San Jose Sharks fall to 4-5 defeat in ‘basement battle’ against Senators

The San Jose Sharks’ hope for consecutive victories this weekend fell through as the Ottawa Senators beat them 5-4 at the Canadian Tire Centre.

In the heat of the match, Sharks right wing Filip Zadina managed to level the game with three minutes left in regulation, one of only five shots the Sharks managed in the third period.

However, right wing Vladimir Tarasenko saved the Senators by securing the close-call victory with a goal from defenseman Artem Zub’s rebound after a collision.

“I’m not going to lie; winning is nice,” Tarasenko said post-match. “First of all, we shouldn’t have allowed the (tying) goal. We should make sure the puck is out and it doesn’t get to this nervous situation where you’re scoring at the end. It’s very nice to win a game.”

With Tarasenko’s goal, Ottawa ended a five-game losing streak and claimed its first victory in 2024. Contributions from Claude Giroux, Thomas Chabot, Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson added to Ottawa’s win, with goaltender Joonas Korpisalo making 14 saves.

Anthony Duclair, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Kevin Labanc and Zadina found the net on the Sharks’ side, while Mackenzie Blackwood stopped a whopping 36 shots.

Exchanging blows

In the opening minutes, the Senators led 2-1. Blackwood’s standout performance in the second period, where the Senators outshot the Sharks 22-4, kept San Jose in contention.

“He’s been outstanding,” Sharks coach David Quinn said about Blackwood’s performance. “He’s been outstanding all year and, you know, I’m just really, really disappointed because we did a lot of good things in Montreal and didn’t follow it up tonight.”

Trailing 2-1, the Sharks leveled the score early in the second period. Vlasic, in a 2-on-1 break, beat Korpisalo for his first goal of the season. Less than three minutes later, Korpisalo’s tangle with Travis Hamonic left Labanc an open net, giving the Sharks a lead.

Ottawa responded, tying the game as Batherson assisted Tkachuk, who snapped a shot past Blackwood. Batherson then secured a 4-3 lead, capitalizing on a rebound for his 15th goal of the season.

Giroux opened the scoring for the Senators, followed by Chabot’s first-season goal from the faceoff circle. Duclair narrowed the lead with a slot shot.

Heading into the final minutes, Batherson expressed relief at finally securing a win.

“To finally get a win feels good,” he said. “A little nerve-racking there when they had to go upstairs for the last goal, but we’ll take any win we can get at this point.”

Sharks fail to get consecutive wins

The Sharks have been seeking their first back-to-back wins since early December. Before Saturday, they ended a 12-game losing streak by securing a 3-2 victory against the Montreal Canadiens. It was their first win since beating the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 on December 12.

With a road record of 4-17-1, the Sharks have not achieved back-to-back wins since their consecutive overtime triumphs over the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings on December 5 and 7.

The Sharks are now sitting in last place in the Western Conference. They were looking to build momentum with Saturday’s “basement battle” against the Senators, but now they have to prepare for a matchup versus the Buffalo Sabres on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Senators, also at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, will host the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.