Sharks end trip with bitter loss to Blue Jackets: ‘We sort of went brain dead’
The Sharks spent the first quarter of the season shaping an identity as a tight-checking team that prides itself on playing a smart, simple game.
But every once in a while, things still have a way of going totally off the rails.
Looking to finish off a five-game road trip on a positive note, the Sharks instead were their own worst enemy Sunday in a 6-4 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Sharks were up 3-2 late in the second period but. perhaps feeling some mental and physical fatigue, allowed consecutive goals to Cole Sillinger, Adam Boqvist, and Jack Roslovic to fall behind by two.
“It’s the most frustrating game of the year for me,” Sharks coach Bob Boughner said.
Tomas Hertl scored with 9:49 left in regulation time, but the Sharks could get no closer as they finished their eight-day trip with a 3-2-0 record. The Sharks start a seven-game homestand Tuesday against the Pacific Division-leading Calgary Flames.
“We sort of went brain dead,” Boughner said of some of Sunday’s defensive breakdowns. “I know guys are a little tired, it’s the end of a trip, but (Columbus) played (Saturday) night and we didn’t. We got in here in plenty of time and had a rest day, so we can’t use that as an excuse.”
It was the second time this season the Sharks (13-11-1) had allowed six goals, although Columbus’ last goal — with 67 seconds left in the third period by Alexandre Texier — came on an empty net.
“We played free hockey today and it wasn’t our game,” Hertl said. “We just played it totally differently, we give so much.
“Every time we played (in their zone), they don’t really have a chance. When we start playing, skating, making plays, we give them trouble. But then when we start to cheat and just let them skate, it’s not our game. We just gave the win to them.”
The Sharks lost 6-2 to Colorado on Nov. 13 and are now allowing just 2.68 goals per game, ninth-best in the NHL.
“Except for the third period today, we played pretty well throughout the whole road trip,” Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson said. “We’ve got to move on. We play again on Tuesday against a good team.”
Nick Bonino, Karlsson, and Brent Burns also scored for the Sharks, with Burns’ goal at the 8:44 mark of the second period snapping an 11-game point drought and giving San Jose a 3-2 lead.
Sharks goalie Adin Hill, who was making his third straight start for the first time this season, allowed five goals on the first 22 shots he faced. James Reimer backed up Hill but remained under the weather.
It was a down game for Hill after he had stellar performances against the New York Islanders and New York Rangers on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
The Sharks had allowed just four goals in total in the first four games of the trip. Hill had allowed just two goals on 52 shots against the New York teams.
“I don’t blame him Hill. It’s not his all his fault,” Boughner said. “We let guys get behind us and we got messy and sloppy and, if anything, it’s a good lesson to learn.
“You could have come out of here with eight points on the road. You’re not now, you’re coming home with six. It would have been a big lift for us leaving the road trip those two points.”
Boqvist opened the scoring in the first period, and Sean Kuraly and Sillinger both scored in the second, with Sillinger’s goal at the 17:49 mark tying the game 3-3.
The Sharks were looking to win four games on the same road trip – not counting last season when they began with 12 straight road games because of Santa Clara County COVID protocols – since Feb. 2019. That month they beat Winnipeg, Calgary. Edmonton and Vancouver in seven days.
The Sharks outshot the Blue Jackets 19-10 in the first period and got a goal from Bonino with 2.3 seconds left to into the first intermission tied 1-1.
Andrew Cogliano retrieved the puck in the Columbus zone and fired it toward the net. The puck came to Matt Nieto below the goal line, and he got it out in front to Bonino, who chipped it past Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins for his fourth goal in the last seven games.
Merzlikins finished with 30 saves on 34 shots.
Boughner referred to Sunday’s game as a swing game. Either the Sharks would go home happy with four wins in five road games, or they’d be disappointed after losing two straight after starting the trip with three straight wins.
The Sharks opened the trip with wins over the Chicago Blackhawks, New Jersey Devils, and Islanders, and lost 1-0 to the Rangers on Friday.
“Even in the Rangers game I thought we played a pretty tight road game, but tonight it got away from us. Unacceptable,” Boughner said. “Those guys in the room, they have to tighten it up. We’ve got to play the right way and we didn’t play the right way.”