The time zones change, as do the venues and the opponents.
Nonetheless, the San Jose Sharks can’t get a aim from their prime forwards proper now or get out of their very own method within the second interval.
The Sharks allowed three objectives in simply over 9 minutes in one other troublesome second interval Tuesday as they misplaced 5-2 to the New York Islanders at UBS Enviornment, establishing a brand new franchise file for futility to start a season.
“Clearly, there’s not numerous confidence proper now,” Sharks heart Nico Sturm stated. “Let’s face it, there’s numerous guys in right here that want to rating a little bit greater than they're proper now.”
Sturm’s aim on the 12:50 mark of the primary interval gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead, the fourth straight sport they’ve scored the opener. However the Islanders turned it up a notch and Anders Lee and Zach Parise scored 4:45 aside within the second interval to assist the Islanders take a 2-1 lead on the 14:48 mark.
After Evgeny Svechnikov tied the sport for the Sharks with 2:50 left within the second, Tomas Hertl misplaced a attract San Jose’s zone to Brock Nelson. Oliver Wahlstrom then took the go from Nelson and with out anybody round him, beat goalie James Reimer for a 3-2 Islanders lead.
Lee’s aim on the 10:03 mark of the second additionally got here after the Sharks misplaced a faceoff of their zone. Adam Pelech’s shot from contained in the blue line previous Luke Kunin was tipped by Lee at a pointy angle previous Reimer for his first of the season.
The Sharks as soon as once more couldn’t handle a aim within the third interval and fell to 0-5-0, their worst file after 5 video games in 31 years of hockey.
“We’re a really fragile group proper now, as you possibly can see,” Sharks coach David Quinn stated. “We don’t have a fantastic second interval once more, we make it 2-2 after which surrender one other aim on the finish of the second interval.
“When you’re within the cycle we’re in, it’s laborious to get out of it. It’s going to take numerous work bodily and mentally to get out of the scenario we’re in. It’s irritating.”
4 of San Jose’s eight objectives have been scored by both Sturm or Gadjovich, as top-nine forwards Timo Meier, Nick Bonino, and Kevin Labanc stay with out a aim. Logan Couture, Hertl, Luke Kunin, and Erik Karlsson have only one aim every.
Sturm’s aim was hard-nosed, as he took the puck into the Islanders’ zone alongside the wall and flung it towards the web.
Jaycob Megna collected the free puck alongside the wall and shot it towards the web, Sturm acquired the rebound and beat Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov from in shut for what can be San Jose’s solely lead of the evening.
That’s what the Sharks want a little bit extra of proper now, stated Sturm, who received the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche lower than 4 months in the past.
“The most effective transfer is once you’re in an area like that's to get greasy, to get soiled, play extra aggressive,” Sturm stated. “Let’s face it, we’re not going to blow groups out. We’re not going to attain 5, six objectives each sport, so we've to determine how we begin successful video games.”
The Sharks additionally misplaced two video games to Nashville in Prague on Oct. 6 and seven and had been defeated by Carolina and Chicago at SAP Middle on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Reimer completed Tuesday with 40 saves. The Sharks’ subsequent sport is Thursday at Madison Sq. Backyard towards the New York Rangers.
The Sharks additionally began 0-4-0 in 1993 and 2019 however had by no means earlier than misplaced 5 straight video games to start a season.
The 1993-1994 crew earned a tie in its fifth sport and in 2019-2020, the Sharks received their fifth sport, with Patrick Marleau scoring twice in a 5-4 victory over Chicago in his return to the group after he began the season as a free agent.
This yr’s Sharks crew has not scored greater than two objectives in any sport.
“One factor about this sport is it rewards honesty,” Quinn stated. “We’re not sincere sufficient. We’re sincere at instances however we’re not sincere sufficient, and that’s one thing we’re going to be taught. The one method we’re going to get out of this rut by enjoying a little bit bit extra sincere hockey.”
Earlier than Tuesday’s sport, the primary of 4 for the Sharks on this highway journey, ahead Alexander Barabanov was activated off of injured reserve.
Barabanov was a full participant in Monday’s apply on Lengthy Island and commenced Tuesday’s sport on a line with Hertl and Steven Lorentz. Barabanov was additionally on the Sharks’ second power-play unit with forwards Lorentz, Bonino, Labanc, and defenseman Mario Ferraro.
Barabanov suffered an upper-body damage early in coaching camp final month and was positioned on IR at first of the season. He skated all through final week, participating within the Sharks’ full practices on Wednesday and Thursday, however was held out of the crew’s dwelling video games towards Carolina and Chicago on Friday at Saturday, respectively.
Quinn stated Saturday that Barabanov practically performed towards the Blackhawks, a 5-2 San Jose loss. The Sharks, although, needed to be cautious about bringing Barabanov again earlier than he was bodily prepared since he missed all however two days in camp after he was harm on Sept. 24.
It was hoped Barabanov’s return would increase a Sharks offense that had scored simply six objectives of their first 4 video games – all losses in regulation time. Barabanov was fifth on the Sharks’ final season with 39 factors in 70 video games, as he primarily performed on a line with Hertl and Timo Meier.
Meier, the Sharks’ main scorer final season with 35 objectives and 76 factors, got here into Tuesday with 19 pictures on aim in 4 video games however has only one help.
Reimer got here into Tuesday with a 0-2-0 file, 2.56 objectives towards common and a .924 save proportion. In his first 15 profession video games towards the Islanders, Reimer had an 8-2-2 file, 2.72 goals-against common and a .914 save proportion.