The Daily Chum: Miscues cost Sharks in loss

Tuesday’s loss stings more because the Sharks left points on the table than because of the actual play on the ice. Yes, San Jose looked particularly sloppy in the second period and did not convert on many of its numerous chances in front of the Arizona net but the Sharks still controlled most of the play at even strength.

The fourth line struggled and then got little to no playing time late in the game. Micheal Haley played only six minutes and the Logan Couture line looked less than terrific against Connor Murphy and Jakob Chycrun while the top line failed to convert on its dominant play.

Winning on the road remains a tough task in the NHL, even against a very bad Arizona team. Don’t let this result fool you: the Coyotes stink. Louis Domingue played a hell of a game and the opportunistic Desert Dogs took advantage of the littany of mistakes the Sharks made in their own zone.

Yes, the Sharks also allowed a first career goal. Of course they did. Lawson Crouse can thank Paul Martin and Brent Burns, both of whom played wonderful possession games, for the gift. Crouse took the puck from behind the net and waltzed in front of Martin Jones before tucking it by him for an easy score, all while Martin and Burns stood in front of the crease.

The Coyotes struck furiously from there. All three Arizona goals came in the second period and while the Sharks showed some jump to start the third period it took far too long for them to overwhelm the ‘Yotes. The final three minutes with Jones on the bench showed what the Sharks are capable of when all hands are on deck — it helped get Mikkel Boedker a much-deserved goal, too. But it wasn’t enough to get a point.

Jones’ numbers won’t be flattering from this one, but it would be unfair to pin the loss on him. He looked fine for the most part, as the Crouse goal lays at the feet of his defenders and Jones was screened badly on another. On the other end of the ice, Domingue made several miraculous saves because that seems to be how things go when San Jose plays Arizona, no matter who is in net.

The Sharks return home on Thursday and I can almost guarantee lineup changes will follow. Head coach Pete DeBoer will almost certainly plug Matt Nieto back into the lineup and send Haley to the press box if for no other reason than creating a more even distribution of minutes.

This loss stinks in context of the Oilers’ overtime loss and the Ducks’ thumping of the Kings; but the Sharks bookended a poor second period with dominant play. A great team plays all 60 minutes, but even great squads make mistakes. On Tuesday, the Coyotes took advantage. Now we move on.