LOS ANGELES (AP) — The San Jose Sharks made some unfavorable history Thursday night, having failed to win any of their first eight games in consecutive seasons after a 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings.
San Jose is the first team to hold that dubious distinction since the Boston Bruins in the 1960-61 and 1961-62 campaigns. The Sharks are 0-6-2 this season after opening last season 0-10-1.
First-year coach Ryan Warsofsky said the team could not allow such failings to become acceptable.
“This is the National Hockey League,” Warsofsky said. “This is the best league in the world, and if you don’t have joy in playing this game, then you’re in the wrong business and you’re on the wrong team, and we’ll weed those guys right out.”
Poor starts have become all too commonplace for San Jose, having been outscored 12-4 in the first period. Mikael Granlund scored on the power play in the second and third periods to make it a game late, but Warsofsky said the 3-0 deficit in the first was too big a deficit to overcome.
Warsofsky also was critical of the lack of carryover in performance from game to game.
“We need a lot of guys to step up,” Warsofsky said. “Be more consistent night after night, and we’re just not getting that at all. A lot of passengers. And when one guy’s going, the next night he’s not going, so we got to find some consistency in our game.”
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Dan Greenspan, The Associated Press