Sharks Avoid Historic Losing Streak to Start NHL Season with Win vs. Flyers

The San Jose Sharks avoided becoming the first team in NHL history to lose their first 12 games of a season Tuesday by beating the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1.

According to Reuters, the Sharks entered play Tuesday tied with the 1943-44 New York Rangers and both the 2017-18 and 2021-22 Arizona Coyotes for the most consecutive losses to start an NHL season with 11.

San Jose improved to 1-10-1 on the season with Tuesday's win and handed the Flyers their fifth loss in the past six games.

The Sharks took a 1-0 lead less than two minutes into the game on Anthony Duclair's third goal of the season and extended the lead to 2-0 in the second period on a William Eklund power-play goal.

Joel Farabee scored for Philly with just over one minute remaining in the second to make it 2-1, but San Jose managed to hang on in the third to secure the victory.

The Flyers out-shot the Sharks 39-19, but Sharks goalie Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 38 of the 39 shots he faced and was named the first star of the game.

Per Ben Ross of the Associated Press, Sharks head coach David Quinn praised his team's performance, saying: "I give these guys so much credit. They've been such a great group to coach. They've never stopped working. ... At some point you say, enough is enough. I give a ton of credit to our leaders and our older players. I thought they really stepped up tonight."

Meanwhile, Blackwood said the team felt a sense of "relief" to finally get in the win column.

Entering Tuesday, the Sharks were coming off back-to-back losses in which they yielded 10 goals, losing 10-1 to the Vancouver Canucks and 10-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Despite the win, Tuesday marked the ninth consecutive game in which the Sharks scored two or fewer goals.

On Thursday, the Sharks will have a chance to go for their first multi-game winning streak of the season when they host the Edmonton Oilers.

Despite being led by superstar forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers have shockingly struggled almost as much as the Sharks out of the gates, posting a record of just 2-8-1.