SAN JOSE -– Their longest and toughest road trips now in the rear view mirror, the Sharks returned home Friday to open up a stretch of eight straight games against non-playoff opponents with the Buffalo Sabres.
It didn’t go well.
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SIGN UP HERE Zach Bogosian scored the tie-breaking, game-winning goal in the third period, as Buffalo claimed a 3-1 win at SAP Center. It was the Sharks’ first regulation loss at home in 10 games (6-1-3).
With the game tied at 1-1, Bogosian’s soft wrister appeared to deflect off of Tomas Hertl and into the net with 6:22 left in regulation.
The Sharks pulled goalie Martin Jones with about two-and-a-half minutes to go, but Evander Kane’s empty-net goal with 1:17 left put it away for the visitors.
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The Sharks remain six points behind Los Angeles and four behind Anaheim, which beat Edmonton on Friday. All three teams have 22 games remaining.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic opened the scoring early. His wrist shot from the top of the circle found room past Chad Johnson at 1:28 of the first period, set up by Matt Nieto, who charged into the offensive zone and found the defenseman open at the point with a backhanded pass.
Buffalo recorded the only goal of the second. Roman Polak’s routine pass to partner Brenden Dillon bounced over Dillon’s stick, and Brian Gionta took control. Gionta’s shot snuck through Jones, and Johan Larsson dove in to push it across the line at 13:38.
Dillon nearly gave the Sharks the lead back early in the third, when he had the puck on his stick as Johnson was sprawled out on his back without a stick after a scramble in front of the net. He misfired on his attempt about three minutes into the final frame, though.
For the first time since Jan. 7, the Sharks went away from playing Joe Thornton, Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau down the middle to start a game. Marleau slotted in as the left wing on the Couture line with Joonas Donskoi, while Nick Spaling centered the third line between Nieto and Joel Ward.
The Sharks won the only other game of the season series, 2-1 in overtime at Buffalo on Nov. 14, their only victory in the last 10 games against the Sabres (1-8-1).
Special teams
For the first time in their history, the Sharks played in a penalty-free game. That ended a streak of them allowing one power play goal-against in each of their last three games.
It was the second time in four games that the Sharks did not had a power play. They entered the game with the third ranked power play in the NHL.
In goal
Jones started his seventh straight game, and 15th of the last 16. It was just his fourth regulation loss in his last 19 starts (13-4-2).
Johnson, who could very well be on the Sharks’ radar to fill their hole at backup goalie, improved to 14-14-3 on the season with 24 saves.
Lineup
In his last 30 games, Vlasic has 24 points (4g, 20a). He’s just one point off his career high for scoring in a season (36 points, 2008-09).
Tommy Wingels (sprained left shoulder) missed his fourth straight game. Among Buffalo’s scratches was injured defenseman Cody Franson and leading scorer Ryan O'Reilly.
Polak and Spaling were making their home Sharks debuts after they were acquired from Toronto on Monday.
Up next
In a bizarre quirk in the schedule, the Sharks face the Canucks on Sunday afternoon for the first of five meetings this season. After that game at Rogers Arena they return home to host Montreal on Monday, which is also the NHL trade deadline.