Defenseman Mario Ferraro and center Michael Misa both scored before everything went off the rails for the San Jose Sharks, who couldn’t manage the puck and allowed five unanswered goals in a 5-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday at the United Center.
Leading 2-0, the Sharks allowed a goal to defenseman Sam Rinzel with 30 seconds left in the second period and two goals to Louis Crevier and one to both Ryan Greene and Nick Lardis in a one-sided third as they lost for the fourth time in five games.
Connor Bedard had two assists for the Blackhawks, who snapped a four-game losing streak.
Wednesday’s game marked the first time this season that the Sharks had lost a game in regulation time when they took a lead into the third period. They had been 27-0-2 in that circumstance before Wednesday.
Sharks goalie Yaroslav Askarov made 19 saves as he finished the regular season with a record of 21-20-4 in 47 games. Among Askarov’s saves was a stop of Ilya Mikheyev’s penalty shot attempt at the 16:22 mark of the first period.
Askarov finished the season having won just two of his last nine starts, with an .871 save percentage in that time.
Although eliminated from playoff contention, the Sharks were hoping to build on Monday’s 3-2 road win over the Nashville Predators. But they managed just four shots on net in the third period and 17 for the game against the Blackhawks, the NHL’s 31st-place team.
Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic is expected to get the start on Thursday when the Sharks (38-37-8) face the Winnipeg Jets to end the regular season.
Macklin Celebrini did not have a point on Wednesday and will enter the Sharks’ game against the Jets with 112 points, two behind Joe Thornton’s single-season team record set in 2006-07.
The Sharks are now 2-18-3 this season when Celebrini doesn’t record a point.
Celebrini also remains tied for second in Sharks history in goals scored in a single season with 44. Patrick Marleau scored 44 goals in 2009-2010, and Owen Nolan scored 44 in 1999-2000.
Jonathan Cheechoo holds the Sharks record of 56, set in 2005-06. Thornton assisted on 39 of those goals.
Celebrini’s 68 assists are the fifth-most in team history. Thornton holds the team record with 92 in 2006-07.
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