SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks’ next encounter with the Vegas Golden Knights this season will have to await the Stanley Cup Playoffs, a scenario the Sharks would welcome as it would mark their first postseason appearance since 2019. The Golden Knights, on the other hand, wouldn’t mind the rematch either, considering their dominant record against San Jose.
In a recent matchup, the Sharks faced a tough defeat, falling 7-2 to the Golden Knights in front of a sold-out crowd of 17,435 at SAP Center. After trailing 2-1 at the end of the first period, the Sharks allowed three consecutive goals in a swift 8:06 span during the second period, courtesy of Jack Eichel, Tomas Hertl, and Zach Whitecloud. This loss marked the Sharks’ 11th straight defeat to the Golden Knights since the start of the 2023-24 season.
Despite prior victories over the Los Angeles Kings and Dallas Stars earlier in the week, the Sharks could not replicate that success against Vegas, putting an abrupt end to their three-game winning streak. Collin Graf and Alex Wennberg each contributed even-strength goals for the Sharks, while goalie Yaroslav Askarov recorded 26 saves. For the Golden Knights, Shea Theodore and Hertl added goals in the third period to further extend their lead.
The Golden Knights opened the scoring in the first period with goals from Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev. This victory propelled them to four consecutive wins after experiencing a five-game losing streak.
Sharks center Macklin Celebrini experienced a rare dry spell, finishing the game without a point and ending his impressive 13-game point streak, which tied for the second-longest in Sharks history. Celebrini had recorded nine goals and 18 assists during that run and had not been held scoreless since December 9 when the Sharks fell to the Philadelphia Flyers.
As the Sharks entered the recent match-up in third place in the Pacific Division with 49 points, they found themselves three points adrift of the division-leading Golden Knights. The continuous struggles against Vegas have been notable, as the Sharks have had a disappointing record of 0-3-1 this season against their divisional rivals. Their last victory over the Golden Knights was on March 30, 2023, when Logan Couture scored in overtime for a thrilling 4-3 win.
Looking ahead, the Sharks will embark on a four-game road trip against Eastern Conference teams, with their journey kicking off this Thursday in Washington when they face the Capitals. This road trip presents an opportunity for the Sharks to regroup and regain momentum as they aim to secure a playoff berth.