Sharks’ frustrations continue in loss to Anaheim Ducks

ANAHEIM — Three games into the regular season and the Sharks still have never enjoyed a lead.

And Saturday night at the Honda Center, the Sharks’ game against the Anaheim Ducks was tied for less than five minutes.

After two disheartening losses to the Vegas Golden Knights to start the season, the Sharks were once again their own worst enemy in what became a 3-1 loss to the Ducks.

The Sharks have now scored three goals in three games, and even going back to last month, scored more than one goal just once in their final four preseason games,

After a goal by Logan Couture at the 5:44 mark of the second period tied the game 1-1, Ryan Getzlaf scored just 67 seconds later, taking advantage of change attempt by Marc-Edouard Vlasic, finding open space in the Sharks zone and beating Aaron Dell for his first goal of the year.

With just 1:12 left in the second period and a group of five Sharks players on the ice for over a minute, the Ducks advantage of a turnover and Adam Henrique skated unhindered into the San Jose zone and beat Dell for a 3-1 lead.

Dell finished with 30 saves in his first start of the season. Ducks goalie John Gibson finished with 35 saves, including 14 in the third period.

The loss dropped the Sharks to 0-3, their worst start to a season since 1993-94. Their road trip continues with games in Nashville on Tuesday and Chicago on Thursday.

The Sharks entered Saturday having not led after a period through its first two games, and that streak continued after the first period against the Ducks.

After a Kevin Labanc turnover at the Anaheim blue line, the puck made its way behind the Sharks net. Dell went back to play it and tried to feed Brenden Dillon in the corner with a backhand pass behind the goal line. But the pass was picked off by a forechecking Kase, who found an open Michael Del Zotto in front for a 1-0 Ducks lead just 3:38 into the first period.

Sharks forward Marcus Sorensen was injured midway through the second period. Sorensen, skating hard after getting a shot on Gibson, crashed hard into the end boards with 9:23 left in the second period. He did not return.