Shocking stats from Sharks’ historic back-to-back blowout losses originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The San Jose Sharks witnessed a night of NHL history at SAP Center, albeit with unfortunate results.
In a disastrous start to their season, the Sharks suffered their 11th consecutive defeat with a brutal 10-2 loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins. This crushing defeat came just two days after their 10-1 thrashing at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks.
San Jose’s back-to-back blowout losses resulted in a unique statistic as they became the fourth team in NHL history to concede at least 10 goals in consecutive games. The last time this happened was in 1965 when the Boston Bruins faced a similar fate, losing 10-2 to the Detroit Red Wings and 10-1 to the Chicago Blackhawks within three days.
The Sharks initially trailed 2-0 after the first period, but a dominant performance by Pittsburgh in the second and third periods turned Erik Karlsson’s return to the Bay Area into a one-sided affair.
Reflecting on the game, Sharks coach David Quinn expressed his disappointment, stating, “I liked that first period. And then all of a sudden, we became a different team. That’s what happened in the game. They kept playing the same way, we gave up the third goal, and we’re a fragile group.”
Not only did the Sharks suffer consecutive blowout losses, but their goal differential also reached historic lows. Their goal differential of minus-42 through 11 games is the worst in NHL history. Additionally, their goal differential of minus-17 in the past three days would rank last among all NHL teams this season. With an 0-10-1 start to the season, the Sharks find themselves with the second-worst start in league history, behind only the 1943-44 New York Rangers’ dismal 0-11-0 record.
Mikael Granlund, a forward for the Sharks, shared his disbelief after the game, stating, “There’s no magic recipe out of this. You’ve just got to show up for the next thing and try to do things better. … This is where we’re at right now.”
The Sharks will have a chance to turn their fortunes around as they take on the Philadelphia Flyers at SAP Center on Tuesday.
