Sharks Respond With Solid Effort, But Still Winless After 4-1 Loss to Avs

The San Jose Sharks host the Colorado Avalanche at SAP Center, as they try to get out of their winless start of the season.

William Eklund scored, but the Sharks dropped a 4-1 decision to the Avs. They’re now 0-4-2.

Period 1

Sturm to start the game, after his potentially explosive comments post-game after Winnipeg. Fourth-liner or not, he’s got to make a statement tonight. Nothing special, but he’s gotta lead and not hang his head. Not saying that he was, but eyes on him tonight, for sure.

Too many men penalty: Exactly what you don’t want after a good San Jose Sharks start. Sharks on top of Avs to start. Some forecheck. But negated with a penalty.

Colton goal: It’s easy to get off to a good start and stick with the game plan when it’s 0-0. Let’s see what happens when you’re down. Sharks had a pretty good shift cooking in Winnipeg right before Morrissey drew first blood.

Granlund penalty: Looked like Kovalenko could’ve got an interference picking Granlund but no call. Granlund gets a measure of revenge backchecking hard to prevent a Kovalenko Grade-A, but he gets whistled. See Goodrow chatting with the ref afterwards, probably pleading for some even up here.

8 in: MacKinnon to Colton again, same spot, but this time Vanecek with the big save.

Whoops 😬. Vitek Vanecek’s name is spelled wrong on his jersey tonight. #SJSharks Photo credit: INDTV USA pic.twitter.com/oYJfzdAf3F

— Max Miller (@Real_Max_Miller) October 21, 2024

9 left: Just saw it there, San Jose Sharks seem to want defensemen staying in the middle to absorb the rush, hard backchecking F3, in this case Granlund, to pressure the wide pressure. Textbook execution there, it looked like.

7 left: Whoa, Smith just basically crossed over Girard, sent him flying. Maybe his first ooohhh moment as a Shark. Good shift for that line.

Will Smith feed to Luke Kunin pic.twitter.com/ACrrrGNNmH

— JD Young (@MyFryHole) October 21, 2024

Sharks have played a reasonably good game at 5-on-5, just gotta stay out the box and obviously not fall further behind a still potent Avs attack.

Colton goal: And that wasn’t it…looks like Dellandrea needs to keep skating with Colton, instead of getting puck-focused. Looked like a momentary swivel of head and Colton was by him. For the normally responsible Dellandrea, gotta shake it off. He’s still a young guy who has battled consistency issues.

2 left: Nice handle by Gushchin to get it up the ice past the Colorado forecheck, hits Kunin on the fly.

Eklund goal: The San Jose Sharks needed that so bad. Good aggressiveness by Eklund, just attack the net. Walman-Granlund-Wennberg-Toffoli-Eklund on PP1.

Period 2

1 in: There’s one, you just want Granlund to shoot. Connecting on that pass was literally a TD pass through double-coverage.

Rutta penalty: That’s a lot of penalties for Rutta so far this year. Thankless job, being a defensive defenseman for the San Jose Sharks. Don’t know if there’s a worse job in the NHL. Not absolving Rutta, but it’s a tough job.

Granlund penalty: Third-straight game that Sharks have faced a 5-on-3 power play.

Last time #SJSharks faced 5-on-3 power plays in 3 straight games was Mar. 2018 (3/16 @ CGY, 3/17 @ VAN, 3/20 vs. NJD)

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 21, 2024

Zetterlund gets low-bridged, good on Thrun stepping up to fight. First-ever for him, I think.

Thompson-Smith-Gushchin-Zetterlund-Kunin are PP2.

9 left: Good shift from the top line, looks like Toffoli draws a penalty? Sharks with some decent pushback, gotta like that. Then off PP draw, great puck movement, Wennberg in the slot. Big save by Annunen.

5 left: Roof would’ve popped off if that went in. Good defensive hustle back by Thrun and Ceci to prevent Av who was trying to split them from breakaway. Then Thrun, great head up, spots Dellandrea by himself in the middle of the ice, hits him with a stretch. Dellandrea makes a move, gets one on one with Annunen, but can’t bury.

Toffoli draws another penalty. San Jose Sharks have played a genuinely good period, credit to them.

1 left: Eklund and Makar going after each other. Love to see it. Eky has got some rat to this game.

San Jose Sharks have responded after a dispiriting loss in Winnipeg. Now to get a W.

Period 3

1 in: Rutta does a good job staying with Wood down the slot. That’s just pure effort and want there.

3 in: Walman nifty with puck to beat F1 O’Connor. San Jose Sharks actually outshooting Avs 22-18. Games like this, we ask a lot less about last year.

6 in: Smith has been better on the draw tonight, but Kunin does take the strong side DZ draw just now.

8 in: Eklund controlling the puck down low, putting MacKinnon in a little spin cycle. Leads to Walman point shot and OZ faceoff. Like.

Kiviranta goal: Ferraro stretch gets intercepted earlier in shift, that leads to extended Avs zone time that maybe shouldn’t have happened. Tough couple shifts with the puck for Mario, he also missed a long tip-in dump that just went for icing maybe previous shift. Then Sturm thinks Rutta is in front of the net, the d-man has gone high, and Kiviranta is all alone. Ugly, Sharks had a played a strong game, unfortunately that’s what sinks them.

10 left: Good job by Thompson to outskate Avs’ F1 to loose puck, but then NZ turnover.

7 left: Eklund rush chance helped along by tough Thrun backhand pass. He’s showing some puckmoving tonight.

5 left: Not a strong play by Wennberg up high with puck on entry. If you’re going to give it up, get it in deep.