San Jose Sharks fall 5-2 to the Arizona Coyotes to make it four straight defeats
By Conor Power
Four straight losses for the San Jose Sharks now is a cause for concern as the Sharks fall 5-2 at home to the Arizona Coyotes. With the Sharks still struggling to develop any kind of consistency, the season now looks certain to be a write-off and it is now just about getting what the organization can for the parts it doesn't need at the trade deadline.
Arizona would open the scoring in this one. Clayton Keller would retrieve the puck in his own end and send it around the boards to Michael Kesselring. Kesselring would carry it out of the zone and into center ice before entering the Sharks zone. Upon entry, he sent a pass through the Sharks defense to Keller, who drove to the side of the net before setting Kesselring up in the slot and the Coyotes would take the lead here.
Anthony Duclair would get a gift when two Coyotes defensemen collided at the attacking blue line. Duclair picked up the loose puck, and with his speed, it was going to be a certain breakaway. He had no problems solving the goaltender to get his team back into a tied game here.
Arizona would get their lead back when Clayton Keller was found streaking in behind the Sharks defense. He was able to go five-hole on Mackenzie Blackwood, and the Coyotes took a 2-1 lead. It was just a slight defensive oversight, leaving Keller alone behind the defense. Trying to make sure they didn't let it get any worse was going to be important. Stop the bleeding before getting it back.
However, the Coyotes would indeed compile their lead. Arizona won a faceoff and got it to Nick Schmaltz in the left circle. He fed Alex Kerfoot out in front after taking a bad bounce off the pad of Blackwood. It was a difficult period for the Sharks who were now trailing by two going into the third period. If they were going to tie this game up, it was going to need to be that trademark Sharks comeback.
San Jose would make it a one-goal game early in the third as Filip Zadina poked a pass forward away from J.J. Moser. It just kind of slides past Karel Vejmelka, and the Sharks were able to get back into this game after trailing multiple goals in the second period. It was going to take a big effort from the guys in teal to get the next one before the Coyotes could put the game out of reach.
It would be the Arizona powerplay that grabbed the next one. Sean Durzi gave the puck to Keller outside. Keller dropped it down to Kerfoot beside the net, Kerfoot tapped it across the crease to Nick Schmaltz, and Schmaltz had an open net to deposit the puck into, making it a two-goal lead for the desert dogs once again.
San Jose would find themselves down by three with about 7 minutes left. As the Coyotes walk into the zone, Lawson Crouse is just left alone at the point for way too long, and he's able to beat Blackwood from a distance on a play that was not a good enough effort from the Sharks forwards. It was the end of the scoring and the Coyotes would walk out 5-2 winners in this one.