SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson was in the offensive zone in the second period when he saw winger Rudolfs Balcers streaking toward the Colorado Avalanche net. Karlsson then hit him with a tape-to-tape pass, but the redirection by Balcers bounced harmlessly off the post.
Later in the period, Karlsson sprung Alexander Barabanov for a breakaway chance. Barabanov, though, flat out missed the net from about 15 feet away.
The missed chances proved costly, as the Sharks rallied back from a four-goal deficit with goals Jeffrey Viel, Balcers and Karlsson, but lost 5-3 at SAP Center.
Viel’s second-period goal snapped a 146:32 goalless drought for the Sharks, and Balcers and Karlsson both scored in the third.
The Sharks allowed a power-play goal to Nazem Kadri and even strength markers to Darren Helm, Cale Makar, and Valeri Nichushkin in what became their third straight loss.
Finishing chances has been an issue all season for the Sharks.
Unless forward Jonathan Dahlen gets hot, it appears the Sharks will only have three 20-goal scorers this season in Timo Meier and Tomas Hertl, who each have 25 goals, and Logan Couture, who had 20.
Dahlen is next on the list with 12 goals this season as the Sharks entered Saturday with an average of 2.57 goals per game.
In other words, getting another player to two who can finish around the net would presumably be one of the Sharks front office’s top priorities this offseason.
The Sharks had a goal by Couture disallowed after an Avalanche challenge determined that San Jose’s captain was offside at the 6:07 mark of the first period. Colorado took things over from there, as Kadri and Helm scored 3:56 apart for a 2-0 lead.
Sharks goalie Zach Sawchenko allowed three goals on Colorado’s first 11 shots and finished with 24 saves.
Hertl received a warm round of applause in the first period, an appreciation of sorts after the centerman signed an eight-year, $65.1 million contract extension with the team earlier this week.
Hertl said part of the reason he chose to remain with the Sharks long-term was that he believed the team was not that far away from once again being a playoff contender, like it was for most of his first eight-plus seasons with the organization.
There is a way to go, of course.
The Sharks were playing the NHL’s best team in the Avalanche, which now has a league-leading record of 44-13-5, just three days after they lost 3-2 in overtime to the Florida Panthers.
“I think this team is probably the best in the league,” Sharks winger Andrew Cogliano said before the game. “They play at a really high pace and just like Florida, they make plays and they have some of the best players in the league.
“So I think it’s an opportunity for us to see where we’re at in terms of our compete. Really, against a team like this, you really have no choice but to compete hard and bring your A-game because if not, then it doesn’t look good.”
