The Sharks’ losing streak has been extended to five as they fall to the Calgary Flames 4-2.
Once again, I’m not shocked that this game went the way it did as the Sharks continue to struggle. The Flames scored first in the first period via Matthew Tkachuk, while the Sharks answered back seven minutes later on a redirection from Nick Bonino. Jaycob Megna and Matt Nieto were credited with the assists on the game-tying goal in the first period. Calgary went ahead before the end of the first via Trevor Lewis to make it 2-1 Flames through one period of play.
The Flames extended their lead to two in the second period on Elias Lindholm’s first goal of the game. Early in the third period, Logan Couture put the Sharks within one by deflecting a pass by Timo Meier from the side of the net for his 23rd goal of the season. Mario Ferraro also collected an assist on the Sharks' second goal of the game. Just after the halfway point of the third, James Reimer sustained an injury in the crease after a collision and had to exit the game, recording a total of 32 saves. Kaapo Kahkonen took Reimer's place in net and was perfect for the remainder of the game, recording five saves. However, Elias Lindholm put this one away with 30 seconds remaining with an empty-netter and his second goal of the game.
On a more positive note, the Sharks already won the season series over the Flames 3-1. I'm not shocked at all that the Sharks let another one slip away like that, and I have come to expect results like this during the last month of the Sharks' 2021-22 campaign.
In other news, GM Doug Wilson announced that he is stepping down from the Sharks after 19 years with the team. This doesn’t come as a surprise since Wilson has been on leave of absence since November due to an ongoing health issue. Joe Will has taken over as the Sharks’ interim GM since Wilson took his leave of absence. Under his tenure as general manager, Doug Wilson has built the Sharks into a perennial playoff contender, highlighted by winning the President’s Trophy in 2009, being Cup finalists in 2016, fleecing other teams in great trades, signing great players in free agency, and making great draft selections. Wilson stated that he will eventually return to the NHL once he is ready to do so.
Although he has made his fair share of mistakes, Doug Wilson has been nothing short of an excellent general manager. I wish him nothing but the best with his health and his future endeavors. The Sharks set a timeline between now and the start of next season to find their next general manager. It has yet to be determined if the Sharks’ next general manager believes that the Sharks can compete for the playoffs or should rebuild for the future.
Next up, the Sharks embark on a five-game road trip starting in Vancouver against the Canucks on Saturday at 7 pm PT.
Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, Sharks Audio Network, NHL App
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