Sharks Dominate, But Hockey Gods Not With Them Tonight, Lose 4-3 to Sens

The San Jose Sharks host the Ottawa Senators at SAP Center.

Mario Ferraro and Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith scored, but the Sharks lost 4-3.

Period 1

Good start for the San Jose Sharks, Kunin steal at center ice, Celebrini enters, Zetterlund feeds Kunin for a Grade-A.

2 in: Gorgeous Eklund cutback on Sanderson on PP. At Rucker Park, that would get the crowd going.

3 in: Argument there that you want Celebrini to just take it to the net there. Ottawa PK looks pretty passive (or they were tired, had been on the kill for a while). Either way, Sens were gassed. In Rucker Park verbiage, take it to the hole, Mack!

Gaudette goal: Walman left on a 2-on-1 island. Both Kostin and Grundstrom chase the puck on forecheck, the Walman area pass, don’t need both there. Maybe that’s why Dellandrea wasn’t in the middle of the ice, he expected one of his wingers to fill in the middle. I thought it was a bad line change, that’s how far Dellandrea was from the play up the center lane. Bad hockey after a lot of good hockey to start.

10 in: Ferraro does good job taking away Tkachuk stick net front on point shot.

7 left: Big save by Ullmark, nice set-up by Grundstrom, though not sure that would’ve counted. Kostin was ticketed for the penalty box.

Norris revenge goal: Sharks had a chance to get it out on the kill, didn’t, Sens had a down-low 2-on-1. Blackwood has a 33 Save % right now.

Disappointing start for the Sharks on the scoreboard, but honestly, keep at it. They’re outplaying Ottawa, keep it going, grind them down. 9 times out of 10, you outplay opponent like Sharks have in this period, you’ll have the lead.

Period 2

1 in: Wennberg wins it in DZ, beats overaggressive Sens trying to jump him, 3-on-2 up the ice, Toffoli post. Great play by Wennberg.

3 in: Liljegren recognizes Sens changing, quick up to Smith, another good chance.

4 in: Coming down the wall, Wennberg teaches Stutzle, who’s trying to cover him. Wennberg evades him, then finds Grundstrom in slot. One of those is going to go in for the snake-bitten Grundstrom. His longest slump without a goal was last year at 28 games, we’re approaching it. At 21 games so far this season.

8 in: Celebrini good position to cover his man on slot pass on Sens’ counterattack. Then an errant exit pass, looks like he expected someone there.

Ferraro goal: Great stretch pass by Liljegren through a Sen to Sturm, who drops it to Smith high. Smith goes “D-to-D” to Kostin, that widens Sens coverage. Kostin with a fantastic pass under Sen to Smith, Smith patent no-look, Ferraro finishes.

One thing I love about that Ferraro goal, every Shark touched the puck on it. Liljegren great stretch pass to Sturm, who dropped it off high for Smith. Smith and Kostin's skill took over, Ferraro finished. Well-deserved +1 for all!

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 28, 2024

9 left: Love Wennberg’s patience and execution there on 3-on-2, waiting on trailer Walman. Wennberg may just be on a heater, but he also may be a player that is blossoming a little with so much responsibility, a little like Granlund who was left for dead a couple summers ago. Wennberg’s skill has been obvious in every stop and he’s also big, strong, and defensively responsible. This is what he should be on a night-to-night, year-to-year basis. Being trusted and having confidence could be going a long way.

8 left: Like that from Eklund, evades Kleven along wall, but then takes it to the net.

Kleven goal: Ouch. Thrun turnover on exit. Then even though Blackwood has a flash screen, he needs to have that. I don’t really put the first two on him, but San Jose Sharks needed a save there.

But again…just keep going. Sens really have shown nothing tonight, except being opportunistic and Ullmark. Sharks, to their credit, have done a good job of sticking with it despite scoreboard adversity.

3 left: Tkachuk just tried to run Celebrini over taking it to the front. Looks like Mack held his ground.

Tough penalty there for Ferraro to take at the end of a period. Huge kill upcoming. Game still for the taking.

Kunin and Sturm do good desperate work to kill off 23 seconds of the PK after Sturm lost his stick.

Period 3

1 in: Nice work by Ferraro to set up Kunin breakaway out of the box.

2 in: Walman pinches and keeps it in as Sens try to exit. His skating and stick make him particularly adept at that, I think, one of Walman’s big strengths.

Celebrini goal: Great vision by Eklund to see Celebrini all alone.

6 in: Kostin puts Ostapchuk through the blender on the wall, like.

9 in: Good effort by Kostin to try to keep it in, he’s engaged.

I might have passed out and woke up in 2018, #SJSharks now tripling Senators in shots, 30-10.

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 28, 2024

Smith goal: Kostin earns deserved bump to power play. Then nice Zetterlund pass to Smith who’s got a step on Sanderson. Crossbar, then Smith gets a fortunate bounce, but look at the shot clock…it’s an earned bounce. Love it.

Gaudette goal: Oh man. Oh man. First starts with the most Kostin shift ever, he takes on three Sens on exit, actually almost pulls it off, real skill. But then he loses it in the slot, post. He probably should’ve got a call, he comes up complaining, but that’s not the point. What’s he doing there? Live to fight another day there. Then Toffoli NZ pass a little too strong for Wennberg, looks like, counterattack, Gaudette beats everybody back to slot, tip. Blackwood has done yeoman’s work for the Sharks last couple years, but great shades of Martin Jones tonight. He’s not used to not a lot of work .