Make it six losses in a row for the San Jose Sharks. They put themselves into an early hole against the Detroit Red Wings and were unable to dig their way out on route to a 3-2 loss.
The game didn’t start the way the Sharks had hoped, as seconds into the first period Dylan Larkin made it 1-0 on a breakaway. After giving up the early lead, San Jose did settle down and generated 11 shots for, including ten scoring chances when playing at even strength. However, Jonathan Bernier kept the net empty and San Jose went into the break down a goal.
In the second period, the Sharks fired nine shots during five on five play, and as a result, their scoring chances were at a minimum. Missing the net and or making an unnecessary extra pass led to a frustrating period of hockey. Again, the inability to find the back of the net allowed the Red Wings to extend their lead to 2-0 after an Andreas Athanasiou breakaway goal.
For the Sharks, the start of the third period offered more of the same, with little to no life offensively. The Sharks did start to rack up power plays in the middle of the frame but to no avail. On one of the numerous man advantages, a defensive mishap led to the Red Wings adding to their lead. Christoffer Ehn was left unmarked for a short-handed goal to make it 3-0. Evander Kane would finally get the Sharks on the board only a few seconds later on the power play. Towards the end of the period, Tomas Hertl made it 3-2 Sharks, but it proved to be too little too late as there was only five seconds remaining. The current losing streak continues.
Pregame
It wasn’t that long ago when the San Jose Sharks and the Detroit Red Wings were heated rivals. Ever since Jamie Baker scored that overtime goal to bounce Scotty Bowman’s Red Wings in the 1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs, every game between those two teams were must-watch … at least until the 2013-14 season came along.
When the NHL realigned the conferences and divisions to better suit the Winnipeg Jets, who had been playing in the Southeast division for their first two years since relocating from Atlanta, that moved the Red Wings to the Eastern conference, all but ending the rivalry between them and the Sharks.
Since their move into the now-Atlantic division, the Red Wings have been sharply declining. They currently sit in seventh place in the Atlantic, only in front of the mess that is the Ottawa Senators. They were able to take two points from the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night with an overtime goal from Anthony Mantha, a result that the Sharks must have gratefully appreciated, with a playoff series against Vegas all but certain.
Lines
Sharks
Still no Pavelski for tonight’s game as the Goose takes on his old team. #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/7v0TycPeTm
— x – Fear the Fin (@fearthefin) March 25, 2019
Expected Scratches: Micheal Haley, Dylan Gambrell (healthy)
Injured Reserve: Joe Pavelski (undisclosed), Radim Simek (knee), Erik Karlsson (groin)
Red Wings
Tyler Bertuzzi — Dylan Larkin — Anthony Mantha
Luke Glendening — Andreas Athanasiou — Taro Hirose
Ryan Kuffner — Frans Nielsen — Darren Helm
Jonathan Ericsson — Christoffer Ehn — Matt Puempel
Danny DeKeyser — Filip Hronek
Niklas Kronwall — Madison Bowey
Brian Lashoff — Dylan McIlrath
Jimmy Howard
Jonathan Bernier
Expected Scratches: Luke Witkowski (healthy)
Injured Reserve: Justin Abdelkader (leg), Trevor Daley (back), Jacob de la Rose (accelerated heartbeat), Michael Rasmussen (upper body), Mike Green (virus) Thomas Vanek (hip)
Where to Watch
Puck drop at SAP Center starts at 7:30 p.m Pacific/10:30 p.m. Eastern. The game will be carried on NBC Sports California in the Bay Area and on Fox Sports Detroit in the Detroit market. The radio call will be available on 98.5 KFOX and on the Sharks app.
This will also be the first game with a Spanish broadcast available. The call by Ambrosio Rico can be found on the Sharks + SAP Center App or via the SAP setting on the NBC Sports California’s television broadcast.
Check back here at puck drop for live updates and reactions to tonight’s action.
Hello everyone! Eddie here and after a little hiatus I’m with you all to liveblog tonight’s action versus Detroit.
First Period
19:22: Goal. Yeah, not a good start to the game as Dylan Larkin gives the Red Wings an early lead
15:30: Tim Heed’s shot creates a rebound chance but Jonathan Bernier denies Tomas Hertl
14:27: Penalty. Justin Braun is called for holding and the Sharks are off to the penalty kill
12:25: Sharks kill the Braun penalty
8:11: Brent Burns comes close to scoring but Bernier makes the save to deny him
3:08: Burns with a shot from the right circle but Bernier saves it with the glove
1:13: Sharks with some scoring chances but they’re unable to get the puck past Bernier
End of the First
Second Period
17:12: Red Wings with some scoring chances early on but so far Jones stands tall
14:26: Power Play. Sharks head to the power play as the Red Wings are called for tripping
13:38: Gustav Nyquist with a rebound scoring chance but Bernier denies his former teammate
12:26: Red Wings kill their tripping penalty
11:48: Sharks with an odd-man chance but nothing comes of it
8:52: Joe Thornton with a great pass to Kevin Lebanc but Bernier is there to make the stop the Lebanc shot
5:16: Marcus Sorensen with a scoring chance but he’s unable to wrap it around the net
4:23: Goal. Andreas Athanasiou scores on the breakaway to make it 2-0 Red Wings
End of the Third
Third Period
19:26: Well, at least that breakaway didn’t result in a goal as Jones denies Mantha
17:10: No offensive life from the Sharks to start the third
16:02: Another breakaway save by Jones, this time on Athanasiou
12:39: Power Play. Red Wings are called for slashing and the Sharks could definitely use a goal on the man advantage
11:25: Goal. Christoffer Ehn goes unmarked and scores a short-handed goal to make it 3-0 Red Wings
11:05: GOAL. Evander Kane scores on the power play as the Sharks try and crawl out of this hole
10:37: Power Play. The Red Wings are called for hooking as the Sharks will try and make it a 1 goal deficit
8:37: Red Wings kill the penalty, time is starting to become the enemy for the Sharks
4:39: Power play. A fourth power play of the period as the Red Wings are called for holding
2:38: Red Wings kill the holding penalty
1:22: Empty net for the Sharks
:04: Goal. Hertl makes 3-2
Final: Sharks 2, Red Wings 3
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