Erik Karlsson was probably right to leave San Jose for Pittsburgh.
Last night when he returned to the west coast to face the team he represented last year, the Swede had two assist points, the first after just 90 seconds. During the first period, after a highlight montage of the Swede was played, he was praised by the crowd.
– I’m pretty sure that it felt good for those guys (Karlsson and Matt Nieto, who also played in San Jose) to be back. I know they have many good memories here in San Jose. They speak very highly of the city, the fans and the organization, Pittsburgh coach Dan Sullivan said after the game.
But that statistic came to be overshadowed by the jum company San Jose’s insanely weak form.
First time since 1965
The Sharks from the West lost their 11th straight game, 2-10, since the start of the season – tantalizing record of lousy. It was also the second match in a row when the team managed to concede double-digit goals.
– I liked our first period and then, all of a sudden, we became a different team. That’s what happened. They played the same way. We gave away the third goal and we are a fragile group, said San Jose coach David Quinn.
Only the New York Rangers (1943) and Arizona (2017 and 2021) have previously managed to go winless through the first eleven games. The last team to concede more than ten goals in a game was Boston (1965)
In Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby played his 1,200th NHL game; he delivered an assist.