Final
Sharks try to avoid slump in meeting with Flames
Oct 19, 2013 - 2:22 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The San Jose Sharks failed to match last season's record-setting start, but have still yet to lose in regulation. They'll look to get back into the win column on Saturday night when they host the Calgary Flames.The Sharks won their first six games of the season before suffering a 4-3 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars on Thursday. That left them one win shy of last season's franchise-best 7-0 start to the campaign.
After failing to match that run, San Jose will try to avoid a repeat of the slump it fell into last season after suffering its first loss. The Sharks went 0-4-3 in the seven games following their 7-0 beginning.
Tyler Kennedy scored nine seconds into the setback versus the Stars for the second-fastest goal to begin a game in Sharks history. Stephane Matteau scored eight ticks into a loss to St. Louis on Jan. 1, 2000.
Patrick Marleau and Matthew Nieto added goals and Antti Niemi made 28 saves, but yielded the lone shootout tally.
"We are disappointed we didn't get the two points but we probably didn't play well enough," Sharks head coach Todd McLellan admitted.
While the Flames have split their first six games of the season, they didn't suffer a regulation loss until Wednesday's 3-2 setback to Anaheim.
Lee Stempniak and Jiri Hudler scored, while Joey MacDonald gave up three goals on 22 shots as Calgary was denied a third straight win in the opener of a five-game road trip.
"A couple of individual mistakes but at the same time, you can't fault the effort," Calgary head coach Bob Hartley said. "We battled back but you know, we dug ourselves a big hole and we couldn't come out of it."
Hudler has notched a point in each of Calgary's first six games, totaling three goals and five assists, while Marleau has six goals and nine points over a season-opening, seven-game point streak for the Sharks.
San Jose has won seven of its past 10 against Calgary, including five of the previous six meetings at home.
Niemi is 10-2-1 with a 2.13 goals against average in 13 games (12 starts) against the Flames, who are expected to start Karri Ramo in tonight's meeting.
Ramo will make his second start of the season and lost his only other outing against the Sharks, giving up seven goals on 42 shots faced. That encounter came back on Jan. 13, 2009 when Ramo was with Tampa Bay.
- CALGARY: 3
SAN JOSE: 6
Final
Oct 20 12:46 AM - Calgary Short-Handed Goal - Mikael Backlund (2), from Lee Stempniak at 1:33.
Flames 2, Sharks 4 3rd - 18:27Oct 20 12:07 AM - CALGARY: 1
SAN JOSE: 4
End of 2nd
Oct 19 11:47 PM - San Jose Power-Play Goal - Patrick Marleau (7), at 17:59.
Flames 1, Sharks 4 2nd - 2:01Oct 19 11:42 PM - San Jose Power-Play Goal - Joe Pavelski (2), from Patrick Marleau and Matt Irwin at 8:57.
Flames 1, Sharks 3 2nd - 11:03Oct 19 11:24 PM - Calgary Power-Play Goal - Sean Monahan (5), from Sven Baertschi and Kris Russell at 3:01.
Flames 1, Sharks 2 2nd - 16:59Oct 19 11:15 PM - CALGARY: 0
SAN JOSE: 1
End of 1st
Oct 19 10:50 PM - San Jose Goal - Brent Burns (5), from Scott Hannan and Joe Thornton at 19:07.
Flames 0, Sharks 2 1st - 0:53Oct 19 10:48 PM - San Jose Goal - Brent Burns (4), from Joe Pavelski and Brad Stuart at :59.
Flames 0, Sharks 1 1st - 19:01Oct 19 10:12 PM - CALGARY: 0
SAN JOSE: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Oct 19 10:11 PM
Related News
- New site is live Mar 29
- Jets at Sharks: Lines, open thread and how to watch Mar 28
- Start of something new update Mar 26
- Sharks at Flames: Lines, open thread and how to watch Mar 25
- Sharks at Canucks: Lines, open thread and how to watch Mar 23
- Sharks at Oilers: Lines, open thread and how to watch Mar 20
- Eklund returns to the Barracuda Mar 20
- Islanders at Sharks: Lines, open thread and how to watch Mar 18
- “He’s just a little water bug out there” Mar 17
- Kraken at Sharks: Lines, open thread and how to watch Mar 16
- Blue Jackets at Sharks: Lines, open thread and how to watch Mar 14
- Jabber Jaws: Evgeni did nothing wrong Mar 12