Well… that wasn’t fun at all.
It took two and a half periods for there to be a goal, but when the red lamp was lit for the first time, it wasn’t to the good guys. Roughly 45 minutes had elapsed before Nick Bonino scored first for the Predators in what turned out to be the game-winning goal. It felt as if both teams had lost their heads in the second period, though, when the game turned into an absolute yard sale and saw Evander Kane racking up so many penalty minutes that he basically sat out the entire game without getting a game misconduct.
There’s not really a lot to say about this game. The Sharks got chances, and a lot of them, but only Timo Meier was able to figure out possibly part of the next generation of Shark killers, Jusse Saros, who was phenomenal tonight for Nashville.
It’s back to home for the Sharks on Thursday night as they take on the New York Rangers.
The last game of the road trip for the #SJSharks. They stop in Nashville for some hot wings and to play another cat team. pic.twitter.com/WVYEZVyoRN
— Fear the Festivus (@fearthefin) December 10, 2019
Aaaaaaaaaaaand good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to our liveblog! I go by the name of Bryan DF and I will be your host for tonight’s action.
20:00: Game on!
19:13: Things already not working out well for the Sharks- Barclay Goodrow goes off for a slash and Logan Couture got hit in the mouth on an offensive rush for Nashville.
17:13: Easy kill for the Sharks.
16:43: Ferraro just misses the net.
15:24: Cleanup on aisle 5 right in front of Martin Jones. I’m very surprised that puck didn’t go in.
13:27: Sharks still haven’t gotten a shot on goal this game. Fun!
12:30: Everything about that Brenden Dillon segment felt really forced. I won’t argue that he isn’t overdue for a goal, though.
11:55: Mario Ferraro is heading to the box for a high-stick. Craig Smith’s bleeding, so he’s gonna spend no more than 4 minutes in the box. Jamie Baker thought he embellished, apparently?
9:04: Not a great shot attempt, but a very nice retrieval of the puck by Logan Couture.
8:54: Brent Burns with his best shot attempt in a while but he can’t slide it past Saros.
7:55: PK unit doing work tonight. 2/2 penalties killed.
7:48: Mario Ferraro with another great offensive chance but couldn’t pull the trigger in time.
7:13: THEY’RE PLAYING KURT ANGLE’S WWE THEME ON THE ORGAN. YESSSSSS.
7:09: Filip Forsberg is called for interference and… Marcus Sorensen is called for unsportsmanlike conduct? Huh.
5:49: Brenden Dillon stops a sure goal on the goal line, and then Evander Kane and Logan Couture go on a two-on-one attempt that misses the net. The block is hot!
4:25: The pass was there from Joe Thornton, but Marcus Sorensen getting hooked on his way to the net stops it. Sharks to the power play.
2:42: Tim Heed is getting power play time. What a world.
1:04: SAP Center and Bridgestone Arena both like to ask their PA announcers how much time is left in the period. Listen, you can hear it right now!
END FIRST: Sharks 0, Predators 0
Second Period
17:22: Sharks’ fourth line and third pairing putting in some good chances right now.
16:33: The AHL enthusiast in me is glad to see constant AHL top scorer Daniel Carr getting some good minutes in the NHL.
15:35: Meier can’t get his shot on target after some fancy stick-work.
12:54: Brenden Dillon just turns into Bobby Orr every time he’s in Nashville, doesn’t he? Another nice zone entry from him.
11:20: Logan Couture lays out and blocks a shot from Ryan Ellis.
10:30: Timo Meier with two good chances, and now the Sharks go on the power play. Dante Fabbro is called for slashing.
9:00: Kane with a back handed opportunity but it’s no problem for Saros.
8:30: Both penalty kills have been flawless tonight.
5:40: Well, I’m almost certainly jinxing things here but I’m actually floored there hasn’t been a goal scored yet. Also Brent Burns just flattened Rocco Grimaldi.
4:15: Jusse Saros denies Patrick Marleau.
3:21: Tim Heed with a golden opportunity… but, it’s Saros yet again.
I really like how Nashville has adopted those LED stanchions like what they have in Rogers Arena.
3:11: Brent Burns, Daniel Carr and a few others discussing the weather along the boards.
1:08: My computer rebooted on me after giving me the Beach Ball of Doom, but fear not, for I have returned. It seems we are getting a little more extracurriculars out there!
:25.5: Barclay Goodrow seems to be targeted by Preds players for some reason and HAHAHAHAHAHAHA THE REF JUST SAID “I told you three fucking times, get in there!” WITH HIS MIC ON
:01.9: Okay, we officially have a yardsale. As soon as my computer reboots all hell breaks loose?! Evander Kane is fighting Austin Watson?? What the hell is going on????
While the refs sort this out, how was your guys’ day? Do anything fun?
END SECOND: Sharks 0, Predators 0
I should elaborate that the ref swore at Roman Josi while telling him to get in the box.
Issuing another correction: When the ref said “Three f’n times”, he was referring to how many times Josi had cross-checked Goodrow.
Third Period
19:35: Sounds like Kane is done for at least the third period.
17:57: Roman Josi has it out for Barclay Goodrow, cross-checking him once again. And what’s more, Goodrow is also sent to the box for… concealing his hand on the puck. Jamie Baker is bewildered.
17:20: The ref’s mic is still on. Randy and Jamie are having a laugh about it.
16:03: Jones denies Rocco Grimaldi not once, but twice.
15:36: And at last, there is a goal— just not for the good guys. Nick Bonino continues to make the Sharks pay for trading him for Travis Moen and Kent Huskins a decade ago, and it’s 1-0 to the Predators.
13:55: Couture lays out to block another shot.
12:00: The Sharks don’t have a single shot this period. This sounds familiar.
11:31: Erik Karlsson is heading to the box for a hooking penalty.
10:55: PENALTY SHOT! It’ll be Barclay Goodrow to take it.
And it is stopped by Jusse Saros.
9:15: Karlsson is tied up by Matt Duchene, he appeals for a penalty to the referees but to no avail.
8:00: Jusse Saros is stopping anything and everything.
7:41: Burns. Why. Did. You. Do. That. He elbows Rocco Grimaldi and it’s back to the penalty kill for the Sharks.
7:01: Ryan Johansen, 2-0 Predators.
DeBoer is challenging this for goaltender interference.
They’re singing Let It Be in Bridgestone Arena.
Good goal. Back to the penalty kill for the Sharks. This is fine.
6:26: This is like the tenth penalty of the game. Filip Forsberg is sitting for hooking.
2:45: Sharks running out of time to get anything going offensively.
2:08: Saros with another nice save for good measure.
2:07: Jones is off for the extra attacker. Two or fewer is on the line.
1:58: And the Sharks score! Timo Meier ruins Jusse Saros’ shutout by banging a puck home.
:41.9: Calle Jarnkrok ices the game.
FINAL: Sharks 1, Predators 3
Pregame
The San Jose Sharks are once again on a losing streak, having dropped their last four games in a row and went winless in an ugly weekend in Florida, where they only scored three goals during their stay in Tampa and Sunrise against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers, respectively. They’ve gone 0-3-1 in this losing stretch and have been outscored 19-6.
But it’s a new day, and a new opponent — the Nashville Predators, against whom the Sharks will complete a season series tonight.
The Preds have sunk in the Central Division as of late, currently standing in sixth place as of this morning. They’re also missing star forward Viktor Arvidsson after the cross-checks he took at the hands of Robert Bortuzzo knocked him out of the lineup for 4-6 weeks. The Predators have stayed strong, though, going 4-1-2 in their last seven games and most recently beating the New Jersey Devils in a high-scoring affair, 6-4.
Lines
Sharks
The last game of the road trip for the #SJSharks. They stop in Nashville for some hot wings and to play another cat team. pic.twitter.com/WVYEZVyoRN
— Fear the Festivus (@fearthefin) December 10, 2019
Expected scratches: Lean Bergmann, Lukas Radil, Radim Simek
Injured reserve: Antti Suomela (undisclosed)
Predators
Filip Forsberg — Ryan Johansen — Calle Jarnkrok
Daniel Carr — Kyle Turris — Matt Duchene
Rocco Grimaldi — Nick Bonino — Craig Smith
Mikael Granlund — Colton Sissons — Austin Watson
Roman Josi — Ryan Ellis
Mattias Ekholm — Dante Fabbro
Dan Hamhuis — Yannick Weber
Juuse Saros
Pekka Rinne
Expected scratches: Matt Irwin, Yakov Trenin
Injured reserve: Viktor Arvidsson (lower body)
Where to Watch
The puck drops from downtown Nashville at 5 p.m. Pacific/8 p.m. Eastern. The game will be broadcast on NBC Sports California in the Bay Area, Fox Sports Tennessee in the Nashville region and streaming on NHLtv nationwide. 98.5 KFOX and the Sharks app have you covered for the radio broadcast of the game.
Check back here at puck drop for live updates and reactions to all the action tonight.
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