on the best total team performance of the season in a resounding 6-2 win. San Jose scored 12 goals in the past 2 games, putting to bed any talk that the sharks have a hard time scoring. Imagine if Erik Karlsson played at this level every single game we'd be talking about a much different season.