Sharks battle Panthers, but season-opening woes reach historic proportions

NHL: San Jose Sharks allow two second-period goals and are unable to recover in a 3-1 loss to the Florida Panthers

The struggles of the San Jose Sharks to begin the 2023-2024 season have now reached historic proportions.

The Sharks were unable to recover after allowing two second-period goals, including a power play goal to Sam Reinhart at the 15:23 mark, in a 3-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday at Amerant Bank Arena.

Fabian Zetterlund scored on a power play at the 8:30 mark of the second period, and goalie Mackenzie Blackwood finished with 32 saves as the Sharks fell to 0-5-1, the team’s first six-game losing streak in its 32-year history.

“I just thought we kept giving the puck away,” said Sharks coach David Quinn. “I didn’t think we were committed in our battles, and you’re going to spend a lot of time in your end and give up chances against a team like that.” That’s kind of what happened, but it happened less and less as the game progressed.”

Last season, the Sharks lost five straight games in regulation before winning 3-2 in overtime against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. The Sharks had previously gone winless in their first six games, going 0-3-3 in 1995 and 0-4-2 in 1998, but that was back when games could be tied.

Anthony Stolarz, the Panthers’ starting goalie and a noted Sharks killer, made 27 saves Tuesday to improve to 9-1-0 in 12 career games against San Jose.

Florida also got goals from Carter Verhaeghe and Kevin Stenlund, with Stenlund scoring with 1.5 seconds left in the third period.

The Sharks have only scored eight goals in six games and have the NHL’s worst goal differential of -15. Last season, five of their first six opponents made the playoffs, including both Stanley Cup finalists in Florida and the Vegas Golden Knights.

Zetterlund scored his second goal of the season at the end of a Sharks power play.

William Eklund darted behind the Panthers’ net after receiving a short pass from Thomas Bordeleau. But, with his back to Florida goalie Anthony Stolarz, he sent a pass back to Zetterlund for a Sharks power-play goal.

The Panthers, on the other hand, reacted quickly. At the 9:48 mark of the second period, Matthew Tkachuk controlled the puck behind the Sharks net and sent a pass in front to a wide-open Verhaeghe, who scored his third goal of the season past a helpless Blackwood to tie the game 1-1.

“It was disappointing that we gave up the goal that we did,” Quinn said of Florida’s opening goal. “It was entirely avoidable… “We faded away from the puck, and it was just a big breakdown in the zone.”

Reinhart scored on a 4 on 3 power play after Tomas Hertl was called for a puck over glass delay of game and Kyle Burroughs was called for tripping 49 seconds apart. Verhaeghe was called for hooking four seconds after Burroughs’ penalty began at 14:52, but with three players in the penalty box, Reinhart was able to score past Blackwood after an Oliver Ekman-Larsson shot on net.

The Sharks’ road trip continues in Tampa Bay on Thursday, with stops in Carolina on Friday and Washington on Sunday.

NOTE: Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic was a healthy scratch on Tuesday, just three days after playing only 6:09 in the Sharks’ 5-1 loss to the Nashville Predators. Vlasic hasn’t been a healthy scratch since Jan. 4, 2022, when the Sharks faced the Detroit Red Wings.