Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks lost to the Ottawa Senators 5-2 at Canadian Tire Centre on Sunday. Ottawa goals came from Nick Paul (2), Connor Brown, Brady Tkachuk, and Anthony DuClair. Sens goaltender Craig Anderson made 34 saves in the win. Sharks goals came from Evander Kane and Kevin Labanc. Sharks goaltender Aaron Dell made 18 saves in the first two periods. Martin Jones made 7 saves in the third period.

The Sharks scored on one of six power play chances, and killed off all four penalties they took. Their shot count showed major improvement over Friday’s game, with 36 shots registered. Evander Kane generated six of those shots, with Timo Meier adding five.

“We gave up too many odd-man [rushes] again,” Sharks captain Logan Couture told NHL.com. “I don’t think we spent long enough shifts in their end. We had some shots, but we didn’t get enough traffic around their goaltender and second opportunities that were there, we just weren’t in the right spots.”

Couture also told NHL.com, “I thought we created some good looks. We didn’t finish around the net like we’re capable of. I mean, that’s also been a story this season: we’re not finishing. I can’t be sitting at one goal right now. [Tomas Hertl’s] at three, [Timo Meier’s] at two. We’ve got to score some more goals.”

Here are the final stats.

“We’re 12 games in and there’s a handful of key guys for us that haven’t played well yet,” Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer told NHL.com. “So that’s on me to get them back to the level they need to be at.”

“We’re playing from behind in a lot of these games and instead of sticking with it and trusting the group and the system, everyone wants to step out and fix it themselves, but it doesn’t work that way. So eventually you have to learn that lesson.”

The Sharks next play on Tuesday at 4:00 PM PT, in Boston against the Bruins.