Playing on the tail end of back-to-back games, the Sharks limped into Madison Square Garden on Friday night, and dropped a tough 1-0 decision to the New York Rangers. Adin Hill made 26 saves, but a 1st period power play goal would be enough to help the Rangers win a 5th consecutive game. The Rangers leaned on two goaltenders to shutout the weary Sharks, who just didn't have the jump to beat New York.

The Rangers were benefactors of a 50-50 call on Noah Gregor who plowed into Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin on a play in front of the net. Problem is Gregor was helped into Shesterkin by defenseman Patrik Nemeth. The Rangers would convert on the power play when Ryan Strome unloaded a howitzer shot from the right dot.

Goaltender Adin Hill made his second consecutive start after James Reimer felt ill earlier in the day and was scratched as the starter. Hill was dead to rights on Strome's shot, which staked the Rangers to the early lead.

San Jose would squander a power play chance of their own when Nemth was called for tripping. Both teams finished the opening period with 10 shots each.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic took a tripping penalty of his own midway through the 2nd period, but it ended with less impact than the Gregor penalty.

Shesterkin was injured 5:08 into the 3rd period after he dove to try and grab a loose puck in front of the net. Nobody touched the netminder, but he had to be helped off the ice, as he favored his right leg. Alexandar Giorgiev replaced him in net.

Giorgiev would make 9 saves in relief of Shesterkin.

K'Andre Miller tripped Logan Couture with 9:15 left in regulation to setup the Sharks 2nd power play of the game.

The sharks pulled Hill with just under a minute left in the contest, but they couldn't get the puck out of their own end. Two suspect plays by Alexander Barabanov cost the Sharks as valuable time burned off the clock.

In the end, it was a tough defeat, coming against a strong team, on short rest, and aided by a questionable call. San Jose can restart things in the win column on Sunday when they wrap up the road trip in Columbus.

Game Notes:

* Marc-Edouard Vlasic has tied Joe Thornton for 2nd all time on the Sharks games played list with 1,104 games. He would need to play 503 more games to catch Patrick Marleau.

* A night after Jonah Gadjovich was hobbled when he blocked a shot, Jasper Weatherby went down in the opening period doing the same thing.

* The Rangers leaned on the physical angle, out-hitting San Jose 22-14. Erik Karlsson was the recipient of an open ice hit by Jacob Trouba, which was borderline boarding.

* For whatever reason the Sharks had difficulties putting the puck on net. They recorded 15 shots in the game, but that did not account for several big misses.

* If Adin Hill could lock down his 1st period play, he could have been staring at back to back shutouts. The Sharks netminder allowed 1st period goals in both New York games.