SAN JOSE — The Sharks left SAP Center on Saturday with the assumption they would be back inside the arena the following night to play the Colorado Avalanche.
But with efforts by the NHL and individual teams constantly evolving as they try to slow down the spread of coronavirus, it’s tough to say what might be next.
“It’s hard not to turn on the TV or look at your phone and not see some sort of news outlet reporting it,” winger Evander Kane said Saturday after the Sharks’ 2-1 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators. “You try and stay up to date on what’s happening and what you can do to protect yourself as best as possible.”
Inside the downtown arena after Saturday’s game, teams closed their dressing rooms to media. The Sharks began the measure Friday after they held a brief practice at SAP Center, and it could become a league-wide action in the next few days.
Kane was among the players and coaches from both teams who spoke from behind podiums. Normally, players speak inside their respective locker rooms after each game, surrounded by a scrum of reporters.
The new protocol is not expected to be permanent, but may last for the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs.
“I think so far,” Kane said, “we’re doing a good job of taking the right precautions.”
The Sharks announced that 16,018 tickets had been distributed for Saturday’s game at SAP Center. That was up from the season-low 14,517 tickets that had been distributed for Thursday’s home game with the Minnesota Wild. Sunday’s crowd, too, is expected to be larger than it was Thursday.
Thursday, Santa Clara County public health officials recommended staying away from large gatherings such as sporting events. Later that day, the Sharks announced their game with Wild would go on as scheduled. Friday, the Sharks announced that this weekend’s game would also take place.
Saturday, Santa Clara County health officials announced that eight more residents have tested positive for the illness, bringing the total to 32.
The NBA has reportedly told its teams to prepare for the possibility of playing games in empty arenas.
Saturday, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman would not comment on if the league has entertained that same idea.
“I don’t want to create any speculation or hysteria,” Bettman told reporters Saturday. “There are obviously a variety of consequences that we may have to focus on and we’ll do that in the appropriate time, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, OK?
“We’re staying on top of it. We’re in constant communication with our clubs and the players association and we’re going to deal with this in as thorough, professional, on-top-of-it manner as possible. Let’s everybody take a deep breath.”
It was mentioned by Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday, though, that the NHL has asked teams for available building dates later in April should games have to be postponed. The idea of playing in empty arenas has been discussed as a worst-case scenario.
After Sunday, the Sharks begin a four-game, week-long road trip, with the first stop Wednesday in Chicago against the Blackhawks at United Center.
“If that’s what they do, that’s what they do,” Sharks goalie Aaron Dell said when asked about the possibility of playing games in empty arenas. “I don’t think it would make a huge difference to me. It would be kind of weird. It would be really, really quiet. But if that’s what they have to do, that’s what they have to do.”
In Saturday’s game, former Sharks forward Chris Tierney scored 35 seconds into overtime to give the Senators the win. Tierney took a pass from Anthony Duclair on a Senators 2-on-1 and beat Dell with a shot just below the cross bar.
“I think we did a pretty good job of limiting their second and third opportunities for the most part,” said Dell, who finished with 36 saves.
Kane scored with 11 seconds left in the first period for the Sharks, who converted on their third power play try of the game after they misfired on their first two.
Kane was stationed in front of the Senators net when Brent Burns fired a shot on goal. The rebound bounced up in the air before Kane batted it in past goalie Craig Anderson for his 25th goal of the season and his 13th with the man advantage.
The Sharks put 32 shots on Anderson, including two in overtime as they fell to 3-1-1 on their six-game homestand.
“We had some chances around the net, especially in the second period and late in the third, but we didn’t finish,” Kane said. “We’ve got to be hungrier to score. That’s really the bottom line.”
▪ Defenseman Mario Ferraro missed Saturday’s game with a lower body injury and will likely be out Sunday as well, Sharks interim coach Bob Boughner said. Nikolai Knyzhov, recalled earlier Saturday from the Barracuda, made his NHL debut against the Senators and finished with 11 minutes and 48 seconds of ice time.
Boughner was optimistic that Ferraro would be able to join the Sharks for the start of their road trip next week.“It’s just been lingering and it’s to the point now where we’ve got to get him some rest,” Boughner said of Ferraro’s injury.
