The scoreboard says 3–0, but if you watched the game, you know: this wasn’t a total wash.

The Pittsburgh Penguins rolled into San Jose on Saturday night, bringing with them a very locked-in version of Tristan Jarry. With goaltending like that, the Penguins didn’t need much room to do damage. The San Jose Sharks had moments (a lot of them, actually), but just couldn’t find the back of the net. Final score: 3–0, but not for lack of trying.

Let’s get this out of the way: yes, Sidney Crosby scored.

Of course he did. It was a classic tip play in the second period, not ideal, but hey, it’s Crosby.

But here’s the thing: the Sharks had chances. Legitimate, high-quality chances.

William Eklund was flying early, carving through the neutral zone and generating a pair of looks in tight. Celebrini set up Toffoli on a sweet give-and-go in the first, and Mario Ferraro clanged one off the post in the second that had Jarry beat clean. There were odd-man rushes, second efforts, scrambles in front, but the Sharks just couldn’t finish.

It wasn’t a lack of structure or energy. In fact, this might’ve been one of San Jose’s more disciplined games this season. San Jose kept pace through the first two periods. Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic was solid through 40 minutes, stopping 20 of 21, and you could feel that if that one Shark goal had gone in, the energy would’ve shifted.

But then Anthony Mantha made it 2–0 on a second-effort jam play in the third period …

and Evgeni Malkin buried a late one into the empty net …

And just like that, another night where the Sharks did a lot of things right … without getting the result the team so desperately needed. The win.

It’s been that kind of stretch. The puck isn’t bouncing the Sharks’ way, but the process is getting better. The young guys like Eklund, Smith, and Celebrini are finding their legs. Michael Misa had a couple of strong forechecks, and even though the Sharks finished 0-for-2 on the power play, the puck movement is way sharper than it was even a few weeks ago.

Bottom line: the results will come. Maybe not against a future Hall-of-Famer with something to prove, but the growth is happening in real time.

Coach’s Postgame: “We’ve Gotta Work”

After the 3-0 loss, the tone from the Sharks’ bench was a mix of frustration and determination. Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky was candid, raw and focused on the grind ahead.

“Our players are extremely frustrated, as is the staff … we’ve gotta work. I gotta get this team to improve and the individuals to improve. It’s on me,” said Warsofsky.

While he’s frustrated with the end result, he’s at least seeing some progress on the ice compared to the last game.  

“Effort to compete from the start, just like there was good, constant effort throughout the whole game,” he said.

But he acknowledges there’s still work that needs to be done, specifically, the gaps in defense and execution.

“I think we got better as the game went on, as far as defending … still again, giving up a little bit too much,” said Warsofsky.

When asked about the bigger picture after five games, he didn’t shy away.

“We’re five games into this thing. What’s happened has happened. We gotta work,” he said.

And he did not hide his frustration.

“Trust me, it sucks. There’s a reason why this keeps happening. In a sense, you know, I give up one of my children for a f*cking win. So it’s frustrating. We’re very, very frustrated,” said Warsofsky.

The message is clear: the effort is there, but the Sharks have a mountain to climb. The work, the teaching, the building of chemistry. All of it is on the table.

Scoring summary Pittsburgh Penguins at San Jose Sharks Oct. 18, 2025

First Period
No scoring

Second Period
7:35 PIT Sidney Crosby from Kris Letang and Rickard Rakell

Third Period
7:02 PIT Anthony Mantha from Justin Brazeau and Evgeni Malkin
19:38 PIT Evgeni Malkin from Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson