Sharks takeaways: What we learned in San Jose's late 3-2 loss to Jets

Share

BOX SCORE

SAN JOSE -- For the first time in a long time, the Sharks had some life. 

San Jose played one of its best games to date, complete with a smothering defense that kept the visitors from Winnipeg on their heels and a relentless third-period push at SAP Center that made for some very entertaining hockey. 

Unfortunately, Connor Hellebuyck outplayed Martin Jones and a late-game mistake was all it took to derail the Sharks and hand them another loss, this time by a score of 3-2.

Here are three takeaways from Friday's game.

Defensive improvement 

You really do have to hand it to San Jose for playing a better defensive game. The Sharks did a significantly better job of controlling the puck and limiting Winnipeg's offensive-zone time. After Blake Wheeler scored the go-ahead goal less than eight minutes into the second period to give the Jets a 2-1 lead, the Sharks' defense did a spectacular job of limiting them to just two shots on goal over the remainder of the frame.

Unfortunately, the few small miscues that San Jose committed ended up in the back of their net. It didn't help that Jones looked a bit wobbly between the pipes. With the rest of the Sharks’ game showing signs of improvement, now would be a terrible time for the goaltending to fall off.

On that same note ...

5-on-5 is coming alive 

After several games of relying on their special teams to carry them, the Sharks finally played a game where they got some sustained pressure at 5-on-5. Heck, they almost looked more dangerous playing at even strength than they did with the man advantage, as the power play came close to coughing up a short-handed goal.

What the Sharks need to do now is fully establish a four-line identity. Barclay Goodrow did a good job leading the fourth line, Hertl and Evander Kane kept the second line rolling and Joe Thornton's third line had some of San Jose's best looks early on. If the Sharks can build off that performance, they'll be hard to play against.

[RELATED: What struggling Sharks need to fix on six-game homestand]

Second-period response 

The second period of games has been a problem for the Sharks, but that wasn't the case against the Jets. A big part of what kept San Jose in Friday's game was not sitting back in the second period after Evander Kane's goal was overturned and Wheeler immediately scored the go-ahead goal right after.

That resiliency spoke volumes as the Sharks launched over 40 shots on the evening and Hellebuyck stood on his head. If San Jose can bottle up that drive and put it on the ice against nearly any other goalie on his A-game, the Sharks will have a better chance of steering their season back in the right direction.

Contact Us