SAN JOSE – Fights, scrums, a stirring comeback, and tons of goals. Thursday night’s game between the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators at SAP Center certainly didn’t lack entertainment value.
But the final result was just another loss for the Sharks.
After the Sharks erased a three-goal deficit in the second period, Fedor Svechkov’s power-play goal at the 8:16 mark of the third proved to be the game-winner as the Predators earned a wild 6-5 victory to sweep the home-and-home series between the two teams.
Mikael Granlund had three assists, and Mario Ferraro and Nikolai Kovalenko had two points each for the Sharks, who allowed three power-play goals in losing their fifth straight game.
The Sharks took three penalties in the third period, including a cross-checking call on Barclay Goodrow at the 6:36 mark that preceded Svechkov’s goal.
Asked if he thought Filip Forsberg sold the call to the officials, Goodrow said, “No, it’s just a bad penalty to take at that time.”
The Sharks are now 13-12-3 this season when tied or leading after two periods.
“I know I sound like a broken record,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “But it’s another learning moment for us of how you need to play with good details in the third period when a game is there to be won.”
Sharks goalie Yaroslav Askarov allowed six goals on 38 shots as he faced the Predators, who drafted him 11th overall in 2020, for the first time since San Jose acquired him from Nashville in August.
“The kid battled,” Warsofsky said of Askarov. “He made some big saves to keep us in the game, especially in the third. I’m sure there are some goals he probably wants back, but it’s a young goaltender in this league learning the pace of the game and how fast it is.
‘There’s some sharpshooters, and he’s learning that.”
San Jose trailed 5-2 after Predators forward Steven Stamkos scored a power-play goal at the 7:07 mark of the second period. But the Sharks responded with goals from Henry Thrun and Fabian Zetterlund, with Zetterlund’s goal at the 13:54 mark cutting Nashville’s lead to 5-4.
The Sharks were then awarded a five-minute major at the 14:13 mark of the second period, as Predators forward Cole Smith was assessed a match penalty for what appeared to be a high hit on Ty Dellandrea, who left the game with an upper-body injury and did not return.
Per NHL rule 21.2, any player assessed a match penalty “shall be automatically suspended from further competition until the Commissioner has ruled on the issue.”
Macklin Celebrini scored 1:08 later to tie the game 5-5. The goal, his 15th of the season, tied a team record set by Jeff Friesen during the 1994-95 season for most goals in a season by a Sharks 18-year-old.
After the game, Warsofsky did not have an update on Dellandrea but said the match penalty “looked like the right call. We responded with the goal, which was nice. I have to look at the hit in more detail.”
“It was a bad hit,” Goodrow said. “The boys got in there, and it’s good to see the power play get one.”
The Sharks needed a response after a surprisingly slow start against the Predators, who, on Tuesday, erased a 5-1 San Jose lead and earned a 7-5 win.
The Sharks, doing too much standing around, trailed 3-0 in the first game’s first 6:53 as Gus Nyquist, Tommy Novak, and Filip Forsberg all beat rookie goalie Yaroslav Askarov.
Then, the fireworks began.
Sharks alternate captain Luke Kunin quickly dropped the gloves with Smith at the 6:54 mark. Right after the ensuing faceoff, Barclay Goodrow fought Nashville winger Michael McCarron at the 6:56 mark. Two seconds later, Dellandrea had a quick scrap with Zachaery L’Heureux.
That’s three fights in four seconds.
“You want to try to bring something, do something,” Kunin said. “Obviously, a couple quick (goals against) there. Good job on our group bouncing back right after that. Got a few towards the end of that period. It’s a good response.”
The fights brought the arena to life and injected some energy into the Sharks, who looked like a different team from that point forward.
Walker Duehr, a waiver claim by San Jose on Wednesday, scored his goal of the season at the 8:12 mark, with Ferraro and Kovalenko getting the assists. Then, at the 16:34 mark, Ferraro scored his career-high fifth of the season off assists from Granlund and Timothy Liljegren.
The Sharks are now 0-12-1 record in their last 12 games against the Predators, with their last win against Nashville coming on Nov. 9, 2019.
Originally Published:
Source: www.mercurynews.com