Pregame:
The Sharks started their 3-game road trip in Nashville tonight in front of a sold-out Nashville crowd. They needed to start this road trip with a win by playing urgently and confidently (spoiler alert: they did NOT). The Sharks went into tonight on a 4-game losing streak, while the Predators were on a 4-game winning streak. With the Sharks chasing the Preds for the second wild card spot in the West, it was imperative that they put their best food forward in what was the biggest game of the season so far.
First Period
The game started quickly, but not in the way the sharks were hoping for. The Predators struck early after Dickinson fanned on a breakout pass that led directly to a 2-on-1 goal. There was hope though, as the 4th line played a gritty shift that saw all 3 forwards crashing the net in front of Saros and Gaudette scoring off a Mukhamadullin shot from the point.
It got a lot worse after that, as the Predators scored 4 in a row including a goal from Brady Skjei that saw Ryan O’Rielly give his best Superman impression that saw him swat away Sharks defensemen as if they were the little sticks that get ran over during Olympic slalom races.
Second Period
The Sharks won the last 40 minutes of the game 2-1. Unfortunately for them, Hockey games are played as a full 60. The Predators extended the lead after Chernyshov gets called for a trip in his first game back from injury. Will Smith was then able to get one back during a 5 on 3 Power Play, giving him his 20th goal of the season and bringing the score to 6-2.
Third Period
Will Smith did get another goal to cut the Predators’ lead to 3 in the 3rd period on a funky backhand shot that slid under Saros, but that was the last goal of the game for either team before a lackluster finish.
The Playoff Hopes
After tonight’s loss, the Sharks are now 7 points out of a playoff spot behind the Nashville Predators. Losing 5 in a row while your competition does the opposite during the most crucial time of the season is usually a bad thing. There is still some life though, as they have played 2 games less than Nashville, and they play them two more times before the season is over. You do have to win those games for them to mean anything though, and that looks unlikely given their current streak. The Sharks still must pass the Kings, Kraken, and fight off the Jets to remain in wild-card contention. Never say never though, as this is a unique year with an exceptionally weak Pacific Division that has all teams limping their way to the finish. The broadcast gave the Sharks a 9.3% chance to make playoffs after losing in regulation tonight, and to that I pull out my best Lloyd Christmas impression; so you’re telling me there’s a chance!
Some Good Things:
There were some good things that came out of the game tonight. Winning the last 40 minutes was promising for the next time the Sharks play the Predators on April 4th. The Sharks did outshoot the Predators 30-18 over the course of the game and proved they are not ready to give up on their playoff hopes. They continued to play physical well into the 3rd period, including a massive body check from Dmitry Orlov on Predators’ Captain Roman Josi that knocked his helmet clean off in a video game style hit. Let’s bottle this emotion and use it going forward, shall we?
Shoutouts:
Nedeljkovic: The Sharks goalies have not had it easy for a long time now, and tonight was no exception. After being hung out to dry all night, Ned hung in there through all 6 goals. If Askarov was not fresh off an injury, Ned probably would have been pulled after the Preds made it 4-1. You could tell he was feeling emotional and dejected in his post-game interview, criticizing his own team’s performance in the first period.
Will Smith: Smith had some well-deserved puck luck today on his second goal. After the little benching and demotion last week, he is bouncing back and looking more like his usual self on the forecheck. Scoring 2 goals tonight is sure to give him some confidence that he can hopefully carry for the rest of the road trip and through to the end of the season. He can now officially say he is a 20-goal scorer in the NHL, getting goals 20 and 21 tonight.
