Sharks look like anything but a playoff team in crushing loss to Ducks

Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News on Apr 10, 2026

Published in Hockey

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The San Jose Sharks’ playoff hopes were hanging by a thread even before they played the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night.

They’re just about over now.

Looking for a response after a lopsided loss to the Edmonton Oilers the previous night, the Sharks instead allowed two goals in the opening seven minutes – and didn’t get a shot of their own on net in more than 13 minutes – in a crushing 6-1 loss to the Ducks at Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

The Sharks allowed first-period goals to Leo Carlsson and John Carlson, and a second-period goal to Alex Killorn, and offered little in response as they lost for the third time in four games.

Defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin scored San Jose’s only goal, and goalie Yaroslav Askarov finished with 27 saves, but not before Carlson scored twice in the third period to complete the hat trick. Frank Vatrano also scored with 2:28 left in regulation time.

With the loss, the Sharks, with 81 points, remain three points behind the Nashville Predators for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference with one game in hand. The Sharks have four games left, including one in Nashville on Monday, and the Predators have three.

That’s only part of the Sharks’ problem. They were also two points behind the Los Angeles Kings before Thursday and have now been passed in the Western Conference standings by the Winnipeg Jets.

Add it all up, and the Sharks might need a miracle over the next week to end their six-year playoff drought.

It likely won’t happen.

The Sharks face the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday in their final home game of the season. After Monday’s game in Nashville, the Sharks finish the season with games in Chicago on Wednesday and Winnipeg on Thursday.

The Sharks’ frustrations on Thursday began almost right away.

On the first shift of the game, Will Smith had the puck on his stick near the Ducks’ net with no one immediately around him except for goalie Lukas Dostal.

Instead of putting a shot on Dostal, Smith tried a low percentage pass across the crease to Macklin Celebrini. But the puck was intercepted by the Ducks’ defense and sent back up the ice.

It was a sign of things to come for the Sharks, who managed just four shot attempts in the first 15 minutes, and four shots on goal in the second period.

Carlsson scored at the 2:59 mark of the first period, and Carlson gave the Ducks a 2-0 lead just 3:21 later.

On a Ducks breakout, Sharks defenseman Nick Leddy tried to pinch down on winger Chris Kreider in the Anaheim zone. But Kreider was able to direct a pass to Carlsson, who carried the puck into the Sharks’ zone, danced past winger Ty Dellandrea, and roofed a shot past Askarov.

Three minutes later, the Sharks turned it over in their own zone. Michael Misa, in the corner to the right of the Sharks’ net, got a puck ahead to Tyler Toffoli, who could not clear the puck. Pavel Mintyukov then sent the puck to Mikael Granlund, who backhanded a pass to Carlson for a one-timer that got past a screened Askarov for a 2-0 Ducks lead.

The Sharks did not get a shot on net until there was 6:48 left in the first period, as a clearing attempt by Barclay Goodrow from 150 feet away had to be stopped by Dostal.

The Sharks also didn’t get the first shot on goal in the second period until there was 8:12 left, when Mario Ferraro hit the net.

The Sharks made significant lineup changes Thursday after their 5-2 loss to the Oilers on Wednesday at SAP Center. Forwards Pavol Regenda and Ty Dellandrea entered the lineup, and Igor Chernyshov and Adam Gaudette were scratched. Mukhamadullin also replaced John Klingberg in the lineup.