Predators hand Sharks fourth straight loss to begin season

NASHVILLE --The San Jose Sharks tied the worst start to a season in their history with a 5-2 loss to the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday.

The Sharks also began 1993-94 with four straight losses. Brent Burns had a goal and an assist for San Jose, and Martin Jones made 20 saves.
"It's the goals-against that are killing us," said forward Evander Kane, who was playing his first game after serving a three-game suspension for physical abuse of officials in a preseason game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sept. 29. "You look at the goals we're giving up, we go three or four shifts in a row in their end, got all the momentum, we're dominating the game, and then we want to get cute and give up 2-on-1s, and they're putting them in the back of the net. And then we give up another 2-on-1, (and it's) in the back of the net. They're just blatant giveaways. We've got to figure out how we want to play."
WATCH: [All Sharks vs. Predators highlights]
Roman Josi scored twice, and Pekka Rinne made 33 saves for the Predators (2-1-0).
Josi gave Nashville a 1-0 lead at 6:16 of the first period. Colton Sissons entered the zone on a rush and passed to Josi, who scored blocker side from the top of the right face-off circle.
"[Sissons] made a really nice move," Josi said. "I actually made kind of a bad pass to him in the skates, and he got it and made a nice move to get around the defenseman. I had a lot of space there in the middle because of his move, so he made a good play to me."

Josi extended the lead to 2-0 at 10:25 of the second period on the power play, scoring off a failed clearing attempt by Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic after Filip Forsberg hit the post.
"We played pretty well in all three games offensively," Josi said. "Obviously, there's some things we can clean up defensively, but I thought offensively we've been playing really well. We've been creating a lot of chances, so that's definitely a good sign."
Kane cut it to 2-1 with a power-play goal at 15:12 of the second on a redirection of Logan Couture's shot.

Kyle Turris gave the Predators a 3-1 lead at 2:51 of the third period with a wrist shot on a 2-on-1.
"Huge," Forsberg said. "[The Sharks] were playing better, especially in the second part of the second period. I thought we came out OK in the third, but they still had a couple chances. Obviously, that goal was huge, a big goal at a great time."
Forsberg made it 4-1 at 7:24 of the third on a one-timer from the left circle off a pass from Matt Duchene, who has six assists in three games.

"We had a couple of looks with [Duchene and Mikael Granlund]," Forsberg said. "A couple of chances, all three of us. Obviously, the goal was a great play by [Duchene]. I just tried to get it off quick. Another step in the right direction."
Burns scored for the Sharks to cut it to 4-2 at 15:37, but Dante Fabbro scored into an empty net at 18:19 to make it 5-2.

They said it

"When things are not really going your way, you try sometimes and maybe do a little bit too much. I think that today we had longer periods of time where we were controlling the play and playing the way that we want, but I don't think that we started the way that we wanted. We were on our heels a little bit too much for the most part of the game." -- Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson
"I see what you see. It looks good. They seem to find each other in small areas out there. They seem to think the game the same way. I think [Granlund] is a big part of that line as well, just his work ethic and creativity. So far, they've looked good. I think when you put something together, you'd like to think that it's going to work, but you're not always sure. So far, it seems like it's been a good combination." -- Predators coach Peter Laviolette on line of Forsberg, Duchene, Granlund

Need to know

The Sharks announced free agent forward
Patrick Marleau
will return. He has played 19 of his 21 NHL seasons with San Jose. … San Jose did not get its first win until its 10th game in 1993-94 (started 0-8 with one tie) but rebounded to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in its history. ... Forsberg has scored in three straight games to start the season, tying the Predators record with Steve Sullivan, who did it from Oct. 9-14, 2010.

What's next

Sharks:At the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday (8:30 p.m. ET; ESPN+, NBCSCH, NBCSCA, NHL.TV)
Predators: Host the Washington Capitals on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; FS-TN, NBCSWA, NHL.TV)