The Sharks are one of the better teams in the NHL but against the best of the best on the road, they've now lost by identical 5-1 scores to both the Penguins and the Blackhawks.
While a final score isn't the only means of evaluation, it does give some indication of how good you are.
Team Teal isn't quite there yet.
Sure the Sharks have outshot the opposition and they did so again in Pittsburgh with 45 shots on goal. But anyone will tell you it's about scoring chances not shots on goal that matter in the end. But more shots mean more opportunities.
Sidney Crosby and company scored four goals in a span of seven and a half minutes on 15 shots in the second period. This proves that the Penguins are an extremely well balanced team and always one of the favorites to contend for the Stanley Cup.
Said coach Todd McLellan after the loss, "The compete level wasn't where it needed to be, simple as that. When you don't have your game, when you're not on the top of it, when you're not on your toes, when your execution isn't quite good enough as it evidently was tonight, you have to rely on five guys, you have to rely on your system, and I don't think we did that very well. Full marks to them for a very competitive night and they took it to us."
Here are the game highlights.
And for comparison, here are the highlights from the game in Chicago
Notes
The Penguins are 11-0 when scoring four goals. ... Sidney Crosby played in his 500th career game. He had three assists and recorded multiple point games in each of his milestone games: 100th (1G-1A), 200th (2A), 300th (2G), 400th (1G-1A) and 500th (3A). ... Penguins coach Dan Byslma has now beaten every team in the NHL. ... The loss ends the Sharks six game win streak. ... D Dan Boyle played in his 900th career game. ... Tyler Kennedy made his return to Pittsburgh to a loud ovation. Kennedy scored three game winning goals for the Penguins in their 2009 run to the Stanley Cup.
Keep your head up, Ryan Leong