BOSTON _ No hint of pushback until it was too late. Not much in the way of compete.
No, the were simply outclassed by the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night, losing 5-1 at TD Garden to bring an unceremonious end to a five-game road trip and one of the uglier opening months of the regular season in recent team history.
Two nights after a disheartening 5-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators, who no one is confusing for a playoff team, the Sharks once again dug themselves a hole they couldn't escape.
The Sharks trailed 2-0 in the first period after power play goals by David Pastrnak and David Krejci, and managed just 12 shots on goal as the Bruins poured 33 shots on goalie Martin Jones held a 5-1 lead after two periods.
Brent Burns had the Sharks' lone goal, a power play marker 1:31 into the second period. But the Bruins' Charlie Coyle responded with an even strength goal 3:50 later, and Chris Wagner and Brandon Carlo added goals later in the second period to round out the scoring.
Jones finished with xx saves as the Sharks finished with the road trip with a 1-3-1 record. The Sharks, who now head home for a six-game homestand, finished the month of October with a 4-8-1 record.
There appear to be no easy answers for the Sharks right now, particularly at even strength.
Different line combinations haven't worked, neither Jones or backup goalie Aaron Dell and get on a roll and various players the Sharks are relying on to provide offense have yet to hit their stride.
The most consistent part of the Sharks' play so fatr hads The Sharks had killed an impressive 15 of 16 penalties on this road trip, and came into Tuesday with the NHL's best penalty kill at 93.2 percent. Still, the amount of times they've been shorthanded so far this season _ 44 times in 12 games _ had to be a cause for concern.
Those concerns were borne out in the first period as the Bruins took a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Pastrnak and Krejci. Boston, which had the second-best power play in the NHL coming into Tuesday at 32.4% (11-for-34) had 16 shots on goal on five power play through the first two periods..
The Sharks began this road trip feeling better about their game and where they were as a team. They lost 4-3 to the Buffalo Sabres at home on Oct. 19 but had won three straight just before then, giving off the feeling that they were heading in the right direction.
A 4-3 overtime loss to te Sabres in Buffalo last Tuesday was bittersweet, as they played well enough to win before a poor line change in the extra session resulted in a Jack Eichel goal.
Two nights later, Evander Kane scored two power play goals helped the Sharks earn a 4-2 win. But playing their third game in four nights Friday in Toronto, the Sharks had to kill five penalties and had nothing left in the third period in a 4-1 loss to the Leafs.
The Sharks' season hit rock bottom Sunday, though, in a 5-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators. The Sharks never and although the effort might have been there for the most part, the execution at even strength was abysmal.
That carried over into Tuesday, as the Sharks had eight even strength shots on goal through two periods.
