The number of penalties the San Jose Sharks have handed out over the first two weeks of the regular season borders on the ridiculous.
The number of goals they have scored is downright appalling.
Once again, the Sharks had too much of one and not enough of the other Tuesday in a 3-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, extending their winless streak to seven games in front of a predicted sellout of 17 174 people at the Honda Center.
With the Nashville Predators beating the Boston Bruins 4-0 earlier Tuesday, the Sharks (0-5-2) are now the last winless team in the NHL.
Two of the penalties they gave Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks were particularly costly.
The Sharks allowed power play goals to Troy Terry and Leo Carlsson, with Will Smith serving tripping penalties twice, with Carlsson’s marker at 5:36 of the third period proving the winner.
As the Ducks moved the puck into the Sharks zone, Cutter Gauthier got a shot on goal that goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood stopped. But Carlsson collected the rebound in front of the net and beat Blackwood for his third goal of the season.
The Ducks’ first goal also came in the second period, as Terry drove through the neutral zone, crossed the blue line and fired a shot that beat Blackwood high on the glove side at 6:56 of the second period.
Carlsson’s goal came just 41 seconds after Mikael Granlund scored a power-play goal for the Sharks on assists from forward William Eklund and defenseman Jack Thompson, with rookie Thompson collecting his first NHL point.
Alex Killorn scored an empty-net goal with 1:51 left in the third period to seal the win for Anaheim. Smith was taken off the puck after crossing the Ducks blue line, and Killorn picked it up and fired it 150 feet into the empty Sharks net.
The Sharks were shorthanded six times on Tuesday – draining their energy and momentum – and were down a man or more 35 times this season. That’s the most after seven games for a Sharks team since 2009-10, when they were shorthanded 35 times.
Over the last four games, the Sharks’ shorthanded units have allowed nine power play goals.
That was only half the game, as aside from Granlund’s goal, it was another frustrating offensive night for the Sharks.
Danil Gushchin and Luke Kunin both took turns hitting the crossbar. A remarkable toe save from Lukas Dostal denied Smith his first NHL goal. A pointed shot from Barclay Goodrow slipped through the blue paint but hit the post.
Blackwood finished with 37 saves and Dostal made 27 saves, 10 days after making 30 saves in Anaheim’s 2-0 win over San Jose at SAP Center on October 12.
The Sharks continue their four-game road trip Thursday in Los Angeles. They will then play Las Vegas on Saturday and Utah on Monday.
Both Gushchin and Kunin hit the crossbar on odd runs in the first half. Smith on another 2-on-1, was denied by Dostal, who stretched his right leg to deny the Sharks rookie center on a backhand move to the forehand.
The Sharks have scored 12 goals in seven games this season and eight goals in their last six games without injured rookie center Macklin Celebrini, who will be out for at least two more weeks with a hip issue.
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