The Sharks short 3-game home stand concluded
with a thud, as San Jose dropped the finale 3-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights on
Sunday night. San Jose lost all three games on the home stand falling even
further out of a playoff spot in the Western conference. The Sharks never
challenged Vegas, who started a rookie goaltender, who had one NHL start prior
to Sunday's game.
Logan Thompson was rarely challenged, and only a
Nick Bonino goal midway through the 3rd period blemished Thompson's win. The
Sharks are notorious for letting young goaltender get the better of them and
Sunday night was no exception.
San Jose has never beaten Vegas in
regulation on SAP Center ice, and that trend continued. San Jose lost for the
6th consecutive time and 10th time in their last 12 games.
The Sharks
got themselves into hot water early in the opening frame when Rudolfs Balcers
took a double minor for high sticking. San Jose evaded any damage by killing
all 4 minutes of the infraction.
Keegan Kolesar staked the Knights to
the 1-0 lead 10:14 into the game when his long shot from the right side slipped
under James Reimer's right arm. Marc-Edouard Vlasic may have altered the flight
of the puck by getting a stick blade on it right as Kolesar unleashed his shot.
Brent Burns was whistled for tripping at 13:31, but Shea Theodore was
sent off 32 seconds later after he slashed Logan Couture on a breakaway chance
which should have warranted a penalty shot. Jack Eichel scored his 1st goal of
the season a shot from 4 feet out, that fooled Reimer. The Sharks goaltender
was sliding to his right as Eichel's shot went left.
Max Pacioretty
threw a puck on net from the left point 1:23 into the 2nd period, and caught
Reimer who left a gap exposing the upper left corner of the net to make it a
3-0 game.
Reimer got a scare midway through the period when Lane
Pederson barreled into him after losing a skate edge. The goaltender continued
without injury.
Bonino finally got to Thompson at 10:17 of the 3rd
period. Andrew Cogliano rode Chandler Stephenson off the puck along the end
boards, before collecting it on behind the left post. He slid a diagonal pass
out to Bonino in front of the right post for the quick put back.
Ben
Stephenson added an empty net goal after Brent Burns failed to lay a hit on the
Golden Knights forward who received a puck in the neutral zone. Burns looked
like he tried to avoid contact on the play, which allowed Stephenson to collect
the puck and deposit it into the empty net.
Game Notes:
* Tomas Hertl took a puck to the face early in the 3rd period. He received
attention on the Sharks bench but did not miss a shift.
* Radim Simek
was scratched for the 8th time this season. He also missed 6 games earlier this
season die to injury. Jonah Gadjovich was scratched for the 10th time this
season.
* Things got testy in the final minute as Jeffrey Viel and Ben
Hutton mixed it up.
* Timo Meier and Logan Couture combined for 13 of
San Jose's 36 shots, but nothing really challenged Thompson.
* The
Sharks won only 24 of 64 draws for a conversion ratio of 38%.
