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Sharks’ baffling empty net sequence leads to crushing Golden Knights loss
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- Sharks’ baffling empty net sequence leads to crushing Golden Knights loss
Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
The post Sharks' baffling empty net sequence leads to crushing Golden Knights loss appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The San Jose Sharks are still rebuilding as the 2025-26 NHL season gets underway. Still, there are mostly positive vibes around this team. The Sharks were active in NHL Free Agency , and they expect to be much better this year than they were a year ago. Unfortunately, William Eklund and his team failed their first test against the Vegas Golden Knights .
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The Sharks held a 3-2 lead with less than two minutes remaining. Eklund gained control of the puck, and had a chance to score on an empty net. However, he failed to put the puck home on two separate attempts. The Golden Knights took control, took the puck up the ice, and tied the game thanks to a Jack Eichel goal.
Unfortunately, San Jose was unable to avoid disaster. The game went into overtime where the Sharks ended up losing. Veteran Reilly Smith scored his first of the season to give his team a 4-3 victory after goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic was a bit overzealous when trying to stop a scoring attempt.
Sharks collapse late in stunning loss to Golden Knights
Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
Before the game, there was certainly an avenue for San Jose to win this game on paper. Vegas played Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Kings . That game went to a shootout that saw the Kings pull out the victory in one of the more chaotic games we've seen in the young season.
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The Sharks had the fresh legs despite not playing a game this year. And it seemed as if that made the difference for most of the contest. Jeff Skinner opened the scoring in the first, scoring in his San Jose debut. Vegas answered back, but goals from Alexander Wennberg and Philipp Kurashev made it a 3-2 game in the third.
Unfortunately, San Jose fumbled the game in an improbable fashion. They played well overall, and there are positives they can take into their next few games. However, the positives won't erase the sting of Thursday's loss to the Golden Knights.
The Sharks take to the ice next on Saturday as they seek to redeem themselves against the Anaheim Ducks .
Related: Sharks' Jeff Skinner defends Alex Nedeljkovic after late game errors vs. Golden Knights
Related: Sharks' X-factor in 2025-26, and it's not Macklin Celebrini
