SHARKS DROP FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON.
Updated: Oct 24, 2021
The Sharks have lost their first game of the 2021-22 season. The Boston Bruins were able to hold off the late rally by San Jose and come away with a 4-3 victory. The loss at TD Garden occurs in the Sharks' 5th game in 8 days, just one day apart from back-to-back games within less than 24 hours of each other.
Adin Hill, who admittedly expressed that it was not his best game, allowed a goal just 28 seconds in the game courtesy of a wrist shot by Brad Marchand. Less than 3 minutes later, Derek Forbort scores as well on a twisted writer and extends the lead early to 2-0. After the third goal by David Pastrnak, with less than 4 minutes remaining in the first, Sharks Head Coach Bob Boughner decided to bench Adin Hill during the intermission and James Reimer took over the crease in the 2nd. period.
Goals for San Jose occurred late in the first period by Jasper Weatherby, scoring his 2nd goal of the season, and late in the third period by Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier, who tipped a shot by Logan Couture past Linus Ullmark. The Sharks' late comeback efforts fell short, but Sharks fans wonder if this game could have had a different outcome if Alexander Barabanov and Jonathan Dahlen were able to put their missed shots in on a wide-open net during two power play chances. Dahlen has been routinely scoring for the Sharks in his rookie season with 3 goals in 5 games, whereas Barabanov who was playing in his first NHL game of the season was assessed by Coach Boughner as "the game might have been moving a bit fast" for him.
Tomas Hertl commented on the Sharks' efforts to tie the game during the post-game conference. Hertl made comparisons of the Sharks' this season versus last season:
Last year in a game like that, everybody goes separate ways. Try and make a play myself and we'll see what happens, and we actually give up more. But this year we just stick together and fight for everybody
The Sharks record now stands at 4-1-0 as they head to Nashville to finish off the first of three 5 game road trips this season.