Sharks 2021-22 Game 34 Recap: Red Wings 6, Sharks 2 (1/4/22)

 The Sharks suffer their second-straight one-sided loss as they fall to the Detroit Red Wings 6-2. 

This game was disappointing, embarrassing, upsetting, and overall not good. It all began when Jake Middleton and Givani Smith fought early in the first period. In the later half of the first, the Sharks proceeded to give up the first goal of the game to Tyler Bertuzzi. With about a few minutes remaining in the first, Givani Smith laid a dirty, high hit on Jake Middleton into the boards, which knocked out Middleton to the point that he was unable to return to the game after the hit. Smith was given a five-minute penalty and a game misconduct for boarding. 

This set up the Sharks to go on a five-minute power play late in the first period and continuing into the beginning of the second period. This five-minute power play for the Sharks was awful as they gave up two shorthanded goals on that power play to Pius Suter and Tyler Bertuzzi, which were the first shorties for the Red Wings in over 100 games. After that disaster of a power play, the Sharks finally got on the board via Jasper Weatherby from Brent Burns and Jeff Viel to cut their deficit to two. The Red Wings extended their lead back to three later in the second frame on Pius Suter's second goal of the game. 

Early in the final frame, Alexander Barabanov redirected a shot from Tomas Hertl to get the Sharks back in this game, who still found themselves trailing by two. Timo Meier was credited with the second assist on the Sharks' last goal of the contest. The Red Wings then added two more from Dylan Larkin and Robby Fabbri to make it a 6-2 game. The later half of the third period saw a large scuffle break out between the Sharks and Red Wings, with Tyler Bertuzzi and Jeff Viel both receiving game misconducts for roughing and getting ejected from the game.

James Reimer recorded 20 saves and gave up four goals before getting pulled after the second period in favor of Adin Hill, who made five saves and gave up two more goals. The blame should be shifted more towards poor team defense rather than Reimer himself for why he was pulled in two consecutive games.

Aside for the two goals they were able to salvage in their lopsided loss, the Sharks were a complete mess against the Red Wings. It didn't help that Logan Couture and Lane Pederson were added to the COVID list before the Sharks' match-up against the Red Wings, in addition to losing Jake Middleton early in the game and not having a few more of their regulars in the lineup. Marc-Eduoard Vlasic was a healthy scratch ahead of this game, which was the first time this occurred in what seemed like forever. 

Hopefully the Sharks can put their recent struggles behind them and turn things around when they face the Sabres in their next game in Buffalo on Thursday at 4 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App