SAN JOSE — The San Jose Sharks wanted to meet the moment in their game against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
After Joe Thornton’s No. 19 was raised to the rafters in a touching and emotional pregame ceremony and in front of a raucous, sold-out crowd, they felt they had no choice.
But the Sharks, after two fairly strong periods, couldn’t protect a one-goal lead in the third in a 4-2 loss to the Sabres before an announced crowd of 17,435 at SAP Center.
Leading 2-1, the Sharks allowed an even-strength goal to Dylan Cozens at the 2:07 mark, and an unassisted shorthanded goal to Alex Tuch just 3:20 later, as the Sharks went on to lose for the sixth time in seven games.
Rasmus Dahlin added an empty net goal with less than a second left to seal the win for the Sabres.
Tuch’s shorthanded goal was part of an overall frustrating night on special teams for the Sharks, who went 0-for-5 on the power play, including a two-man advantage for 19 seconds late in the third.
Forwards Fabian Zetterlund and Luke Kunin both scored, and goalie Mackenzie Blackwood made 27 saves as the Sharks began a four-game homestand on a particularly sour note.
With the game tied 2-2, the Sharks were on their third power play after Dahlin was called for cross-checking at the 4:42 mark of the third.
But with the Sharks set up in the offensive zone, Tuch tipped a Mikael Granlund pass intended for Timothy Liljegren at the point to himself. He then beat Liljegren to the loose puck, entered the Sharks’ zone and beat Blackwood with a low shot to the blocker side.
Former Sharks goalie James Reimer had 31 saves for the Sabres, who started to find a rhythm late in the second period before they carried it into the third.
The Sharks took a 2-1 lead early in the second period
Zetterlund scored off a rebound at the 9:59 mark of the first period, and his celebration included blowing a kiss to Thornton’s banner on the other side of the centre-hung scoreboard.
Peyton Krebs tied the game with an even-strength goal at the 11:03 mark of the second period, but the Sharks retook the lead early in the second.
After a faceoff deep in the Sabres zone, the puck went into the corner to the left of Reimer. Alexander Wennberg poked the puck ahead to Tyler Toffoli, who fed the puck out front to Kunin. The Sharks forward then beat Reimer with a backhand shot for his fourth goal of the season at the 4:07 mark of the second period.
With so much energy in the building due to Thornton’s ceremony, Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky wanted to see an effort from his group that was commensurate with the occasion.
“It’s a chance for us to play with the building’s energy, and I think that’s important.,” Warsofsky said before the game. “It’s a big night for this organization and Jumbo, his family, and everyone that’s played with him. We’ve got to put in a good performance, for sure.”
