The San Jose Sharks are off to a decidedly mediocre start to the season.
Last night in Florida, the Sharks fell to 8-7-2 with a 4-1 loss to a Panthers side that, for whatever reason, appeared hungrier and more prepared than its opponents.
“First of all, we didn’t execute at all. We didn’t put two passes together,” San Jose coach Todd McLellan said, per CSN Bay Area. “Any time we did win battles for the puck and had an opportunity to get up ice, we maybe made the first one but sure didn’t make the second one. So, didn’t have the puck a lot.”
He’s right; they didn’t have the puck a lot. And they haven’t had it as much this season as they did in the last, when they were one of the NHL’s best possession teams.
“I’m actually disappointed because I thought we had a really good meeting this morning,” McLellan said. “We discussed some things about how we wanted to play and things we wanted to do.”
The Sharks, fifth place in the Pacific Division, will try again tomorrow in Tampa Bay, before concluding their six-game trip with stops in Columbus, Carolina, and Buffalo.