Jabber Jaws: Quinn apologetic, Eklund bigger

Mar 5, 2023 - 8:20 PM

San Jose Sharks at Arizona Coyotes" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KlAv-0GHAqT5klaFtsxUgoW13mg=/0x84:1618x994/1920x1080/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72040758/usa_today_19763378.0.jpg" />

The San Jose Sharks have hit the road, ready for a quick three game road trip that will take the team through Winnipeg, Colorado and St. Louis before returning back to the Bay Area for a Saturday tilt at SAP Center against the Minnesota Wild.

It’s probably a good time for a road trip. The Sharks have not won since the last time the team was on the road, on Feb. 20 in Seattle. San Jose lost all five of its games during this last homestand, outscored 27-12 during that time.

The only bright spot amid the 8-3 drubbing the Sharks suffered at the hands of the Washington Capitals was seeing William Eklund help the Sharks get on the board first. Eklund finished the game with an assist and a minus-three plus/minus, but none of the Sharks were any good so we can’t hold the plus/minus against him.

Meanwhile, the Sharks recalled Nick Cicek and Nikolai Knyzhov from the Barracuda for this road trip, which could mean that Radim Simek is once again injured. Simek left the bench midway through yesterday’s game and did not return.

Tank for Bedard watch

Luckily, as fans, we’re on tank for Bedard watch, and yesterday’s loss helped in that regard.

The Sharks have dropped down to 30th in the league. The Anaheim Ducks have jumped to the 29th spot in the standings. The Chicago Blackhawks are a point behind the Sharks in the standings, holding on to the 31st spot, but Chicago has a game in hand.

It’s still anyone’s game. The Columbus Blue Jackets have the 32nd spot in the league but only trail the Sharks by two points in the standings.

Jabber Jaws

The Sharks spoke to the media following yesterday’s loss. It was a game that saw Head Coach David Quinn tossed in the second period after he vehemently argued a penalty dealt to the Sharks.

While you can’t hear what he’s saying, you get the gist.

Following the game, Quinn apologized.

Quinn on his ejection

“I’m embarrassed. You shouldn’t act like that as a coach. I want to apologize to our team and it’s not how I certainly want to act and it’s an emotional game and you know, these refs work hard. They do a good job and you know, it’s something that should never happen. So I’m embarrassed by that. You know, something that I can’t promise you it won’t happen again because it does get emotional, but I will do everything I can to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

“It’s a hard game to ref with two and, you know, he was put in a tough position with being the one man gang so, you know, I should have been more aware of that too.”

Quinn on the Sharks’ loss

“We’ve got to refocus to play 60 instead of 30. You know, I mean, you look up at that scoreboard with 10 minutes to go in the second period. We have 27 shots, they have 7. I really liked what was going on. And, you know, unfortunately, we just got up, things unraveled, and it’s unfortunate because I really liked our approach to the game that we played a really good first period. I thought it continued throughout the second and then it just got away from us.”

“The results are the same, but this was much different than the St. Louis game. I thought we played a really good first and even the second. I thought we did a lot of good things in the second early on, and it just got away from us, which is, you know, the frustration with our guys. Here we go again, you know, and, you know, but hey, we got to put a stop to it and, you know, playing 60 instead of 30. Like I said, 27-7 and 2-0 lead, playing very well. The whole thing just unraveled.”

Tomas Hertl on the Sharks’ loss

“We play, again, like one of the best first periods, you know, this year and we even jump I think, in the second early. They have seven shots, we have 24 or 28, we dominate the game and we just let them in. You know, there’s nothing they did different. We just let them in and they scored two quick goals and all because it was three and two. So, we just let them play because at that time they have nothing, and after we fall apart and third was, you know, tough to watch. And just can’t happen anymore or ever happen for us. We can be quick enough for anybody. You know, we have to fight for each other, you know, because every day everybody fighting for something here. And it’s tough, you know, after first you feel great and we end up like that is...it just can’t happen.”

Quinn on what the Sharks need to do moving foward

“It’s a group. Coaches, leaders, players, we’re all in this together. We will put a stop to it. That’s the thing I love about our team. We’ve rebounded from stuff like this, hasn’t happened back to back all year for the most part and I feel a lot of confidence that we’ll get this straightened out straight away.”

Hertl on what the Sharks need to do moving forward

“We have to just keep playing same way and if you play the same way we will win some hockey games, but we just stopped doing what we did at first. We had been hard, we’ve been physical, we play hard in d-zone and one goal or couple not smart decision. Just always change the momentum and change the game for us.”

Quinn on William Eklund’s game

“I liked his game. I thought he played with energy. I thought he played with passion. I liked a lot about his game.”

Hertl on playing with Eklund

“We played all last year, all nine games together before he get back to Europe, and you know, he’s a smart player. He’s skilled, and I think we have couple good looks and we have to just keep working but, you know, he got a lot of skill and you know, still we have to work together and getting better every game.”

Eklund on his first game this season

“You have to score there. You know, I gotta make some better plays. You know, I gotta make mental plays there too. Put the puck in the net and, you know, three-nil, three-zero would have been great there. So yeah, we gotta watch some video and come back better.”

Eklund on what’s different this season

“I think I got more shots on the net. I think I was around the net more. Allowing that it doesn’t bounce on me and something and that’s my feeling. And I think it could have a couple online. Couple good shifts in the o-zone.”

“I gained a little muscle and that’s why I’m still trying to get bigger and bigger strides here. I know I will do that.”

Eklund on catching Erik Karlsson passes

“I gotta do better there, you know, he obviously a great passer in this game, so I gotta do better.”

Quinn on Kaapo Kahkonen’s game

“I’m sure he’d like to have some of those back.”