Sharks Locker Room: KISS | San Jose Hockey Now
ANAHEIM — When you are shedding, nobody needs to speak in regards to the classes discovered.
The San Jose Sharks might have obtained a unique lesson than traditional although, after a 6-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. This comes on the heels of a 5-2 defeat to the Edmonton Oilers the evening earlier than, losses which put San Jose’s playoff hopes on life assist.
The classes discovered will be the solely constructive takeaway from all this loss.
The Sharks are actually 4 factors out of the final wild card spot within the West, held by the Los Angeles Kings, 4 video games left, no video games in hand on the Kings, three groups to leapfrog.
The totally different lesson tonight?
San Jose, curiously, has come out flat in back-to-back nights, within the greatest video games of the season. Whatever the explanation, stress, fatigue, line-up selections, youth, you identify it, there’s a greater solution to deal with an absence of power to start out a recreation, which is a reasonably regular factor, particularly within the second half of a back-to-back in an 82-game season.
“Everybody has these games this season, because the way the schedule is, no excuses,” 2018 Stanley Cup winner Dmitry Orlov mentioned. “You have to still show up. You don’t feel great, but play short shifts, play simple and then during the game, you’re still gonna get to your game. Get a feel.”
The San Jose Sharks lead the NHL with 16 back-to-backs, tied with the Kings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, and Pittsburgh Penguins.
So when you do not really feel nice? KISS: Keep it easy, silly.
“That’s something that’s going to have to be worked on going forward, not just this year, but even into next year. Back-to-back’s aren’t good enough, and we need to learn how to play back-to-back’s in tough situations,” head coach Ryan Warsofsky mentioned. “Every team goes through it. It’s not an excuse. We got to get in better shape. We got to have an understanding mentally, how to approach games and play the game the right way.”
This factors to one thing that the Sharks have not fairly discovered to do, 78 video games into the season. San Jose hasn’t discovered the right way to play after they’re off their A-game, after they’re not enjoying as quick as they need, after they’re not forechecking like they need, after they’re not getting the stops that they want.
As Orlov suggests, it is attainable to search out your recreation in-game, even if you happen to begin sluggish, so long as you keep affected person and do not shoot yourselves within the foot.
“How hard it is to play right now, this time of year. How detailed you have to be, how competitive you have to be. And we’ve probably fully haven’t grasped that yet,” Warsofsky mentioned. “So we’re learning that right now, and we’re getting punched in the face with it right now, in this moment, probably last night as well.”
The Sharks will now want some assist to make their first playoff look since 2019: There’s nonetheless an opportunity, however it’s not all of their palms anymore, prefer it was earlier than the loss to Edmonton.
“Let’s see if we can, we have four [games] left, if we can try to learn from it and move forward and try to find that extra little gear,” Warsofsky mentioned.
Kiefer Sherwood
Sherwood: “It’s not ok this time of the yr. We cannot be outwilled or outworked, it is unacceptable. It does not matter if it is a back-to-back. You noticed it final evening. The different group needed it extra and the identical factor tonight. We need to study from it, and we acquired to look…
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) April 10, 2026
Tyler Toffoli
Toffoli, on back-to-back disappointing efforts from the San Jose Sharks:
There’s nothing you are able to do now. You simply acquired to exit and play. It is what it’s. We put ourselves on this place. You can have a look at it, good or unhealthy, and on Saturday, we’ve to be able to go.
Dmitry Orlov
Orlov says when you do not have plenty of power, it’s a must to simplify your recreation, which Warsofsky agreed with: “Probably not plenty of power, [you] in all probability can see. But all people has these video games this season, as a result of the best way the schedule is, no excuses. You need to nonetheless present up.…
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) April 10, 2026
Ryan Warsofsky
Warsofsky, on how the San Jose Sharks are hurting themselves:
We actually complicate the sport, I might say, with some execution, the best way it’s a must to play the sport this time of yr, particularly. We make it tough on ourselves. We actually beat ourselves. That’s no disrespect to the Anaheim Ducks, they utterly outplayed us tonight, however we make it very easy for groups to play in opposition to us.
Warsofsky spoke up for Dickinson: “Me getting in there and screaming and yelling at him does not do any good. He understands. He’s a wise hockey participant. He’s a wise child. He’s gonna have an extended NHL profession. We acquired to assist him by his challenges that he is going by.
“We noticed…
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) April 10, 2026
Warsofsky confirms that Chernyshov, Gaudette & Klingberg had been all wholesome scratches tonight.
Wouldn’t be shocked to see a few these guys again within the line-up on Saturday
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) April 10, 2026
This is an efficient query, please do not thoughts the lengthy rationalization.
So at house, I’m considered one of a pool of reporters who selects them. On the highway, identical factor, except I’m the lone Sharks reporter on the highway, which I used to be tonight, and sometimes am.
So comparatively loads goes into it, relying…
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) April 10, 2026
