By Sara Biela – Content Editor
On Opening Night at SAP Center, the San Jose Sharks allowed five goals on 15 shots to the Anaheim Ducks and dropped its first game of the 2018-19 season 5-2.
The Sharks (0-1-0) recorded 33 SOG against the Ducks (1-0-0), but only managed to score twice on John Gibson.
“We created a lot of chances and didn’t extend the lead when we had opportunities to,” head coach Peter DeBoer said in a postgame interview. “When I look at the game other than not winning, it was a good effort and we did a lot more good than bad.”
Less than 50 seconds after puck drop, Maxime Comtois scored his first NHL goal and gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead.
With an early one-goal deficit, the Sharks began to apply the pressure and kept the puck in the offensive zone.
At 7:51, Evander Kane weaved through the defense, specifically Josh Manson, and shot five-hole to tie the game up at one.
“I thought Kane was our best forward tonight,” DeBoer said. “I thought he was backing people off all night with his speed. He could’ve had another couple of goals.”
After Kane got two minutes for tripping in the second period, Tomas Hertl gave the Sharks a 2-1 lead with an unassisted shorthanded goal at 17:14.
The center forced a turnover in the defensive zone, made a smooth move to slip past Anaheim’s Cam Fowler and went short-side, top shelf to get the puck by Gibson.
However, the Ducks quickly responded – 46 seconds later to be exact. Rickard Rakell executed on the power play to tie the game at 2-2.
The momentum stuck with Anaheim as it retook the lead at 8:02 in the third. Brandon Montour shot the puck by Martin Jones on a sly backhand.
About two and a half minutes later, the Ducks extended their lead to 4-2 with another PPG, this time from Adam Henrique.
Carter Rowney sealed the game with an empty netter to at 19:36 to give the Ducks their first regulation win against the Sharks since March 2017.
In his Sharks debut, Erik Karlsson looked great on the ice with or without the puck. He finished with two SOG and a team-high five hits.
“I thought he was good,” DeBoer said. “Although the result wasn’t there, we did a lot of good things but obviously there’s some areas to clean up.”
The Sharks will begin a five-game road trip with the Los Angeles Kings on Friday. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m.
Follow Sara on Twitter @sarabielaa