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The San Jose Sharks allowed 10 goals for the second game in a row last night, suffering a 10-2 blowout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The loss comes only two days after the Sharks lost 10-1 to the Vancouver Canucks. It also marks the team’s 11th straight loss to begin the year.
The game started in similar fashion to the Vancouver game, where the Sharks took an early penalty and the opponent capitalized, as Reilly Smith beat Mackenzie Blackwood from distance to open the scoring only a minute and a half into the game. Then later in the frame, Smith struck again, burying a loose puck to make it 2-0. The Sharks did have a good power play opportunity to get back into the game near the end of the frame, but couldn’t convert.
Early in the second frame, Jake Guentzel was able to extend the lead off a pass from Bryan Rust, before Vinnie Hinostroza won a puck race only a minute later and beat Blackwood on a pretty brutal goal, and it was quickly a four-goal lead. Anthony Duclair did get one back for San Jose on a power play, but Pittsburgh came right back under a minute later, scoring two more goals in a span of just 15 seconds to make it 6-1 midway through the game.
That ended Blackwood’s night, allowing six goals on 18 shots, and Magnus Chrona drew in for his first NHL action (with Kaapo Kahkonen unavailable). Just two minutes after Chrona entered the net though, Matt Nieto buried a rebound on an odd-man rush, for a 7-1 Penguins lead through 40 minutes.
Bryan Rust was then able to convert in the first minute of the third period, and while Jacob MacDonald did score off a slapshot to get the Sharks a second goal, once again, the Penguins came right back with goals from both Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel, with the game ending at 10-2.
It’s almost comical at this point. With the loss, the Sharks remain winless to start the year, having been outscored by a ridiculous 54-12 margin.
Even when they did score against Pittsburgh, on both occasions, they almost immediately allowed multiple goals against, to completely erase any of the minimal progress they’d made towards chipping away at the lead.
I guess at least they did score a second goal, marking only the second time this season they’ve scored more than a single goal.
In all fairness, goaltending has been a factor in 20 goals allowed over the last two games. Tonight, there were a couple rough ones on Blackwood. Not like better goaltending would have any impact on the Sharks winning the game, but with even decent goaltending, San Jose wouldn’t have allowed double-digit goals against.
It’s a tough way for Magnus Chrona to make his debut though, entering the game to get lit up for four goals on 17 shots.
The game also marked Erik Karlsson's return to San Jose with his new team, following five years spent with the Sharks. Karlsson picked up two assists in the win and obviously, it's pretty visible how Karlsson's departure has directly resulted in reduced offense for San Jose. Without Karlsson, the Sharks really don't have any defensemen capable of creating quality chances themselves or generating offense.
The Sharks just legitimately do not look like they belong in the same league as many of the teams they’ve played against so far. It’s been an embarrassing set of games, but I guess the only way is up.
I don’t know what to say about David Quinn’s role in this right now. He’s not being dealt much of a hand with a terrible roster, but nothing is working on the ice. No lines are clicking or building chemistry, and the Sharks just don’t have much fight at all. The expectations for the Sharks were so low, but somehow, the team is still massively falling short of them.
San Jose will be back in action on Tuesday, when they host the Philadelphia Flyers.
San Jose Sharks Blogger • 
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