SAN JOSE – Robbie Gould’s game-winning 45-yard field goal sailed through the uprights at Lambeau Field just moments before Sharks defenseman Jaycob Megna’s shot from the point found its way past Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Brian Elliott.
When the final score of the 49ers’ playoff game with the Green Bay Packers was shown on the SAP Center’s JumboTron, a 13-10 San Francisco win thanks to Gould’s heroics, the cheers from the announced crowd of 14,193 were almost as loud as those for Megna’s goal, or anything else the Sharks did Saturday night.
The Sharks had their worst first period at home this season, allowing four goals in the opening 12:32 in what turned into an embarrassing 7-1 home loss to the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning.
“It was one of those nights where we were outcompeted and it was men amongst boys,” Sharks coach Bob Boughner said. “It’s as simple as that.
“A couple of our veterans were OK, but not enough of them, and I thought the young guys struggled. It was very apparent, without mentioning names, that a lot of guys really struggled out there and didn’t look like they were ready.”
The Sharks allowed goals to Ross Colton, Steven Stamkos, Mathieu Joseph, and Corey Perry in the first period before Boughner mercifully pulled goalie James Reimer for what was his shortest outing of the season.
Megna scored at the 16:40 mark of the first opening period to cut the Lightning’s lead to three, giving the Sharks a bit of life going into the first intermission.
But Brayden Point scored off an assist from Nikita Kucherov on Sharks backup goalie Adin Hill at the 6:24 mark of the second period for a 5-1 Lightning lead, all but ending any hopes of a miraculous San Jose comeback.
Alex Killorn and Colton scored 33 seconds apart in the third period as the Sharks were handed their most lopsided loss since they were smoked 6-0 by the Vegas Golden Knights last May in their final game of the 2020-2021 season.
“That team exposes you when you don’t compete,” Sharks winger Andrew Cogliano said of the Lightning.
“Obviously, we thought we were close to their level, and it proves that we’re not even close. At the end of the day, what you need to learn is that (game) should be a massive wake-up call for our team that’s played hard and battled through things all season.”
The Sharks (21-19-2) had a Timo Meier goal called back with 8:37 left in the second period after replay determined that he used a distinct kicking motion to put the puck into the net after a wild scramble in the Lightning crease.
It wouldn’t have mattered much anyway, as a Sharks team that lost 3-2 to the expansion Seattle Kraken on Thursday was simply outclassed by the Lightning, a team now tied atop the NHL standings with a 29-8-3 record.
“You can’t have any success if you can’t match the compete,” Boughner said. “That’s the most discouraging thing for me. We can always sort out the X’s and O’s and the mistakes. But when you’re not ready to play hard, and do the opposite, and play soft, that’s the issue.”
Two things were working against the Sharks on Saturday. They were without Erik Karlsson and the Lightning was coming off a 5-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.
Karlsson missed Saturday’s game with an upper-body injury that might keep him out of the start of next week’s road trip against some of the Eastern Conference’s best teams.
Boughner said Karlsson has been dealing with the injury “for a while, and it’s just not getting any better.”
Boughner said for now, Karlsson is considered day-to-day but added that the Sharks will soon get a clearer idea of how much time the two-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman might have to miss.
The Sharks’ next game is Wednesday against the Washington Capitals. Karlsson has 26 points in 33 games this season, already surpassing last season’s 22-point total, and is third among all Sharks skaters with an average of just over 23 minutes of ice time per game.
Karlsson played 23:36 in the Sharks’ 3-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Thursday, as he had three shots on net and a minus-2 rating. He and defense partner Jaycob Megna were on the ice for all three even-strength goals against.
“You could probably tell last game that he wasn’t 100 percent,” Boughner said. “He tried to muscle through it and he just can’t go today.”
Radim Simek drew back into the Sharks’ lineup but he had a minus-3 rating, but he was hardly alone in his struggles. Ryan Merkley had his first career NHL assist on Megna’s goal but was on the ice for three even-strength goals against.
Source: www.mercurynews.com