The Sharks couldn't figure out Marc-Andre Fleury as they were shut out 4-0 by the Golden Knights Saturday night, getting swept in this weekend miniseries. They only have one win in their current and longest homestand this season and two home wins all season. What's more humiliating is that the Golden Knights now have three wins at SAP Center this season, more than the team that calls SAP Center home.
Scoring came in every period from the Golden Knights: one from Mark Stone, two from Alex Tuch, and one from Reilly Smith. All Marc-Andre Fleury needed was 24 saves to win it and record a shutout for the Knights. Vegas has been one of the top teams in the NHL this year, and they've been performing that way for much of the season, not just last night. The Knights are also a popular favorite to win the Stanley Cup this year among many NHL fans and experts.
As for the Sharks, other than their lack of offense in this game, Timo Meier was a late scratch before the start of this game as he is dealing with a lower body injury; he is listed as day-to-day. Devan Dubnyk wasn't the main issue as he recorded 28 saves and made some great stops throughout this game.
With the Ducks 5-4 OT win over the Avalanche, the Sharks now find themselves in last place in the West Division. I'm really hoping the Sharks can pull out of this and get back into the thick of the playoff race. I am usually pretty confident and optimistic when it comes to the Sharks, but more of reality has set in and I have lost some of that confidence and optimism I previously had for them. However, I still haven't given up on Team Teal and remain heavily invested in them. There are plenty of games left to be played this season, and anything can happen between now and the beginning of May.
The Sharks' next game is on Monday as they take on the St. Louis Blues to close out their current homestand at 6 pm PT. One major change with the Blues since the Sharks last played them is that St. Louis recently got Vladimir Tarasenko back in their lineup after recovering from offseason surgeries.
On a side note, the Golden Knights were kicked out of their hotel in San Jose the other night. The reason for this is that the Fairmont Hotel in Downtown San Jose, where the Golden Knights and many NHL teams stay at if and when they play the Sharks at SAP Center, filed for bankruptcy and shut down effective immediately for the next few months. This was kind of funny when I first heard the headline and given the unusual circumstances involving one of the Sharks' biggest rivals, but at the same time, it is no laughing matter when it comes to the Fairmont San Jose itself. Hopefully everything surrounding this situation gets sorted out properly and without any additional drama.
Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL app
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