Sharks 2023-24 Game 80 Recap: Wild 6, Sharks 2 (4/13/24)

 Three unanswered goals by the Minnesota Wild put this one out of reach for the Sharks, as Team Teal falls 6-2 in its final home game of the 2023-24 season.

The Wild struck first via Matt Boldy early in the opening period, while Jan Rutta evened things up at one for Team Teal about four minutes later, with Mario Ferraro and Mikael Granlund registering assists on Rutta's fifth goal of the year. Nearing the end of the first period, the Wild went ahead 2-1 on a goal from Declan Chisholm, while Liam Ohgren scored to put the Wild up by two late in the second period. Mario Ferraro followed that up with his third goal of the season to put the Sharks within one, with great passing from William Eklund and Mikael Granlund to set up Ferraro on this one. The wheels fell off from here, as the Wild scored three unanswered goals, two of which were scored by Kirill Kaprizov in the final minute of the second period, the first of these two unknowingly pushed into the net by the skate of Mackenzie Blackwood. The Wild added one more goal early in the third period via Marcus Johansson to place an exclamation mark on the Sharks' home finale of their 2023-24 campaign.

Mackenzie Blackwood compiled a total of 32 saves on 38 shots. In addition, since it was the Sharks' final home game of the season, some end-of-season team awards were announced. They are as follows: 

Media Good Guy: Mario Ferraro 

Prospect of the Year: Will Smith 

Rookie of the Year: Henry Thrun

Player of the Year: Mikael Granlund

Lastly, with this defeat, the Sharks have clinched last place in the entire NHL and the best odds to win the draft lottery at 25.5 percent. The tank is now complete, and the Sharks need to have as much luck go in their favor as possible when the draft lottery officially gets underway sometime next month. Team Teal hits the road for its last two games of the season to Western Canada, more specifically the province of Alberta, starting on Monday in Edmonton against the Oilers at 6:30 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App, San Jose Sharks PR 

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