Sharks deflated in season opener by defending-champion Golden Knights

Sharks deflated in season opener by defending-champion Golden Knights originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

In the opening game of the 2023-24 NHL season, the San Jose Sharks faced a difficult challenge. The defending champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, came to town and the young Sharks managed to keep up with them for nearly 40 minutes.

However, with only 90 seconds left in the second period, Vegas defenseman Nicolas Hague scored, giving them a 2-1 lead. Less than a minute later, Golden Knights center Nicolas Roy extended their lead to 3-1.

“I thought that really deflated us,” commented Sharks coach David Quinn on the Sharks’ 4-1 loss in their season opener. “I thought we played well for 18 minutes in the [second] period. Up until that point, they had only two scoring chances in the second period, and it really deflated us. It took the wind out of our sails.”

Vegas added another goal in the third period, securing the victory. After raising the 2022-23 Stanley Cup champion banner at T-Mobile Arena just two days prior, the Golden Knights started the season with a perfect 2-0-0 record. In contrast, the Sharks once again lost their season opener.

There was, however, a bright spot for San Jose in the form of forward Filip Zadina. Zadina scored the tying goal to make it 1-1 in the first period. This was Zadina’s first goal as a Shark after signing a one-year, $1.1 million contract this offseason.

“I thought he had a great night,” said Quinn of Zadina. “The goal will surely boost his confidence. But one thing he has consistently brought to the team since joining us is a sincere effort. And that’s all we can ask for.”

The Sharks boast one of the youngest rosters in the league, with prospects like William Eklund and Thomas Bordeleau still gaining experience. There aren’t high expectations for San Jose this season, but Quinn expects his team to quickly recover from mistakes in future games.

If they fail to do so, it could be a challenging season for the Sharks, who finished with the fourth-fewest points in the NHL last season.

“I didn’t like how we got deflated. I appreciated our physical effort, but as a collective group, we need to ensure that when someone scores against us, we handle it, regroup quickly, and stop the bleeding on the next shift,” stated Quinn. “Unfortunately, we didn’t do a great job of that tonight.”

The Sharks will return to the ice on Saturday to face the Colorado Avalanche at SAP Center. Don’t miss “Sharks Pregame Live” on NBC Sports California at 6:30 p.m.