Sharks Locker Room: Quinn ‘Pissed Off’ About Team’s Lack of Consistent Effort

“You think you can win on talent alone? Gentlemen, you don’t have enough talent to win on talent alone.”

David Quinn seemed to echo that Kurt Russell as Herb Brooks line from “Miracle” after the San Jose Sharks’ 4-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

It was San Jose’s 11th-straight loss, their second 11-game losing streak this year.

“Listen, they have more talent than we do. Nobody is hiding behind that or away from that,” Quinn admitted. “But we need to be way more consistent with our compete.”

The Sharks were outshot 18-3 in the first period, only down a goal because of Mackenzie Blackwood and five – that’s right, five – first period Toronto crossbars and posts.

“I’m pissed off about our compete, our lack of effort. Consistent effort. There were shifts and moments, but that’s not good enough,” Quinn said.

The Sharks pushed back after the opening frame, actually outshooting the Leafs 21-17 in the last two periods, and got a goal from Mikael Granlund, but it wasn’t good enough.

Alternate captain Mario Ferraro, as good a Mike Eruzione as the Sharks have, knows it: “I don’t quite think that we were the harder-working team. Around here, that can’t happen. We’re not gonna win games that way. Obviously, they may have more skill down their line-up than we do, but it’s going to come down to who really works hard. That’s who’s gonna win the game.”

The San Jose Sharks have half a season, to paraphrase Russell as Brooks, to get that through their heads.

The San Jose Sharks are 40 games and two 11-game losing streaks in – and they still haven’t learned that lesson. Moral victory, they’re better on this 0-11-0 stretch than they were during that 0-10-1 start – goal differential -31 versus -42, and notably, shots against to 31.6 versus 37.5.

But again, that’s not good enough.

“I’m sure the losing weighs on us too,” Quinn said. “It’ll weigh on anybody. I have to work my ass off to make sure it doesn’t weigh on me as a head coach. So I can imagine the challenge it is for guys this age.”

That challenge isn’t going away. Are the San Jose Sharks going to show up?

Ferraro and Quinn discussed the Sharks’ work ethic. Zetterlund and Granlund talked about San Jose’s lone highlight, a no-look Zetterlund pass on the Granlund goal.

Mario Ferraro

Ferraro, on the San Jose Sharks’ work ethic:

I do think they outworked us. I don’t quite think that we were the harder-working team. Around here, that can’t happen. We’re not gonna win games that way. Obviously, they may have more skill down their line-up than we do, but it’s going to come down to who really works hard. That’s who’s gonna win the game.

Mikael Granlund

Granlund, on Fabian Zetterlund:

He’s grown a lot. He’s a really good player. He’s becoming a really good power forward in this league. He’s a strong dude. He works hard. He plays honest hockey.

Granlund, on if there’s concern in room about getting traded:

I don’t really know about the other guys. I’m not gonna think about any of that stuff. It’s just about getting ready for the next game.

Obviously, a lot of young guys on the team. A lot of learning curves, let’s just put it this way. We’re all working hard.

Obviously, not really going our way right now. Nothing we can do it by right now, let’s just go for the next day and for the next game and we’ll get out of this.

Fabian Zetterlund

Zetterlund, on his pass on Granlund’s goal:

I saw it went behind the net. He showed up at the far post. He was there. I saw him just a little bit.

Zetterlund, on playing with Granlund:

I learn something new everyday from that guy. Been in the league for years, just gonna look what he’s doing everyday and jump on it.

David Quinn

Quinn, on the San Jose Sharks’ compete:

I didn’t really love our compete tonight. I thought we got outworked and outcompeted too often today.

Listen, they have more talent than we do. Nobody is hiding behind that or away from that. But we need to be way more consistent with our compete.

I was very impressed with their compete and their effort, as highly skilled as they are. Second and third effort, their tracking.

I’m pissed off about our compete, our lack of effort. Consistent effort. There were shifts and moments, but that’s not good enough.

Quinn, on San Jose Sharks having another slow start:

The first three or four minutes were pretty good.

I thought when they hit a couple crossbars and started making plays, we played scared. I don’t mean physically scared, I thought emotionally scary.

When they started making plays, playing the way that they’re capable, we got on our heels and played afraid.

Quinn, on if he takes any positives from Ty Emberson’s performance tonight:

No, I didn’t love his game.

Quinn, on how much the team’s youth plays into the team’s compete issue:

I’m sure the losing weighs on us too. It’ll weigh on anybody. I have to work my ass off to make sure it doesn’t weigh on me as a head coach. So I can imagine the challenge it is for guys this age.

Quinn, on how to coach compete:

Just keep demanding it in a way that they’re going to understand it. I’ve been pretty proud of this group here for a long stretch. Tonight just wasn’t our night.