Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
CHICAGO — There are no trap games for the Sharks.
Not to say that was last year’s cellar-dwelling Sharks’ attitude going into United Center on Thursday night to take on last year’s cellar-dwelling Chicago Blackhawks.
But certainly, fans penciled this game as a first win of the 2024-25 NHL season for the 0-1-2 Sharks.
Instead, San Jose dropped a 4-2 decision, and Tyler Toffoli and Fabian Zetterlund scored in a losing effort.
Eklund finds Toffoli to put the Sharks on the board 🚨 pic.twitter.com/vNVKKjMwvd
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) October 18, 2024
This fan in a shark onesie was hyped for Zetterlund’s goal 🙌 pic.twitter.com/1TOxhIDogf
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) October 18, 2024
This game was a reminder: The San Jose Sharks, despite their obvious improvements up and down the lineup, and on special teams, aren’t good enough to take periods off, like they did in an opening frame where the Hawks put up a 2-0 lead and dominated both at 5-on-5 and the power play.
So it’s another winless start to the season for the Sharks, 0-2-2, after a 0-10-1 beginning to last year and a 0-5-0 mark to kick off 2022-23.
“This is more frustrating, I think, because we’re playing way better this year,” William Eklund, who played through an upper-body injury, said after the loss. “Just got to keep playing the way we did in the three first games and a little bit of this game and take it from there.”