We’re not sure this qualifies as a Friday Funday column, but we have to just smile and laugh about the subject matter. The San Jose Sharks lost 15 games (!) last season—on their way to a terrible 20-50-12 record—after they led in the third period, and based on last night’s season opener at the SAP Center in Silicon Valley? Nothing has changed for the team. Once again, the Sharks snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

San Jose never trailed in this game, until it lost it in overtime. Leading 3-2 late in the third period, the Sharks missed two chances for an empty netter than would have all but clinched a win over the visiting Vegas Golden Knights, and then faster than you could say, “Darn it!”? The San Jose goaltender— veteran Alex Nedeljkovic—slipped and fell as a “non-shot” shot from Vegas forward Jack Eichel was tossed at him.

Boom! Tie game.

The Sharks seemed so stunned by this sudden turn of events, they didn’t even try to score again in regulation, a major blunder tactically by mediocre Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky. It’s like San Jose was suddenly playing not to lose, and as we know from football, the only thing that usually happens when you play “prevent defense” is that you prevent yourself from winning. Thus, guess what happened in overtime?

You guessed it: the Sharks lost when Nedeljkovic somewhat inexplicably came way out of the crease to play a puck, ended up flubbing again, and left an empty net for the Golden Knights to score on their way to winning a game they never led—until the end. The Vegas team literally was laughing after scoring the tying and winning goals, right there on the ice, pretty much mocking the San Jose players and fans in the process.

Well deserved, at least for the Sharks skaters, of course, especially Nedeljkovic. This is a guy in his age-30 season with 160 career NHL starts before last night, and he played like an age-19 rookie. He was stellar as a rookie for the Carolina Hurricanes four-plus years ago, but he’s now been passed from franchise to franchise since then struggling to find his groove again. San Jose is his third team since that rookie success.

However, we touched on this last season: no one fears the Sharks in the third period. Teams know the team will fold and choke, and until San Jose proves otherwise, the other teams will be the ones smelling blood in the (frozen) water in the final 20 minutes of regulation and in overtime/shootout situations. The coaching staff clearly failed in the offseason to change the mentality of the team, and now the Sharks flounder again.

Still.

It’s going to be another long season in at the Shark Tank.