SAN JOSE -- Peter DeBoer told the media you can never predict what will happen when his Sharks face the Nashville Predators.
That certainly was the case when the teams went head-to-head for their third and final regular-season meeting Saturday night.
A tight-checking contest was tied heading into the third period, then the visiting Predators put two third-period goals on the board to give them a 4-2 win.
Here are three takeaways from the game at SAP Center, as the Sharks (43-21-8; 94 points) failed to clinch a Stanley Cup playoff berth and regain the Pacific Division lead from the Calgary Flames:
Power play needs to power up
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San Jose's special teams have been a bit iffy over the last couple of games. This time, the power play had difficulty getting going.
The Sharks had multiple opportunities through the first 40 minutes to capitalize on the man advantage, but they came up empty-handed.
This is an area San Jose wants to improve upon as the Stanley Cup playoffs draw near. They don't have a problem drawing penalties and getting their opportunities, but finding the back of the net on the power play more often could go a long way to boost them come playoff time.
On a positive note for the Sharks …
Angry Joe always delivers
Seasoned Sharks fans know Joe Thornton doesn't get super angry very often. But when he does, he'll likely score a goal.
So, naturally, after engaging in a chirping matchup with Nashville's Colton Sissons halfway through the second period, No. 19 made a contribution on the scoresheet.
Thornton's goal tied the score at 2 before the second period expired, giving San Jose the opportunity to take the lead in the third (even though the team couldn't capitalize on it)
Thornton's edge also appeared to give the whole Sharks lineup even more jump than it already had. It was another example of how the bearded veteran leads this team, whether by scoring a goal or pumping up the energy.
Back-to-back home losses aren't reason to worry
The Sharks take a lot of pride in their home record, so having back-to-back losses isn't ideal. There's probably a little extra salt in that wound because they've had two opportunities to clinch a playoff berth and haven't been able to do it.
However, credit the Predators for playing a good game. And given how well the Sharks have rebounded from losses this season, it's unlikely they'll be down for long. They'll just need to pick it up soon -- probably sooner rather than later with them sitting one point behind the Flames in the Pacific and the Vegas Golden Knights coming to town Monday.
