By Matthew T.F. Harrington

AP photo: Winnipeg Jets right winger Blake Wheeler (26) scores a second period goal past San Jose Sharks goalie Martin Jones as the Sharks Patrick Marleau (12) looks on Thursday at SAP Center

SAN JOSE, Calif. — An odd feeling permeated the San Jose Sharks locker room after Thursday night’s 5-4 loss at home to the Winnipeg Jets. While the usual sentiments of disappointment certainly were present, it was hard for almost anyone to take the defeat as a crushing blow.

“It definitely means something,” said Sharks captain Joe Pavelski, who never the less couldn’t find a real meaning to the loss. “You play for the big prize next week.”

With the loss, the Sharks have guaranteed they will be the visiting team for most of the first series of the playoffs, with the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings both wrapping up the season with higher point totals. That’s not the end of the world for a team that went 28-10-3 on the road versus 17-20-3 at home.

“It doesn’t really matter once the playoffs start,” said Pavelski. “You’re trying to find ways to win. You’re going to have to gut out a few games on the road. You’re going to have to be solid at home.”

Make no mistakes, no one was a happy camper after the Jets rode a Dusitn Byflugien goal with 10 seconds left in regulation. Nor did anyone mince words when asked to comment on blown leads in both the 2^nd and 3^rd period.

“We know that we can’t play like this in the playoffs,” said defenseman Paul Martin. “In the grand scheme we know how we have to play to win hockey games.”

To play into the middle of April was the objective, something the Sharks locked down weeks ago. There was little at stake Thursday night, no playoff spots to jostle for, no draft spots to jockey for. The only player looking to make an impact was goalie Martin Jones.

“I felt good,” said Jones, making his first start of April. “I had good energy. There were just a couple bad bounces.”

With co-netminder James Reimer playing sterling hockey, Jones hadn’t played in nearly a week. He had the most to benefit from a strong showing. Instead, he turned in a 21-save, 5-goal defeat.

“We’re on the same team,” said Jones if he felt pressure to perform to keep his starting spot. ”Nothing really changes for me.”

Jones was the “beneficiary” of some bad bounces and defensive and emotional lapses from the team in front of him. About the only bright spot for the Sharks was the fact that they were 2 for 4on the power play.

The Sharks scored their first goal at even strength after Joe Pavelski took a one-time feed from Joe Thornton cross crease and deposited it into the vacant net. Thornton’s assist, coming on the Sharks captain’s 37^th goal of the year 11:16 into the game, was his 1,339 point. He now sits in 28^th place alone all-time in points.

Despite the Sharks goal, neither team had a strong offensive start. Both teams mustered only 6 shots on net each in the 1^st. The 2^nd period would be an offensive bonanza. Winnipeg would tie the game 9:03 ino the middle period after Mark Scheifele bounced a puck off Roman Polak’s skate and into the back of the net.

After being held to only 2 shots in the first 10 minutes of the 2^nd, the Sharks responded in a big way with two power play goals. Joe Thornton beat Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec on a one-timer 11:42 into the period, then Paul Martin snuck a slap shot through for his 3^rd tally of the year just under 4 minutes later.

With momentum, and a 3-1 lead, on the Sharks side a win appeared imminent. The Jets, however, took over the final two minutes of the period with Andrew Copp and Blake Wheeler finding the back of the net a minute a part to erase the two-goal edge.

“We kept finding ourselves in the lead,” said Pavelski. “And we kept playing with fire.”

Patrick Marleau’s 25^th goal of the season, a wrister delfected into the Jets net by a defender, put San Jose up 4-3 7:03 into the period, but Scheifele would add his 29^th goal of the season on the power play with 7:58 left in regulation. From there, Byflugien provided the late dagger.

The Sharks face Arizona Saturday night in the finale of the regular season. After that, they will travel to either Anaheim or Los Angeles to open the Stanley Cup Playoffs at a date yet to be determined.

“We’re excited for the fans,” said Pavelski. “That picture is vivid of the fans and playoffs. So we’re going to have to go do the job on the road.”