If these late season games are an opportunity
for guys to audition for spots on the 2024-25 roster, too many Sharks are
missing a chance to make a mark. With 8 games left in the season, the Sharks
did little to compete against a Los Angeles Kings team that's fighting to
retain their spot in the upcoming playoffs. The Kings scored goals 18 second
apart in the opening period, and held on to take a 2-1 decision at SAP Center
on Thursday night.
Trailing by a pair of goals in the 3rd period, the
Sharks would muster a paltry 3 shots against Kings goaltender David Rittich.
One of those shots would get past Rittich, but that answer from a team that is
learning to play in the NHL while also trying to identify who comes along for
the ride just wasn't enough.
The Sharks had the advantage of not
playing for the last three days while the Kings were playing on tired legs,
having played 24 hours earlier. The Kings had other ideas.
Adrian
Kempe scored 10:55 into the game after slipping past Kyle Burroughs at the
Sharks blueline and racing up ice before sliding the puck past Mackenzie
Blackwood for his 25th of the season.
Los Angeles took all of 18
seconds to put their second goal of the period on the board. Akil Thomas scored
his first NHL goal with a shot from just inside the right circle using a
teammate as a partial screen. It was only Thomas' 2nd NHL game.
San Jose was awarded a big 4-minute power play when
Jordan Spence cut Filip Zadina with a high stick. The Sharks did nothing with
the prolonged advantage, generating little in terms of pressure on Rittich.
The Sharks enjoyed a full 6 minutes of power play time in the middle
period but would only generate 5 shots on goal in the frame.
Klim
Kostin potted his 8th goal of the season and 5th as a Shark with a shot from
the right side after San Jose pulled Blackwood for the extra attacker. The goal
was Kostin's 9th in 13 games with San Jose. Mikael Granlund setup with the goal
with a pass from the high slot, adding to his team high 52 points on the
season.
Unfortunately, that would be it for the Sharks in the scoring
department. A lack of any competitive offensive chances allowed the Kings to
clamp down Sharks.
Game Notes: * The Sharks announced
before the game that they signed centerman Collin Graf to a standard entry
level contract. Graf was a top 10 Hobey Baker finalist the last two seasons at
Quinnipiac University.
* Luke Kunin and Andreas Englund dropped the
gloves in a spirited fight that would end in a draw. Kunin gave up 3 inches to
the taller Englund but was up to the task.
* Five Shark skaters would
record 2 shots in the game, which were all team highs. They would only generate
16 shots on goal in total.
* The Sharks paltry shot total was not
influenced by blocked shots. Los Angeles only blocked 8 shots total in the
contest.
* The Kings victory helped them to extend their lead over the
St Louis Blues for the final wild card spot to 7 points. The Blues lost to the
Nashville Predators on Thursday.
