Same old story for Sharks vs. Golden Knights as win streak ends with a thud
SAN JOSE – The next meeting between the San Jose Sharks and the Vegas Golden Knights this season would have to be in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Sharks would be OK with that because it would mean their first postseason appearance since 2019. The Golden Knights wouldn’t mind it either, simply because they absolutely own the Sharks.
The Sharks trailed by one after the first period and allowed three straight goals in the second in what became a 7-2 loss to the Golden Knights before an announced sellout crowd of 17,435 at SAP Center.
Trailing 2-1 after the first period, the Sharks allowed goals to Jack Eichel, Tomas Hertl, and Zach Whitecloud in a span of 8:06 as the Golden Knights rolled to their 11th straight win over San Jose since the start of the 2023-24 season.
The Sharks had earned comeback victories over the Los Angeles Kings and Dallas Stars earlier in the week, but they couldn’t muster a similar response against the Golden Knights as their three-game win streak came to an end.
Forwards Collin Graf and Alex Wennberg both scored even-strength goals for the Sharks, and goalie Yaroslav Askarov finished with 26 saves. Shea Theodore and Hertl added third-period goals in the Golden Knights’ lopsided win.
Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev scored in the first period for the Golden Knights, who have now won four straight after a five-game losing streak.
Center Macklin Celebrini was held off the scoresheet Sunday as his point streak, which lasted 13 games, came to an end. The last time Celebrini was held without a point in a game was on Dec. 9 when the Sharks lost 4-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers.
During his 13-game streak, which was tied for the second-longest in Sharks history, Celebrini had nine goals and 18 assists.
The Sharks entered Sunday in third place in the Pacific Division with 49 points, three points back of the first-place Golden Knights.
Beginning with a shocking 4-3 overtime loss on Oct. 9, San Jose went 0-3-1 in its season series with Vegas. Last season, the Sharks were 0-3-0 against the Golden Knights, and in 2023-24, they went 0-3-1 vs. their once-fierce rival.
San Jose’s last victory over Vegas came on March 30, 2023, when Logan Couture scored in overtime to give the Sharks a 4-3 win.
The Sharks now begin a four-game road trip against Eastern Conference teams, starting with Thursday’s game in Washington against the Capitals.