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San Jose Sharks players sit on the bench during the third period against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Here's some perspective on Sharks' horrific start

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated 11/6/23

You don't have to be an avid hockey fan to know that the San Jose Sharks are having a historically hellacious start to their 2023-24 campaign. So how do they compare to teams from yesteryear?

As hard to believe as it may be, this year's rendition of Team Teal isn't the first to start off a season on a long winless streak or to give up 10 goals in back-to-back tilts. If you're a Sharks fan wondering if this team could turn things around, here is a look at how past teams have faired.

Malkin pots his second of the game. 9-2 PIT. pic.twitter.com/x6O3nsJN0l
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 5, 2023

San Jose's 0-10-1 record to open up the season may be bad, but it still isn't the worst ever recorded (not yet, at least.) That dubious honor is still held by the 1943-44 New York Rangers, who started off that season with 11 straight regulation losses according to Team Teal stats aficionado SharksStats via the X platform.

#SJSharks -42 goal differential is the worst in NHL history through a team's first 11 games of a season. San Jose's 0-10-1 start is tied 2nd-worst (Coyotes in 2017-18 & 2021-22). The 1943-44 Rangers are the only team to start 0-11-0. #NHLStats #HockeyTwitter
— Darin Stephens (@SharksStats) November 5, 2023

Did that Rangers team bounce back? Not even a little bit. The NHL season was shorter then and New York didn't turn things around in that smaller window of time, ending the season 6-39-5.

Then, there is the last team to give up eight-plus goals in consecutive games. That, SharksStats tells us, was the Los Angeles Kings in the early 1970s.

2023-24 #SJSharks are the first team since the 1971-72 Kings to lose consecutive games by at least 8 goals each. LA lost 10-2 at Montreal on Jan. 8, 1972, and 8-0 at Rangers the next day. Overall, it's the 4th time in NHL history a team has lost consecutive games by 8+. #NHLStats
— Darin Stephens (@SharksStats) November 5, 2023

What happened to that Kings team after giving up 18 goals in two tilts? They ended their season 20–49–9 and gave up 305 goals while only scoring 206.

As for the last team to give up 20 goals over consecutive games, well, that honor remains with the Sharks from their second season in the league back in the early 1990s.

2023-24 #SJSharks are the first team since the 1992-93 Sharks to allow 20 goals over a 2-game span. The 1992-93 squad lost 7-3 vs North Stars on Feb. 3, 1993, and 13-1 at Calgary in their next game a week later. #NHLStats #HockeyTwitter
— Darin Stephens (@SharksStats) November 5, 2023

As you might have guessed, things didn't go well that year, either. That Sharks team, captained by Doug Wilson (who later became Sharks general manager), ended the season 11-71-2 with an 8-33-1 home record. They gave up 414 goals while scoring just 218.

Before tonight, the 1992-93 Sharks were the most recent team to have a goal differential of -17 or lower over a two game span.#NHL | #SJSharks https://t.co/ZGqMKIwaQq pic.twitter.com/FfT29EsXtY
— Stathead (@Stathead) November 5, 2023

Suffice it to say, history doesn't give the Sharks a very good chance of turning things around. But could this be the team that breaks the mold and ends the year on a high note?

We'll just have to keep watching to find out, starting with San Jose's home game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night.

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