Sharks 2022-23 Game 59 Recap: Predators 6, Sharks 2 (2/23/23)

 The Sharks didn’t have much going for them in this one, as they fall to a desperate Nashville Predators team 6-2. 

This was a significant drop-off from Team Teal’s previous game that I was in attendance for on Monday. The Predators scored the first goal of the game via Nino Niederreiter, whose goal took an unlucky bounce off of Mario Ferraro’s stick and went past James Reimer. 

Nashville extended its lead to two in the second period via Mikael Granlund. Following this up was an unusual sequence of events: Nico Sturm ran into Jusso Parsinen into a pileup at the end boards, in which Parsinen’s neck went awkwardly into the back of Marc-Eduoard Vlasic and resulted in Parsinen getting injured. Nico Sturm was initially called for a five-minute major on that incident, but after further review, the penalty was erased, which was the right call. On the next shift, Nico Sturm scored a shorthanded goal for his 12th of the season to put the Sharks on the board and lessen their deficit to one. Steven Lorentz was credited with the assist on the Sharks’ first goal of this game. Later on in the second period, Mikael Granlund scored his second goal of the game and Yakov Trenin scored a shorthanded goal to put the Predators up 4-1 through two periods of play. 

 Early in the third, the Sharks would score their only other goal in this game on Martin Kaut's first goal as a Shark, with fellow countryman Tomas Hertl and Mikey Eyssimont getting assists on the Sharks' second goal of this one. However, the Preds weren't done yet, as later in the final frame saw Nino Niederreiter score his second goal of the game and Tommy Novak score one on the power play to finish this one off. 

James Reimer recorded 25 saves but didn't receive much support from his offense or his defense in this one. Radim Simek was activated off of the IR prior to this game but didn't play against the Preds.

The Predators have now completed the season series sweep of the Sharks three games to none, which dates back to their season-opening series in Prague back in October. All eyes will now be on the Sharks next game on Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks, in which Patrick Marleau will be the first player in Sharks franchise history to have his number retired. This pregame ceremony will start at 5:30 pm PT, while the game itself will start at 7 pm PT. In addition, the Sharks will host their alumni game leading up to Marleau's jersey retirement at TechCU Arena later tonight. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App 

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