Sharks Announcer Brought to Tears by Crazy Comeback

Not long ago, the San Jose Sharks were hard to watch. Slow games, empty seats, and a rebuild that felt stuck in neutral made them one of the league’s least exciting teams. Fast forward a couple of seasons, and the transformation has been dramatic. Young stars, fearless hockey, and chaos in the best way possible have turned San Jose into must-see TV.

The Pittsburgh Penguins, meanwhile, have had an emotional season of their own, but without the same upward momentum. Early on, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin turned back the clock, briefly leading the NHL in goals and assists. It looked like Pittsburgh had found something again.

That illusion didn’t last. Consistency vanished, something that visibly frustrated new head coach Dan Muse. The Penguins believed they had pushed past those issues, but everything unraveled after Malkin went downhill following their controversial win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on December 4. Since then, things have gone from shaky to catastrophic.

Another Penguins’ Collapse Sets the Stage for the Sharks

Heading into their matchup with San Jose, Pittsburgh had lost three straight games. Two of those were shootout losses to Dallas and Anaheim, extending their shootout losing streak to nine games. Not a single Penguins shooter scored in either shootout. The Ducks' loss was especially brutal, featuring a complete meltdown capped by rookie Beckett Sennecke slicing through three defenders to tie the game with 0.1 seconds left.

Desperate for a win, the Penguins looked like they finally had one.

Pittsburgh stormed to a 4–1 lead after two periods, with Crosby scoring a power-play goal and adding an assist, moving him within two points of tying Mario Lemieux. When Anthony Mantha made it 5–1 just 5:30 into the third period, the game felt over. Unfortunately for the home crowd, it wasn’t even close.