San Jose Sharks Give up Goal in Final Minute to Canucks as They Suffer Another Defeat

Late goals galore spell heartbreak for the San Jose Sharks as the Vancouver Canucks snap the three-game winning streak of the hockey club. San Jose went toe-to-toe with a team that scored 109 points last season, and there is no shame in dropping a game like this late, forcing the Canucks to fight to the bitter end. It snaps the winning streak of the organization, but it's another good performance as the team continues to move in the right direction.

San Jose scored as Nico Sturm worked the puck off the boards and into the middle of the ice for Luke Kunin. Kunin's shot was stopped, but the German centerman was there for the rebound as Sturm gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead early in the second period. San Jose needed that, and the Sharks are now pushing for a lead to build on in a relatively decent performance.

Vancouver would tie it up later as the Sharks surrendered the puck behind the net. Nils Hoglander threw it into the middle, and it let Pius Suter jump onto the pass. His shot found the back of the net, and the Canucks leveled the score due to some defensive inefficiencies. Again, this Sharks roster causes its downfall. San Jose needs to clear that up if they are going to start pushing for the playoffs again in the coming years.

With less than five minutes to go in the game, Vancouver struck to break the ice. Filip Hronek leads Quinn Hughes into the zone, and the reigning Norris Trophy winner is left alone to find the passing lane back to Jake DeBrusk. The former Boston Bruin picks the corner on Mackenzie Blackwood from a distance, and the Sharks fall behind late. Another heartbreaking loss looked on the cards.

But when the Sharks need a goal, they pull the goaltender and turn to the big boys. With Blackwood on the bench, William Eklund dishes the puck off to Tyler Toffoli. Toffoli finds a passing lane to Mikael Granlund, and the Finnish forward blasts the puck home past Kevin Lankinen to tie the game. San Jose looked like they've forced overtime, but the Sharks cannot have anything nice.

Carson Soucy found a passing lane to Conor Garland. Garland set up Pius Suter, who tallied his second of the game with 25 seconds left. San Jose can score late, but not that late. Vancouver held on, and the Sharks dropped a tight game that was there for the taking. Timothy Liljegren's Sharks debut ends in defeat, but this game finished 10-1 Vancouver last season, so this is a significant improvement for the Sharks.