Sharks current record: 15-35-5 (.318)
Sharks projected record: 23-53-6 (.318)
NHL record for worst season in 82-game history: 14-57-11 (.238)

The Sharks Sterility Stare continues today with a frustrating review of lost opportunities this week. The San Jose Sharks lost both their games since our last update, and each contest was equally frustrating—albeit in extremely different fashions. In the end, it probably doesn’t matter much as the Sharks are rebuilding, but for the dedicated fan that follows the team in every game, it had to be quite maddening to watch the losses.

First, the Sharks lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets last Saturday night, 4-3. San Jose fell behind, 3-1, in the second period before coming back to tie it up heading into the third session. Then, it looked like the two teams were headed to overtime … before this happened with just 13 seconds left in regulation. This is at least the third time this has happened to the Sharks this season, and it has to be painful to endure for all.

The loss cost San Jose at least a point in the standings, which doesn’t matter as much as the gut punch itself to the team’s psyche. You just can’t give up a goal that late in any period—let alone in the third or an overtime, as the games are on the line in those moments. This is a “pattern” of sorts for the Sharks, and there has to come a time when the team learns not to do it again … for a long time: growth and maturity.

As a result, two days later, San Jose came out lifeless against the Vegas Golden Knights on Presidents’ Day. The Sharks coughed up 3 goals in the first period (including one inside the final minute of the frame). The end result was a 4-0 shutout loss even though the home team outshot the visitors by a 29-26 margin. Not all shots on goal are created equally, of course, especially when it’s the defending champs on the ice. So, yeah.

Last week, we noted that San Jose could perhaps win 3 of the 5 games on its homestand, but we thought the Columbus game would be one of those opportunities. No such luck: now, the Sharks will be fortunate to win 2 of the next 3, if not just a single victory. That’s the problem in every sport when you snatch defeat from the jaws of possible victory: it ruins a lot of things, beyond just your season. The fans get hit hard, too.

Side note: after the Golden Knights blanked the Sharks, they went back home and promptly lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs, 7-3, on Thursday night at a game we attended. Toronto started goalie Martin Jones, who backstopped San Jose to its only Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 2016. That was rough to see a former Shark brushing aside Vegas so readily; the Leafs went up 4-0 in the first period and never looked back. Of course, even Jones probably couldn’t help San Jose now.