Sharks takeaways: Avoiding the ‘Q’ word, Karlsson chases 100, and Knyzhov’s contract twist

From the San Jose Sharks’ perspective, there was nowhere to go but up after they were throttled by the Vancouver Canucks earlier this week.

Now as they return to San Jose, that’s also true from an NHL standings standpoint.

The Sharks had a one-goal lead in the second period Saturday but allowed three straight to the Calgary Flames in what became a 5-3 loss at the Saddledome, marking San Jose’s ninth straight defeat as it ended a three-game road trip.

Logan Couture, Nico Sturm, and Martin Kaut all scored and Erik Karlsson had two assists as the Sharks fell to 19-39-15, with their .363 points percentage ranking as the worst in the NHL.

Still, Saturday’s performance was markedly better than the one they gave Thursday when the Sharks barely showed up in what became a 7-2 loss to the Canucks.

“What we talked about (Friday) is you can’t quit,” Sharks coach David Quinn said after Saturday’s game. “That’s probably the biggest insult you can any athlete. We’ve got to continue to play to the style we want to play.”

The Sharks open a two-game homestand against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.

Notes from Saturday’s game:

KARLSSON CHASES CENTURY MARK: Karlsson assisted on Couture’s goal at the 14:25 mark of the first period, setting him up with a nifty pass toward the Flames’ crease, then had the secondary assist on Sturm’s goal at the 4:52 mark of the second that tied the game 2-2.

Karlsson now has 68 assists this season, breaking the Sharks’ single-season record of 67 set by Brent Burns in 2018-19. He’s also 10 points away from 100, a milestone no defenseman has reached since the New York Rangers’ Brian Leetch had 102 in 1991-92.

Now that he’s come this far, Karlsson said Saturday it would be special to reach the century mark in the last nine games.

“It’s going to be a tough ask. It has been for a while,” said Karlsson, who has 12 points in 11 games since the trade deadline. “Guys come to the rink every day and show up for each other and we find enjoyment in the smaller things these days. Hopefully, we can empty the tanks and everybody can end on a better foot than the previous 72 games.”

“I really hope he can get to 100,” Couture said. “It would mean a lot to him, and it would mean a lot to every guy in this room. He’s had an incredible year.”

POWER PLAY STRUGGLES: The Sharks went 0-for-3 on the power play Saturday, including two missed chances in the third period. In 22 games since the all-star break in early February, San Jose is 7-for-57 in power play opportunities, a 12.3 percent success rate that ranks second-to-last in the NHL.

Quinn suggested that had the power play been at least average in that time, Karlsson could’ve reached 100 points by the middle of next week, if not already. Karlsson has 69 even strength points, which ranks second in the NHL, trailing only Edmonton superstar Connor McDavid, who had 70 before the Oilers’ game Saturday night.

“Can you imagine if our power play was going at an average rate, what (Karlsson) would have?” Quinn said. “Our power play has been abysmal for two months and probably, if it could ever get going here in the last nine games, he might get (to 100) by Wednesday.”

NEW KID IN TOWN: One day after his season with Harvard ended, defenseman Henry Thrun signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Sharks and is immediately joining the team. Thrun could potentially be in the Sharks’ lineup as soon as Tuesday.

Thrun’ contract, which expires after the 2023-24 season, carries, per CapFriendly, a $912,500 salary cap hit and an average annual value of $1,031,250.

Thrun had 33 points, including 26 assists, in 33 games this season with Harvard, which advanced to the NCAA Division I Tournament and lost 8-1 to Ohio State on Friday in the first round. In three seasons at Harvard, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Thrun had 84 points in 99 games.

Thrun, 22, was a fourth-round draft choice by Anaheim in 2019, but he informed the Ducks that he would not sign with them. That prompted Anaheim to trade him, and the Sharks acquired him on Feb. 28 for a 2024 third-round draft pick. After four years, NCAA players can become unrestricted free agents if they remain unsigned. Thrun could have become a UFA in August.

Quinn said he and Thrun have known each other “for a long time, and we got a really good player. Looking forward to seeing him when he gets into town.”

In another transaction Saturday, the Sharks assigned Nikolai Knyzhov to the Barracuda. Knyzhov had one assist in nine games with the Sharks since his emergency recall from the AHL on March 5.

Per CapFriendly, and as confirmed by Knyzhov’s agent, Dan Milstein, Knyzhov needs to play six more NHL games this season or he becomes a Group VI free agent this offseason, free to sign with any team. He has 68 games, and he needs to reach 74, CapFriendly told this news organization.

If Knyzhov, 25, plays six games for the Sharks or more, he remains a restricted free agent.

The Sharks have nine games remaining. Also, Knyzhov will also no longer be waivers-exempt if he plays four more NHL games.