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April 15, 2022
San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl, second from right, celebrates his goal against the Calgary Flames with defenseman Brent Burns (88), defenseman Mario Ferraro (38) and center Logan Couture, right, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Josie Lepe)

Eight is not great for the San Jose Sharks.

The Sharks lost their eighth straight game on Thursday night, dropping a 5-4 shootout decision to the lowly Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago actually snapped their own eight-game losing streak at the expense of San Jose.

The defeat also officially eliminated the Sharks from the post-season. The Sharks, of course, have been out of it for weeks, but this was the literal nail in the coffin.

It’s also the first time in franchise history that San Jose has missed the playoffs in three straight years.

So what’s next for the Sharks? I don’t mean during the off-season. The Sharks still have nine games left to close out the campaign.

Here’s something to watch for a number of San Jose Sharks players from now until the end of the season on Apr. 29.

Bob Boughner

But before we get to the players, let’s look behind the bench.

This is the second eight-game losing streak that Boughner has helmed as San Jose Sharks head coach. Last year, San Jose dropped eight straight from Apr. 10 to Apr. 24.

A back-to-back this weekend against playoff hopefuls Dallas and Minnesota doesn’t look like the best place to snap the streak.

If the Sharks’ losing streak reaches double-digits, it’ll be their longest since the 2005-06 squad lost 10 straight from Nov. 5 to Nov. 30.

Read This Article at NBC Sports Bay Area