SAN JOSE -– After officially clinching a playoff spot early in the week, the Sharks expressed their desire to make a push for the Pacific Division title over the final two weeks of the regular season.
The effort and execution against arguably the worst team in the NHL on Thursday at home suggested otherwise.
A tremendously sloppy first period and a distinct lack of energy resulted in a 4-2 loss to the Canucks, who snapped a nine-game losing streak. Jannik Hansen’s third period marker on a two-on-one with 5:03 remaining in the third period was the key score, and only occurred after Joe Thornton and Brent Burns failed to connect on a simple cross-ice pass in the offensive zone.