The San Jose Sharks are on the way to being the worst team of the salary cap era.
After a 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild, their ninth-straight defeat, the Sharks currently have a .278 Points %.
At the moment, that’s the second-worst of the cap era, just ahead of the 2019-20 Detroit Red Wings’ .275 and just behind the 2016-17 Colorado Avalanche’s .293.
The San Jose Sharks will need six points – the equivalent of three wins – in their last 10 games to finish ahead of the Wings.
Who’s betting on the Sharks to win three games the rest of the year?
This is the San Jose’s fourth nine-game losing streak this season, which matches a franchise worst, set by the 1992-93 Sharks.
9 straight losses: 10/10/92 to 10/28/92
13: 11/27/92 to 12/23/92
17: 1/4/93 to 2/12/93
13: 3/9/93 to 4/4/93
Ladies and gentlemen, your 2023-24 Sharks!
11 straight losses: 10/12/23 to 11/4/23
12: 12/15/23 to 1/9/24
9: 2/17/24 to 3/7/24
9: 3/12/24 to …
With a loss on Saturday to the St. Louis Blues, the 2023-24 Sharks will also join the 1992-93 squad as the only teams in franchise history to have three double-digit losing streaks in a season.
“We’re dying for a win here,” head coach David Quinn said. “I feel for the guys.”
David Quinn
Quinn, on William Eklund and Thomas Bordeleau’s games:
I thought Eky got better as the game went on. He’s playing with a lot of confidence with the puck. Doing a lot of good things.
I thought Bordy was solid. I didn’t think it was one of his better games. But we’ve talked about being a pro, when you’re not having a great night, how bad is your bad? I thought he just managed the game tonight. There wasn’t a lot going on for him and probably some plays that he’d rather have back.
But four months ago, this was a lot different performance for him. So I liked his game. I liked his game because he showed he had a little bit of a B-game tonight.
Quinn, on Eklund’s move back to wing:
As we’ve touched on, I think we needed to put him in a better position to succeed. We obviously had him in the middle, which he wanted to do, and I think as time was going on, he said okay, this is enough for me. I’ll get back to the wing, because it’s often difficult to play center in the National Hockey League when you’re young and trying to develop. So I think I could literally see a sigh of relief when we told them we were moving him back to the wing and he’s certainly taken advantage of it.
Mackenzie Blackwood
Blackwood, on finding his game tonight after being out for more than three weeks with a groin tweak:
Yeah, doesn’t take too long. But obviously, you don’t want to not be at your best for the guys when we’re trying to win games.
I was pretty frustrated with my play the first two games [back from injury], but finally being able to feel good about my game, being in position and seeing pucks well, it’s just good to finally feel like myself again.
Blackwood, on the San Jose Sharks’ response after a tough first period:
Everybody in that room has each other’s back. I don’t think there’s one guy in there that doesn’t like everybody in that room.
Everybody’s on the same page. Everybody’s really good friends with each other. It’s a good locker room to be in, despite the situation. I don’t expect anything else from those guys because they know I’ll do everything I can to reciprocate.
Justin Bailey
Bailey, on message from San Jose Sharks coaching staff after a first period where they were outshot 15-1:
It was just clean up some little things, make sure we’re getting the puck deep. They’re a fast team, making sure we’re making them go 200 feet every time and not giving them anything. Making them earn all the offense that they got. I think throughout the night, we did that, held them to two the whole game.
More must-reads: