Nobody wants moral victories.
But if the San Jose Sharks didn’t have those, where would they be?
The Sharks lost again on Saturday, shut out 3-0 by the Pittsburgh Penguins. They’re now 0-3-2.
But after being dominated at 5-on-5 for three-straight games — according to Natural Stat Trick, San Jose had just an overall 32.3 percent of the shot attempt share — the Sharks won the Corsi % battle for the first time this year, with a robust 56.6 % of the shot attempts tonight.
This puck possession was especially evident in the second and third periods: Down 18-11 shots after the opening frame, San Jose outshot Pittsburgh 20-9 the rest of the game.
The Sharks were making plays in all three zones.
It started with the forecheck, which kept the puck in San Jose’s offensive zone.
The line of Ty Dellandrea (10), Barclay Goodrow (23), and Collin Graf (51) were on top of the Penguins, especially Graf on Ryan Shea (5) here.
“Our forecheck was better,” Warsofsky said. “That helps a lot.”
The Sharks were just as intense in the neutral zone, backchecking with real purpose and effort: Tyler Toffoli (73) and Alex Wennberg (21) keep the Penguins from advancing the puck.
Forechecking and backchecking with aplomb took a lot of pressure off the San Jose defense in the second and third periods, and they made plays when they needed to, case in point, Sam Dickinson (6) making Evgeni Malkin (71) and Anthony Mantha (39) look bad.
If the Sharks keep playing this way, they won’t remain winless for long.
“The only way we’re going to get those bounces is if we keep working for them. They’re not just going to happen,” Alex Nedeljkovic said. “We have to earn those bounces and if we play like tonight, more times than not, coming up, we’ll start getting some.”
Ryan Warsofsky
Warsofsky, on what the San Jose Sharks can improve:
We’re still giving up too much in our own end. Puck play. We’re just still a little off in some areas.
Warsofsky, on Sam Dickinson and Michael Misa:
I’d say that’s two of their best games. Did some good things, obviously some things to improve on, but they look more comfortable tonight.
Warsofsky, on how the forecheck set the tone in the last two periods of the game:
For sure. Our forecheck was better. That helps a lot.
Warsofsky, on the Sharks’ winless start:
Trust me, it sucks. Keep telling myself there’s gotta be a reason it keeps happening, in a sense. I’d give up one of my children for a fucking win. It’s frustrating. I’m sorry for swearing. We’re very, very frustrated, and we’re going to keep working at it.
Warsofsky, on if he’s talked to Celebrini about getting beat defensively on the Anthony Mantha goal:
All of our guys want it. We’re frustrated. Trust me, our players are extremely frustrated, as is the staff.
I haven’t talked to Mack yet, I think he kind of knows.
But what are we [going to do], we’re gonna quit? We’re five games into this thing. What’s happened has happened. We gotta work. I gotta get this team to improve and individuals to improve. It’s on me.
Warsofsky says Klingberg and Liljegren will travel, Mukhamadullin will not.
Liljegren pretty much ruled out of Tuesday game @ NYI, Klingberg is questionable
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 19, 2025
Sam Dickinson
Dickinson, on how he’s getting more comfortable:
I don’t know necessarily if the game slows down. Personally, feels like I’m getting a little faster and more prepared with everything that happens here. I think that’s kind of been a big thing. The big one is just speeding up my thought process, understanding how fast I need to make decisions, make reads.
Dickinson, on playing against legends Crosby & Malkin: “Some of the best players of all time. Get out there, get a good position, and hope they don’t dance me.”
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 19, 2025
Alex Nedeljkovic
Nedeljkovic, teasing, called the Crosby goal “a lucky tip”
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 19, 2025
Nedeljkovic jokes about Sidney Crosby’s goal:
I think he thought [Kris Letang] was just going to send that puck wide, like usual, and he just closed his eyes and it just hit his stick.
Nedeljkovic, on what the San Jose Sharks have to do to break their winless streak:
Just keep playing. Play hard, play fast, keep skating. We’re a good skating team. We’re a fast team when we play like that, and we had chances, team’s [just gotta] bear down. Just puck didn’t want to go in. Tonight, we had a couple bounces. Maybe, if they bounce the other way, it goes in.
But the only way we’re going to get those bounces is if we keep working for them. They’re not just going to happen. We have to earn those bounces and if we play like tonight, more times than not, coming up, we’ll start getting some.
Macklin Celebrini
Celebrini, on getting beat by Justin Brazeau, which led to the Mantha goal:
I got twisted up. I was kind of sinking back too far. I missed him. Shouldn’t happen and they got to the inside and scored.