Sharks Locker Room: One Step Forward + Two Steps Back = ?

The San Jose Sharks took a step in the right direction on Sunday night.

They arguably outplayed injury-ridden Cup contenders Colorado Avalanche, and the loss was definitely closer than the 4-1 final.

Per Natural Stat Trick, the Sharks actually outattempted the Avs at 5-on-5 (43-36) and held their own in high-danger chances (5-7). They also played reasonably solid, committed team defense.

It was certainly one step in the right direction…but this was after “two massive steps back”, in the words of Nico Sturm, on Friday.

Those two steps back were a 4-2 loss to the lowly Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday and a humiliating 8-3 rout at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets on Friday.

The point: We’ve been having this conversation about the San Jose Sharks for years. Not just last year, but every season in the last five out of the playoffs, one step forward, two steps back.

In that equation, you’re still behind, and the Sharks are still winless to start the season, 0-4-2.

“We gotta be a team that’s gonna be better and better throughout the season, and we are going to be a better team, I promise you that,” young William Eklund said bravely.

And no doubt, law of averages, the San Jose Sharks are going to be a much better team, one day.

But this year? We’ll see if the Sharks can change their losing equation.

After the game, Mario Ferraro spoke on all the Super Mario costume wearers in the building.

From one of the hockey moms in Super Mario outfits. These are members of the @SFSabercats who will be playing postgame and on the blue line for the anthem. Their coach is a friend of Mario Ferraro and organized the group outfits. #TheFutureIsTeal https://t.co/vqs81NOWrB

— TEAL TOWN USA – A San Jose Sharks Podcast (@TEALTOWNUSA) October 20, 2024

William Eklund spoke about coming back from injury. Head coach Ryan Warsofsky discussed Henry Thrun and Jack Thompson’s performances.

Mario Ferraro

Ferraro, on Kiviranta’s goal:

Just a little bit of missed coverage from D-zone. I should have done a better job beforehand, before that play resulted in trying to get the puck up the ice past their defenseman. I tried to make a direct pass got turned over, and then 30 seconds later, they ended up scoring. But, it starts with me. I’ve got to get that puck deep.

Ferraro, on the message after the games against Winnipeg and Chicago:

The last two games before this on the road, we just weren’t playing the same way that we were the first few games. We came off of who we are as a team, and I think we just got a little lazy. So that was kind of the message to go out there today and get back to the way that we need to play in order to win games. And you know, we were closer. We’ve still got some steps to take.

I’m the Sabercats coach. Mario has been insanely generous with the kids for years. It’s the absolute least we could do. He’s an A+ human being. @SanJoseSharks pic.twitter.com/IYhQjNV7R3

— Jon Quick (@JQYYZSFO) October 21, 2024

Ferraro, on the San Francisco Sabercats’ Super Mario costumes:

That’s a buddy of mine that set that up with a bunch of the young kids that play on a team out by San Francisco, so it’s cool that they came to support. I wouldn’t be here without people like that, so I’m grateful for them.

William Eklund

Eklund, on the struggling power play:

Overall, our power play needs some work. [We’re] not doing what we can to make our team win. We’ve got to be able to count on power plays.

Eklund, on the Sharks improving over the course of the season:

We’re gonna be fighting the whole season. Every team comes in and it has to be tough coming in here. You can’t just come in here and collect points. We’ve got to be a team that’s gonna be better and better throughout the season, and we are going to be a better team. Yeah, I promise you that.

Eklund, on looking back on last year’s struggles: 

I don’t think about last year, to be honest. It’s a whole new year, it’s a new group. So we’ve got to find a way here.

Ryan Warsofsky

Warsofsky, on Henry Thrun and Jack Thompson:

Henry, this was the best game I’ve probably seen him play in the National Hockey League. He was engaged in the start, moving pucks, quick, responsible. I thought Jack was doing some really good things, engaged defensively, moving pucks quick, was something we’ve talked to him about. So good for both those guys.

Warsofsky, on San Jose Sharks needing to find a way to win:

It’s not gonna be about me. It’s about our group. We’ve got to find a way to win a hockey game. We’ve done some really good things in probably four of our six games, you could arguably say our record should be different, but at the end of the day, a record is what it says, right? So I know our guys are digging in. We care. We’re trying. It’s going to come. We just got to keep plugging away.

Warsofsky, on the Kiviranta goal:

It starts with our breakout. It’s a simple play, we want to put it up the wall, and we try to go to the middle, gets picked off, and it comes down, and then we just get caught chasing up high.

Warsofsky, on failed 5-on-3 power play:

We need to get some grade-A chances, first and foremost. Then I think they’ll start going in, something we’ve worked on, we’ve talked about, needs to continue to improve. We’ll probably work on it again tomorrow and get better at it, because it needs to be impacting our game.

Thanks to new San Jose Hockey Now writer William Espy for his help transcribing!