The San Jose Sharks hosted the Detroit Red Wings for their first game of 2024. The Sharks entered the night on an eight-game losing streak and looked to leave that in the prior year. They didn’t get off to a great start, as Daniel Sprong opened the scoring for Detroit just over six minutes into the game. However, the Sharks bounced back and ended the first period tied at one. The second period would be more of the same, as it would end tied at two. Alexander Barabanov gave the Sharks a 3-2 lead just under halfway into the third period with his 100th career NHL point, however, David Perron would tie it up just a couple of minutes later. He scored his second of the night which would be the game-winning goal.
Mario Ferraro’s Return
Mario Ferraro left the game against the Colorado Avalanche last Saturday (Dec. 31) following an awkward collision with Nathan MacKinnon. No update was given between then and Tuesday’s morning skate, however when Ferraro was one of the first to skate out it became clear that he was going to be back in the lineup immediately. Although he hasn’t been a major offensive producer, he has been the Sharks’ top defenseman this season following the departure of Erik Karlsson during the offseason.
If Ferraro had missed significant time, it would’ve spelled disaster for an already struggling Sharks team who are currently missing Jacob MacDonald and Matt Benning on the blue line. Likely Marc-Edouard Vlasic would’ve drawn back in, however, his play has been abysmal this season and he has shown no signs of turning things around. Having a healthy Ferraro in the lineup is key for the Sharks to be competitive, and luckily for them, he didn’t miss any time.
Zetterlund Back on the Board
Fabian Zetterlund scored a very strange goal, that was originally waived off, then awarded, then reviewed and confirmed. The puck was loose in front of the net and Zetterlund tapped it in, but it appeared that the referee lost sight of the puck and had intended to blow the whistle which put the goal in doubt. It was certainly one of the strangest moments in the Sharks’ season, but when all was settled the goal was awarded and they had tied the game at one during the first period. Zetterlund’s goal was his first point in nearly a week as he had gone without one in the Sharks’ last two outings against the Los Angeles Kings and the Avalanche. That goal also marked the end of an eight-game pointless streak for Mike Hoffman who got a secondary assist on the play.
A Disappointing Second Period
The Sharks entered the second period tied, and things were going pretty well for about the first five minutes of the frame. However, when the game went four-on-four following penalties to Lucas Raymond and Calen Addison after a major scrum that centered around those two, things started to fall apart. J.T. Compher scored a goal on a simple shot five-hole that ricocheted off of Kaapo Kahkonen’s pad and in. It was a very bad goal for any goaltender to give up, however, it was more disappointing given how well he has played in recent games.
Immediately after that goal, the game went back to five-on-five but that was short-lived as Ty Emberson took an unnecessary roughing penalty against Perron which put the Sharks back on the penalty kill for the second time of the night. Luckily for the Sharks, they were able to kill it off, but it was two minutes wasted that could’ve been used in a much more productive manner. Justin Bailey helped the Sharks bounce back before the end of the period scoring a deflection off of a shot from Ferraro and the period ended tied at two.
Zadina Held Scoreless Against Former Team
Filip Zadina was hungry for a goal against his former team. The former sixth-overall pick spent five seasons in the Motor City but walked away from a fairly sizeable contract to seek a new opportunity where he could find his game. He signed with the Sharks in the off-season and in this game it was clear that he wanted to show Detroit that he belongs in the NHL. He seemed to have the puck on his stick quite a bit and he was playing a very good game. Unfortunately for him, he was unable to beat Alex Lyon.
Related: Sharks Lose to Avalanche 3-1, Get Swept in Season Series
The Sharks and Red Wings traded goals all night, and when all was said and done, the Red Wings ended up on top, winning 5-3 following a Perron goal with 90 seconds remaining in regulation and then a Michael Rasmussen empty netter. The Sharks played well most of the night, but a couple of bad plays and penalties ultimately led to their downfall.
