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SAN JOSE — A poor start, sloppy defense and more shoddy goaltending did the Sharks in as the bleeding continued at SAP Center.
The Sharks season-high losing streak reached seven games on Thursday as the Chicago Blackhawks thwarted the home team’s aspirations of getting its game in shape for the playoffs with a 5-4 win. The losing streak is the Sharks longest since they lost seven straight games from Feb. 2 to Feb. 15, 2013.
The loss cost the Sharks an opportunity to pull to within four points of the idle Calgary Flames for the top seed in the Western Conference. The Sharks also missed a chance to extend their lead over the Vegas Golden Knights for third place in the Pacific Division to seven points.
The Blackhawks jumped out to an early lead by scoring three unanswered goals in the opening 10:59 of the first.
Alex DeBrincat struck first, getting the Hawks on the board by scoring on a 5-on-3 power play at 4:10. Then, Connor Murphy joined the fun at 6:19, bouncing a point shot in off Tim Heed. Jonathan Toews made it 3-0 at 10:59, slinging the puck into the top shelf after the Sharks defense left him all alone at the side of the net to gobble up a blocked shot that trickled out to him.
The Sharks caught a break one minute later when Lukas Radil’s shot from the right wing popped in off the webbing of goalie Corey Crawford’s glove. Tomas Hertl and Brent Burns picked up assists on Radil’s first goal since Jan. 5, which snapped a 13-game goalless drought.
The Hawks carried a 5-4 lead into the second intermission after the teams combined to score five goals in the middle frame. The Sharks eventually tied the game at 4-4 with 3:54 left in the period after Timo Meier took advantage of a coverage lapse to score his 29th off a breakaway. With his 63rd point of the season, Meier set a single-season scoring record for Swiss-born players. Gus Nyquist made it 3-2 at 2:33, becoming the sixth Sharks player to reach the 20-goal mark by finishing a pretty through-the-crease pass from Hertl.
The Czech forward recorded his third point of the night at 6:29, tapping in a Joe Thornton pass on a 5-on-3 power play. The goal marked the first time the Sharks power play has scored multiple goals in a game since Feb. 21. The Sharks power play entered the game riding an 11-game cold spell in which it went 4 for 27.
Alex DeBrincat scored the Hawks fourth goal at 4:21, picking up his second of the game, and Chris Kunitz regained the lead for his team at 18:08, bouncing a Patrick Kane shot past Martin Jones with a redirection in front.
Jones’ struggles in the blue paint continued as he surrendered five goals on 27 shots.
The Sharks will return to action at SAP Center on Saturday, playing the third game of a four-game homestand against the Vegas Golden Knights.