The San Jose Sharks lost to the Boston Bruins 3-1 last night.

The San Jose Sharks put in a better effort last night despite the 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins. 

Here are three things to take away from the performance:

1. Couture is missed, badly

The Sharks have been without their captain, Logan Couture, for the entire season. Besides being the team's leader, he plays a prominent role on the ice. 

Head Coach David Quinn has been toying with who he uses as a penalty killer. Whether it is Filip Zadina, Anthony Duclair, or William Eklund, Quinn doesn't have a reliable go-to PK piece other than Nico Sturm. Couture would be that next go-to piece. 

San Jose's powerplay has looked dreadful. Quinn has tried five forwards on the first unit; Couture will help tremendously if that continues. He would most likely take over for Mike Hoffman at the point. 

2. Vets need to step up

What do Tomas Hertl, Luke Kunin, Alexander Barabanov, and Mike Hoffman have in common? None of them have scored a goal this season. 

The Sharks have only scored one goal in three of the four games. Hertl has been okay, but the team needs him to be an offensive leader. Hoffman was brought in to help with depth scoring, but it hasn't worked so far. 

Quinn has talked about how Barabanov will take a step forward this year and shoot the puck more. Barabanov has two shots this season, and both came last night against the Bruins. 

3. Cut the Sharks some slack

Although there have been significant issues through the first four games, the San Jose Sharks became the first team in NHL history to face the previous season's four division winners to start a season. 

They faced the last two cup champions, Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche—one of this season's Stanley Cup favorites, Carolina Hurricanes, and the team that had the greatest regular season in NHL history last season, the Boston Bruins. 

San Jose is a rebuilding team, and young players like William Eklund and Thomas Bordeleau are experiencing early-season hockey for the first time in their careers. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's San Jose Sharks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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