The number of penalties the San Jose Sharks have taken in the first two weeks of the regular season borders on the ridiculous.
Two of the penalties they took against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday were particularly costly.
The Sharks allowed power-play goals to Troy Terry and Leo Carlsson, with Carlsson’s marker at the 5:36 mark of the third period proving to be the winner as the Ducks came away with a 3-1 victory at Honda Center.
With the Ducks moving the puck around the Sharks’ zone and Will Smith serving a tripping penalty, Cutter Gauthier got a shot on goal that goalie Mackenzie Blackwood stopped. But Carlsson scooped up the rebound in front of the net and beat Blackwood for his third goal of the season.
Carlsson’s goal came just 41 seconds after Mikael Granlund scored a power-play goal for the Sharks off assists from forward William Eklund and defenseman Jack Thompson, with the rookie Thompson collecting his first NHL point.
The Ducks’ first goal also came with Smith serving a tripping penalty in the second period, as Terry came through the neutral zone, crossed the blue line, and fired a shot that beat Blackwood high to the glove side at the 6:56 mark of the second period.
Alex Killorn scored an empty net goal with 1:51 left in the third period. Smith was bodied off the puck after he came across the blue line, and Killorn picked up the puck and fired it 150 feet into the empty Sharks net.
The Sharks were shorthanded six times Tuesday and have been down a man or more an NHL-leading 35 times this season. In the last four games, they’ve allowed nine power-play goals.
The amount of times the Sharks have been shorthanded this season is their most through seven games since 2009-10, when they were down at least a man 36 times.
Aside from Granlund’s goal, it was another frustrating offensive night for the Sharks.
Danil Gushchin and Luke Kunin both took turns hitting the crossbar. A remarkable toe save by Lukas Dostal denied Smith his first NHL goal. A tipped shot by Barclay Goodrow slid through the blue paint but hit the post.
Blackwood finished with 37 saves, and Dostal had 27 saves, 10 days after he had 30 saves in Anaheim’s 2-0 win over San Jose at SAP Center on Oct. 12.
The Sharks, now the last winless team in the NHL, continue their four-game road trip Thursday in Los Angeles. They will then play in Las Vegas on Saturday and Utah on Monday.
Both Gushchin and Kunin hit the crossbar on odd-man rushes in the first period. Smith on another 2-on-1, was denied by Dostal, who stretched his right leg to deny the Sharks rookie center on a backhand to forehand move.
The Sharks have now scored 12 goals in seven games this season and eight goals in their last six games without injured rookie center Macklin Celebrini, who will be out for at least another two weeks with a hip issue.