Sharks Locker Room: Eklund Says This Year’s Winless Start ‘More Frustrating’, Coach Promises Line-Up Changes

CHICAGO — There are no trap games for the San Jose Sharks.

Not to say that was last year’s cellar-dwelling Sharks’ attitude going into United Center to take on last year’s cellar-dwelling Chicago Blackhawks.

But certainly, fans penciled this game as a first win of the season for the 0-1-2 Sharks.

Instead, San Jose dropped a 4-2 decision, Tyler Toffoli and Fabian Zetterlund scored in a losing effort.

This game was a reminder: The San Jose Sharks, despite their obvious improvements up and down the line-up, and on special teams, aren’t good enough to take periods off, like they did in an opening frame where the Hawks put up a 2-0 lead and dominated both at 5-on-5 and the power play.

So it’s another winless start to the season for the Sharks, 0-2-2, after a 0-10-1 beginning to last year and a 0-5-0 mark to kick off 2022-23.

“This is more frustrating, I think, because we’re playing way better this year,” William Eklund, who played through an upper-body injury, said. “Just got to keep playing the way we did in the three first games and a little bit of this game and take it from there.”

The Sharks are hoping to upset the high-flying Winnipeg Jets in a cross-country back-to-back on Friday night.

Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci praised Eklund’s gutty performance and discussed the Sharks’ breakdowns. Eklund spoke on his decision to play.

Head coach Ryan Warsofsky promised changes against Winnipeg and spoke highly of Will Smith’s game.

Ryan Warsofsky

Warsofsky, on the San Jose Sharks’ slow start tonight:

We didn’t do anything well. Got off to a slow start. Hasn’t been us. Couldn’t defend in our own end. Couldn’t close quick enough. Couldn’t get the forecheck going, didn’t do anything well.

Warsofsky, on the type of penalties that he’s looking to eliminate:

Just all the stick penalties, trips, the high sticks, the reckless stick penalties. Another good power play tomorrow. So gotta learn from it and move forward.

Will Smith played a career-high 19:09, almost 6 minutes more than his previous high.

There was a good reason why, according to Warsofsky: "Thought it was his best game he's played. Looked more comfortable, is more engaged with skating more, playing with the puck more. I think it…

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 18, 2024

Warsofsky, on Jason Dickinson goal:

[They] have a one-man forecheck. We don’t break out the puck, something that we’ve really worked on all training camp. There’s a specific drill that we do that usually eliminates that type of forecheck, where it’s easy for us to break out a puck and we don’t even do anything close to what we want to do. Something we’re gotta learn from.

Warsofsky, on flip-flopping Dellandrea and Kostin on lines:

Got to get something going. Try to get some offense going. Mix it up here a little bit, and we’ll continue to look at it and try to create a little bit more offense.

Warsofsky, on if there will be line-up changes vs. the Jets:

We’ll expect some changes… we got to do everything better tomorrow, that’s for sure.

William Eklund

Eklund, on decision to play through upper-body injury:

I want to win a game, that’s why. To compete with the guys out there.

Not 100%, that’s for sure. But I’m trying to make plays out there, trying to get some goals out there.

Eklund, on another winless start to the season:

This is more frustrating, I think, because we’re playing way better this year. Just got to keep playing the way we did in the three first games and a little bit of this game and take it from there.

Cody Ceci

Ceci, on Eklund:

He played great. He’s been great for us. He’s a smaller guy, but he really works, works hard for us, and gets in those dirty areas and holds on to the puck.

Mikael Granlund

Granlund, on William Eklund playing through an upper-body injury:

He’s gutsy. He’s a player, he’s a competitor. So I respect that. Hats off. He played a good game, and obviously, in a tough situation. He helped the team again. He’s a great player.

Granlund, on how San Jose Sharks can get their first win tomorrow:

We gotta play faster. We gotta be better, better with the puck.

Pretty much the basic things, we gotta get a better start and obviously try to stay out of the penalty box to help us enormously as well.