The San Jose Sharks suffered a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday (Oct. 17), a disappointing result considering that they already turned in stronger performances against better teams this season. Although they improved as the game went on, they fell behind early and were unable to overcome their struggles from the first two periods. Many of the patterns that emerged during the game showed the struggles the Sharks have had, both early this season and in recent past seasons. Throughout the rest of the 2024-25 campaign, these will be key storylines to watch.
Sharks Suffer From Early Lack of Offensive Zone Time
The Sharks trailed 3-0 less than a minute into the second period for a very simple reason: the Blackhawks were spending time in their offensive zone, and the Sharks weren’t. The Blackhawks’ offensive possessions consisted of sustained pressure and multiple shots, while the Sharks’ usually lasted one shot at best before Chicago regained control and pushed the puck up the ice.
San Jose actually had stronger Corsi and Fenwick numbers in the final period. But their first period, in which neither figure reached 30 percent, was so lopsided against them that it created a near-insurmountable deficit. The second period was more balanced but still gave the Blackhawks an advantage. The third period finally saw the Sharks dominate the pace as they made a final comeback attempt and controlled the puck about 70 percent of the time, but was ultimately too little too late.
The Sharks can’t afford to fall behind early, which they did against the Blackhawks. And they certainly can’t compound this mistake by beating themselves with unforced errors, which brings us to a second major problem San Jose faced in the game.
Sharks Lose Special Teams Battle
It’s difficult to control the game if you’re constantly playing shorthanded. The Sharks committed seven penalties and put themselves in five-on-three situations on two separate occasions. The Blackhawks scored twice on the power play and added another goal while playing four-on-four. The Sharks, meanwhile, were largely ineffective on their opportunities, managing no goals and just two shots on three power plays, though they did score during a delayed penalty.
Related: Takeaways From Sharks’ 5-4 Loss to the Blues
The incessant penalties obviously allowed the Blackhawks to build and maintain a lead, but the far more sinister component for the Sharks was their inability to establish any kind of rhythm. Constantly on the penalty kill, they had no opportunity to settle into an extended run of offensive consistency until the third period, in which they committed no infractions. Of course, they were already well behind by that point.
It’s the latest example of a troubling trend for the Sharks, who have allowed 18 power plays through four games while getting just 11 of their own. At a minimum, they’ll need to reduce their penalty rate so that their regular offense can play for significant portions of games.
Will Smith Shows Slight Improvement but Still Struggles
When the 2024-25 NHL schedule came out, many circled this game as the first matchup between the two most recent first-overall picks, Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini. A lower-body injury kept Celebrini out of the game, so instead we got a matchup between Bedard and Will Smith, who was picked three spots after Bedard in 2023.
While Bedard earned the game’s first star thanks to his two assists, Smith was much less impactful. He showed some positive developments by posting one shot on goal, a few good passes and a handful of solid defensive plays, which earned him a career-high 19:09 of ice time, second-most among Sharks forwards. On the other hand, he missed a crucial shooting opportunity on a breakaway and failed to generate much offense for himself or his linemates. He is still yet to register a point through four games and at his worst, has been basically invisible on the ice.
Smith certainly isn’t doomed by any stretch. Plenty of top prospects struggle in their first few NHL games, and plenty of them go on to have great careers. The Sharks continue to support him, and they have plenty of possible solutions. They could give him more power-play time, move him to a higher line to give him better linemates, or play him on the wing to ease the pressure of needing to run the offense. But his early-season challenges are detrimental to his confidence, and he’ll eventually need to improve his fortunes for himself and for the team.
Sharks Continue to Look for Breakthrough
Though clearly improved from last season, the Sharks remain winless and wondering when a win will come. They couldn’t get it against the Blackhawks, to whom they’ve now lost five straight despite the two teams being almost equally bad over the last few seasons. It’s a sign of a continued struggle to win games, one that might not slow down. To bounce back from this loss, they’ll need to clean up the areas which proved to be their undoing.
