The San Jose Sharks found themselves with a third-period lead on Dec. 27 while facing the Vegas Golden Knights and once again they squandered that lead resulting in another third-period collapse leading to a loss. Heading into the third period the Sharks had built themselves a 3-2 lead over their rivals, the Golden Knights, but the tide quickly turned as San Jose gave up two shorthanded goals on the same power play as Brayden McNabb and Jack Eichel both scored to provide Vegas a 4-3 lead only 1:26 into the third period. Failing to capitalize on third-period leads has become somewhat of a trend for the Sharks lately as they have led in the third period but ultimately lost in four out of six of their most recent matchups.
On Dec. 17, the Sharks led the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 in the third period but failed to translate that into a win. On Dec. 19, the Sharks led the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 in the third period but ultimately ended up falling 4-2. On Dec. 21, the Sharks found themselves leading the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 late in the third period until Mattias Ekholm was able to tie the game and force overtime with just 18 seconds left in the game. The Sharks then fell to the Oilers in overtime by way of a Leon Draisaitl game-winning goal. And most recently on Dec. 27, they once again found a way to blow another third-period lead as they allowed Vegas to score back-to-back shorthanded goals on the same power play, culminating in a 6-3 loss at the hands of their rivals.
Positives to Be Drawn From Sharks’ Recent Play
Although things have looked bleak lately for the Sharks during this seven-game winless streak, there are still a few positives to be drawn. Rookie sensation Macklin Celebrini has continued his scorching hot play where he is scoring at a rate of a point per game with 12 goals and 15 assists through 27 games played. He continues to show what made him a first-overall pick and he is proving that he has what it takes to be effective on both the offensive and defensive side of the game at the highest level.
During the Sharks loss against Vegas, Celebrini displayed brilliant effort by taking the puck away from the Golden Knights in the neutral zone and as he fell to the ice he was able to move it forward into the offensive zone to teammate Will Smith. Smith then returned it to Celebrini who put a shot on goal and on his own rebound was able to dish the puck cross-ice to Smith who was breaking towards the back post and was able to find the back of the net. This was the first goal from rookies Smith and Celebrini that one of them was responsible for the primary assist for the other’s goal.
Another bright spot to come from the Sharks’ otherwise poor form as of late is the emergence of Yaroslav Askarov as a viable option in goal. On Dec. 21, he played an excellent game versus the Oilers. Despite the loss, the rookie goaltender boasted an impressive .929 save percentage against one of the league’s most high-powered offenses.
Upcoming Action for the Sharks and What to Expect
Despite the Sharks’ six-game losing streak, they have shown that they have the capability to be competitive on an every night basis. They have held leads against some of the league’s most talented teams such as the Jets and Oilers. With newly acquired goaltender Alexandar Georgiev proving to be somewhat of a question mark in goal, expect to see Askarov be given more responsibility in net in the future for the Sharks.
The Sharks will be back in action on New Year’s Eve as they face off against the Philadelphia Flyers. Two of the game’s most exciting and talented rookies will go head to head in Celebrini and Matvei Michkov. Expect to see Smith and Celebrini continue their impressive campaigns. They will be aggressively looking to get back in the win column in their next matchup against the Flyers so expect a fast-paced, high-action game.
If the Sharks wish to get back to their winning ways sooner than later they will need to shore up their ability to play with a lead and close out games. It was their lack of ability to hold leads and go out and get that next goal while ahead to add some insurance that kept them from getting a win in their last seven games. Head coach Ryan Warsofsky will no doubt be addressing this issue with the team before their next stretch of games. Will the Sharks be able to get off the schneid and get back into the win column?
