Sharks Locker Room: Runaway Train?

The San Jose Sharks tried to stop the runaway train.

The Sharks gave up four goals to the Seattle Kraken in 5:49 in the second period, turning a 1-1 first period into a 5-1 deficit.

San Jose would lose 6-2, their goals from Carl Grundstrom and Tyler Toffoli.

2:03 into the second, Oliver Bjorkstrand got a fortunate bounce to give the Kraken a 2-1 lead. 51 seconds later, Brandon Montour took advantage of a Walker Duehr turnover and rifled a shot past Yaroslav Askarov.

But for San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky, that wasn’t where the game went off the rails.

The Sharks actually received a power play, and for two minutes, the top unit had possession. They failed to score though.

That’s when Warsofsky felt the air go out of the bench: “Probably after the power play, when the guy comes out of the box, gets the breakaway.”

That was Jaden Schwartz, making it 4-1.

Warsofsky pulled Yaroslav Askarov: “Didn’t want to leave a young kid out there, get peppered and shelled all night. I don’t think that was fair for him.”

Two shifts later, alternate captain Luke Kunin got into it with Montour, showing literal pushback after Montour gave him a shot.

In the fracas, Henry Thrun and Vince Dunn got into a fight, and Nikolai Kovalenko got an extra for roughing Kaapo Kakko.

Kunin got called for a phantom tripping on Chandler Stephenson, and up two men, Montour made it 5-1 past Alexandar Georgiev.

Game, set, match.

There was still 12:08 left in the middle frame, but the Sharks looked done. The rest of the second period was marked by Keystone Cops play.

“We’re having trouble getting back on track when we do go off-script,” Mario Ferraro said. “Every team does it. They have five minutes of a hockey game where they let off the gas or they’re struggling, but good teams find a way to collect themselves and get back to what they’re supposed to do.”

These are the moments that separate bad or average or good teams.

Ryan Warsofsky

Warsofsky, on the game-opening Chandler Stephenson goal:

We were slow all night, from the first goal against, we’re late on a pinch. We don’t get above the center. Something you learn in training camp.

Warsofsky, on pulling Yaroslav Askarov:

Didn’t want to leave a young kid out there, get peppered and shelled all night. I don’t think that was fair for him.

Warsofsky, on how disappointing it was to end the dad’s trip with this type of effort:

Extremely disappointing. Downright embarrassing.

Warsofsky had no Kovalenko update

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 31, 2025

Watch the full interview here

Henry Thrun

Thrun, on when the momentum shifted on the San Jose Sharks bench in the second period:

Unfortunately, this year, it’s felt like we almost blink and all of a sudden, we’re kind of scrapping to even be in the game anymore.

I don’t point it to any moment in particular.

You hit the nail on the head there, seems that there’s a flurry of chances and shots, and all of a sudden, we’re down two, three goals, and it’s tough against any team in the league to come back against that. That’s happened too much this year.

Watch the full interview here

Mario Ferraro

Ferraro, on San Jose Sharks’ inability to calm their game down when things go awry:

We’re having trouble getting back on track when we do go off-script. Sometimes it’s going to happen. Every team does it. They have five minutes of a hockey game where they let off the gas or they’re struggling, but good teams find a way to collect themselves and get back to what they’re supposed to do.

Ferraro, on his mentor Rob, who was joined the dads’ trip:

It’s my cousin Rob.

He’s been a big supporter of not only the Sharks, but my career in general, he’s followed me for a very long time. My dad wasn’t able to make it this year.

I was very excited to be able to have Rob out here, who I look up to a lot, just for the continuous support that he gives me.
Even on nights where I don’t think I’m very good or I think I struggle or I’m struggling to find my skill, he’s always built me up. It’s my family that really holds me together and allows me to believe in myself.

He’s very special. He’s a very special person in my life.

Watch the full interview here