Sharks: Duclair’s Final Game Summarized Season as a Whole

Well, one goal for the Dallas Stars led to two, which eventually became three and the game went to overtime, where the Sharks lost and walked away with one of their most disappointing losses of the season. More than that, Duclair’s last game as a Shark ended up summarizing the season all in one night.

Duclair’s Only Season in Teal

The Sharks acquired Duclair during the summer, trading for the Stanley Cup playoff standout from last season and sending Steven Lorentz and a fifth-round pick back to the Florida Panthers. He struggled at first, likely still a little beat up from the extended playoff run last season, recording only one point in his first ten games. He scored a goal against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 19, but besides that, he wasn’t able to get on the scoresheet, a problem that has plagued the Sharks as a whole this season. The team started the season with a massively disappointing 11-game losing streak before finally beating the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 7. By the time he left the organization, he led the team in goals following his strong performance on Tuesday. His 17 goals just beat out Fabian Zetterlund and the injured Tomas Hertl who were tied for second with 15.

Despite many players having moments where they showed little effort, the same couldn’t be said about Duclair. He was often the person keeping them in games late during his run with the Sharks. In his last 10 games in teal, he had seven goals and three assists. 

Duclair’s hot streak at the end of his time with the Sharks is likely the part of his stint that will be remembered most, but the entire stint was plagued by disappointment by the team as well. The back-to-back games where they gave up ten goals will not be forgotten any time soon, to make things even more interesting, during the second game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Duclair recorded a point on both of the Sharks’ goals in the 10-2 loss. More often than not though, the Sharks would walk away with a loss whenever his name ended up on the scoresheet.

When Duclair was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Sharks had 15 wins on the season. He only had a point in four of those games and put his name on the scoresheet in 12 of their 46 losses. That makes it clear that most of the losses weren’t his fault, even though the Sharks often struggled to get goal support for their goaltenders who often kept them in games that they shouldn’t have even had a chance in. Duclair was one of the few players regularly providing that goal support, but having key players like Logan Couture and Hertl out of the lineup for extended periods of time ultimately held the team back. 

It’s hard to imagine a worse ending for Duclair’s time with the Sharks than the game against the Stars, a bad bounce beat Kaapo Kahkonen with 7:02 remaining in regulation to give Dallas life and make it a 6-4 game. Then Wyatt Johnston scored two goals just over two minutes apart to tie the game at six, and the Sharks ended up losing in overtime thanks to a Roope Hintz goal, his 25th of the season. The atmosphere in the locker room was bleak, to say the least, and Duclair was clearly dejected during his post-game availability. Unfortunately, that will be his last memory as a Shark, but there are some positives to take out of the season as well.  

A Pleasant Memory For Forgettable Season

The Sharks’ season has been difficult for everyone involved, whether it be the players, coaching staff, and of course the fans. There are a few positives that have come out of the difficult season, including the great play of Mackenzie Blackwood, the emergence of Zetterlund and William Eklund, and of course Duclair’s performance at the end of his time in San Jose. In the grand scheme of his career, his time wearing teal with be just a footnote considering the amount of teams he’s played for so far. In San Jose though, he made an impact.

Fans supported Duclair immediately and he inspired a lot of fans when there was little to be positive about. Early in the season, it seemed logical that the Bay Area could’ve even become a long-time home for the journeyman forward. Ultimately, it wasn’t meant to be and his stint with the Sharks ended in the most disappointing way possible. Unfortunately, that’s not very surprising given the way this entire season has gone for the organization. Now, Duclair has an opportunity to chase a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Sharks fans will have someone to root for in the postseason.