San Jose Sharks: Another Long Losing Streak
Things have gone downhill for the Sharks once again, as a second losing streak is rivaling the first one.
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In today’s edition, we discuss the Sharks’ recent losses and how they’re regressing to the mean.
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San Jose Sharks Fall to Red Wings 5-3, Extend Losing Streak to 9
January 3, 2024 by William Espy
The San Jose Sharks hosted the Detroit Red Wings for their first game of 2024. The Sharks entered the night on an eight-game losing streak and looked to leave that in the prior year. They didn’t get off to a great start, as Daniel Sprong opened the scoring for Detroit just over six minutes into the game. However, the Sharks bounced back and ended the first period tied at one.
The second period would be more of the same, as it would end tied at two. Alexander Barabanov gave the Sharks a 3-2 lead just under halfway into the third period with his 100th career NHL point, however, David Perron would tie it up just a couple of minutes later. He scored his second of the night which would be the game-winning goal.
Sharks Lose to Avalanche 3-1, Get Swept in Season Series
January 1, 2024 by William Espy
The San Jose Sharks concluded the calendar year of 2023 in Denver, Colorado’s Ball Arena. The Sharks have struggled against the Colorado Avalanche so far this season and hoped to turn their fortunes around in the teams’ final meeting of the season. In their first meeting on Oct. 14, the Sharks were beaten in overtime which spoiled Mackenzie Blackwood’s tremendous debut for the team in teal.
Their second meeting was even worse for the Sharks, as they lost 6-2 on Dec. 17. While the Sharks were able to keep the game close on the scoreboard, it seemed inevitable that the Avalanche would walk away with a win, and they did just that. The Sharks fell in regulation with a final score of 3-1.
3 Takeaways From Sharks’ 5-1 Loss to Kings
December 28, 2023 by Alex Hutton
The San Jose Sharks returned from their Christmas break with a 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday (Dec. 27), marking their sixth straight defeat. The loss continues a challenging stretch which comes on the heels of some of their best performances of the season. While they had some positive sequences, the Sharks ultimately made too many errors to win the game or even keep it close. The struggles they faced during the game have plagued them throughout the season, and highlight critical places to improve for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign.
4 Takeaways From Sharks’ 5-2 Loss to Coyotes
December 22, 2023 by William Espy
The San Jose Sharks hosted the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday (Dec. 21) for their final game at SAP Center before their short Christmas break. They will go to Vancouver to face off against the Canucks on Saturday before their three-day break. The Coyotes have been on a bit of a winning streak since defeating the Sharks 1-0 at Mullett Arena on Dec. 15, as they’d won three in a row entering the night. The Sharks on the other hand were looking to end a three-game losing streak.
After Hot Stretch, San Jose Sharks Regressing to the Mean
December 21, 2023 by Alex Hutton
Following an 18-game stretch in which they averaged more than a point per game, the San Jose Sharks have taken a step back with three straight losses. But the struggles are the logical next step in a streaky San Jose season.
A brutal 11-game start, 18 games of adequate play, and now three defeats in a row. After the dust has settled, the Sharks have 21 points through 32 games and narrowly sit in last place in the league — about where they were expected to be. They took an unusual path to get to that spot, but they reached it eventually, and a closer examination of their journey shows that such a stabilization was always likely, even during their greatest successes.