SAN JOSE – 5 weeks in the past, the Sharks have been coming off their most memorable sport of the season. Timo Meier had simply set a workforce report with a five-goal sport, main the Sharks to a 6-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings.
The Sharks have been 4 factors out of first place within the Pacific Division on Jan. 19, and in ninth place within the Western Convention by way of factors proportion.
Since then, the roof has caved in.
The Sharks misplaced to the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 20 for the second time this season, had Erik Karlsson endure surgical procedure, went 1-1-2 on a troublesome four-game highway journey in opposition to Japanese Convention groups, and completed their lately accomplished homestand with a 0-2-1 report.
As they boarded a flight to Southern California on Monday afternoon, a month after Meier’s historic sport, the Sharks have been on a six-game skid. They sat in thirteenth place within the Western Convention in factors proportion and 10 factors out of a playoff spot.
That was fast.
The Sharks (22-22-5) have 33 video games left to play, beginning with Tuesday’s sport in Anaheim in opposition to the Geese, however already it feels prefer it is likely to be too large of a hill to climb to make the playoffs.
“There’s a bunch of season left, however not a ton,” Sharks heart Nick Bonino mentioned after Sunday’s 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. “Lose these video games and also you run out of time.”
In a manner, there’s a hanging similarity between what’s taking place this season to what occurred simply previous the midway level of final season.
The Sharks on April 3, 2021, had a 17-16-4 report and have been one level out of a playoff spot within the West Division with 19 video games in a 56-game season left to play. They then misplaced 9 of their subsequent 10 video games, together with eight straight, to fall hopelessly out of the race.
Within the eight-game skid, the Sharks scored simply 14 targets, managing greater than two targets in a sport simply as soon as. They misplaced winnable video games to Los Angeles and Anaheim and continued to battle in opposition to playoff-bound groups like Minnesota and Vegas.
This season, over the past eight video games with Karlsson unavailable, the Sharks have scored 17 targets, with 11 of these coming at even energy. Alternatives for wins in opposition to groups like Edmonton and Vancouver, that are additionally preventing for a playoff spot, have fallen by the wayside.
“Video games get harder to win within the second half and groups are all preventing for his or her lives,” Sharks coach Bob Boughner mentioned. “It’s the little issues. In the event you (have) a breakdown early within the sport, you’ve received to remain within the sport, so there’s just a little frustration.
“(Karlsson) being out clearly hurts us, however we’ve received to combat by it. We’ve received a sport in Anaheim and we’ve received to discover a solution to try to get two factors out of that and keep within the combat.”
After Tuesday’s sport, the Sharks have residence video games with the New York Islanders, Seattle, and the Boston Bruins.
If the Sharks haven’t gotten issues again on observe by the top of the month, the entrance workplace will clearly have to have a look at promoting by the March 21 commerce deadline, and maybe begin retooling for subsequent season and past.
That’s what occurred in 2021, because the Sharks, one sport after they ended their shedding skid, began a youth motion for the final three weeks of the season. The outcomes have been predictable, because the Sharks gained simply two of their final eight video games, which helped them safe the seventh total choice in final yr’s NHL draft.
The Sharks aren’t there but, however solely have so many extra video games left to try to keep away from a carbon copy of final season.
“We added some veteran guys who know the best way to get out of issues like this,” Sharks winger Matt Nieto mentioned. “The power of the room is lots completely different than it was final yr. We nonetheless have a variety of perception in that room proper now. (Tuesday) is a superb alternative to get out of this droop.”
SHARKS CLAIM DZINGEL: The Sharks claimed ahead Ryan Dzingel off of waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday and additionally positioned struggling ahead Lane Pederson on waivers.
Dzingel, 29, and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin have been traded from the Arizona Coyotes to the Maple Leafs on Saturday for ahead Nick Ritchie and a conditional draft choose. Toronto then positioned Dzingel on waivers on Sunday.
Dzingel, in his ninth skilled season, has 86 targets and 187 factors in 398 profession NHL video games. He had seven factors in 26 video games for the Coyotes this season. He's anticipated to affix the Sharks in Anaheim on Tuesday.
Pederson, 24, had two factors in 26 video games for the Sharks this season, primarily as a fourth-line ahead. If he clears waivers, he can be assigned to the Barracuda of the AHL.