Sharks Burned by Lack of Desperation, Lose 3-2 to Flames

CALGARY — The San Jose Sharks take on the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome.

Will Smith and Adam Gaudette scored, but the Sharks lost 3-2.

Period 1

1 in: Sloppy second line shift, Kurashev turnover, also they allowed Huberdeau an open walk down the slot for a high shot that just misses.

2 in: But great follow-up by the third line. Misa on entry feints toward the middle, then drops off to Eklund open on right lane for easy entry. That was brilliant. Eklund circles net, Sharks set up, Eklund draws a call.

Smith goal: Great patience by Wennberg, hold and hold, before beating Farabee’s outstretched stick for a slam dunk pass to Smith.

5 in: Bahl gives Celebrini an extra shot, after the Celebrini dump-in. Celebrini gives him a little slash low.

9 in: Smith and Klingberg show their puck poise, both holding a beat. Smith in his pass high to Klingberg, Klingberg is waiting to shoot for Graf to get in front and deflect.

10 in: Misa carrying behind Nedeljkovic gets pushed down, that’s the area of improvement next year. The increased quickness, we’re already seeing.

9 left: Eklund stops up Pachdal on forecheck. He’s been real shot in the arm for third line.

Klingberg penalty: San Jose Sharks have been okay, but they haven’t been taking it to the Flames like they should. Can’t give a lesser opponent life.

7 left: Marvelous diving clear by Goodrow on PK, all the way down.

Ostapchuk penalty: But the Sharks are just putting unnecessary pressure on themselves. Now a short 5-on-3 for Calgary.

Frost goal: Nedeljkovic with a big first save, but hard rebound lands right in front for Frost. Sharks now down 14-8 shots. Hopefully, a wake-up call, but San Jose still has to kill a 5-on-4.

5 left: Goodrow beats man off faceoff to clear it out, then Wennberg one-on-one takes it from Sharangovich. Good PK’ing there.

2 left: Wennberg shows his arsenal of skills there, anticipates the pass then takes it from Lomberg high. Then receives a return pass in his feet but kicks it to himself, protects the puck, and draws a trip on Lomberg.

Pospisil penalty: I try to look at officiating without teal-tinted lenses, but that was a garbage call from the refs. Pospisil boards Ferraro, real dirty, and Desharnais pulls Pospisil. 100 times out of 100 times, Desharnais does the right thing for his team, and sure, give him a penalty, but there’s no reasonable world that evens up to Pospisil’s board. And yet it does for the refs here. Way to empower a noted on-the-edge player like Pospisil to keep doing what he does. A two-minute 5-on-3 becomes a 5-on-4 because of what, game management? Terrible call.

Ryan Warsofsky was HEATED after Vincent Desharnais was assessed a penalty after getting tied up in this scrum 😳 pic.twitter.com/BLmNwemXCv

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) January 31, 2026

Regardless, San Jose Sharks have to play better. They’re keeping Calgary around, which is their fault.

Period 2

Gaudette goal: All starts with a perfect Klingberg exit pass to Misa. It’s routine for Klingberg, but not everybody can do that, right in Misa’s wheelhouse in stride. Then Eklund takes it to the net, he gets three tries to connect with Gaudette, and it finally works. Good response to a different kind of adversity for Sharks.

6 left: Sharks had quieted Calgary offensively so far, but breakdown there gave the Flames a Grade-A, they lose the forward coming out of the corner, who gives it cross-slot diagonal to Whitecloud coming down slot. Honestly lucky it was Whitecloud who got the puck there, and not a more offensive d-man.

Gridin goal: Gridin finds soft space away from Orlov to hammer that cross-slot one-timer. Misa had lost back-to-back DZ faceoffs.

7 left: Vet defense by Desharnais, as rush pass comes to Kadri, Desharnais times it and comes down hard on Kadri’s stick.

Orlov penalty: Sequence began with Sharks’ faceoff win, Ostapchuk, but Dickinson tries a spin blind backhand pass to his forward up, misses and picked off. Fourth line put into spin cycle, and penalty results. Dickinson can’t do that, that’s some works in the juniors stuff.

6 left: Huge Nedeljkovic stop on I think Frost PP deflection in front, all alone. Best Shark so far tonight.

After a decent start to the period, San Jose not taking control. Not much pop on the forecheck so far tonight. Careless with puck. Still tied at two apiece, but unremarkable effort so far.

4 left: Celebrini, on the rush, Sharks get blown off-sides. He’s frustrated, he fires puck hard off boards.

2 left: Perfect line drive pass from Celebrini to Smith for cross-slot one-timer, but Smith doesn’t get all of it.

Ferraro penalty: Sharks just trying to hand the game to the Flames. Just really unremarkable hockey that they’re playing.

Period 3

2 in: Strong Misa shift, pounces on Zary on forecheck, then opens up for one-timer off Eklund pass. Quick and determined on that shift.

4 in: Bahl punishing Smith, Smith gets up slow. Celebrini gives him a shot skating by, then Goodrow gets on the ice, tries to get Bahl to drop…and Ostapchuk takes the roughing on Bahl. Goodrow gets a 10 for misconduct, probably for jawing at the refs. Okay. Here’s criticize Bahl for shying away from the fight, but Sharks have to settle down now. This game is too important.

6 in: Celebrini on the kill! He and Eklund combine for a chance, after Desharnais kills the play.

Farabee goal: Too easy. 4-on-4, so lots of space, but easy entry, no resistance in front, technically a shortie.

Orlov-Misa-Eklund-Kurashev-Graf is PP2.

8 in: Not a good backhand pass by Eklund in NZ, leads to Kadri high and wide. That could’ve been the game.

9 left: Should’ve been the game there. Klingberg pinches with no support, clear-cut 2-on-1, Klapka fires it into Nedeljkovic. Huge save, obviously, too. But San Jose just hasn’t been able to find their game tonight.

Whitecloud penalty: Great job by Toffoli to draw the penalty. Simple dump and drive to forecheck. Huge spot for PP.

7 left: Smith laces one-timer, but huge Wolf save.

1 left: No better chance than that, Kurashev to the front, Celebrini all alone for one-timer, Wolf!

Might be worst loss of season in some ways. So much at stake, not much of a response.