Sharks fans thrilled with season, sad it’s over

San Jose fans didn’t leave the Shark Tank angry or upset on Sunday night. The Penguins always played about a second earlier than the Sharks. Jones, a 26-year-old goalie, and the other young Sharks have fans excited about the future. Joonas Donskoi (24), Chris Tierney (21) and Melker Karlsson (25) all got a taste of the Finals and gained invaluable experience in the process. Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton aren’t getting any younger, but with Donskoi and Karlsson and the goalie coming back, they’ve got a good nucleus, said Dan Ryken, 44, of Union City, who goes back to the Cow Palace days with the Sharks. Many Sharks fans were simply happy their team hadn’t flopped a la some previous seasons. “Everyone else is sitting and watching at home while the Sharks were still here,” Butler said. There were hundreds of Penguins fans in attendance, too — one, dressed in a full-length penguin costume, was arm-in-arm with a San Jose fan in a full shark costume — and many of them spent more than 30 minutes in the arena afterward, cheering the Penguins at full volume. “It was unbelievable, a really cool experience,” said Gerry Delon, 45, of Pittsburgh, who was in the crowd with his nephew Jake, 16. Just outstanding, and the Sharks’ fans were wonderful people. “This is such an incredible city to play in — and building,” Sharks defenseman Brent Burns said. Susan Slusser is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.