The Vancouver Canucks head into the Christmas break as the No. 1 team in the NHL as they beat the San Jose Sharks 7-4 last night.

The Vancouver Canucks head into the Christmas break as the No. 1 team in the NHL as they beat the San Jose Sharks 7-4 last night.

San Jose has lost five straight games and is back at the bottom of the NHL standings. 

Despite the recent struggles, this losing streak is not nearly as bad as the 11-game losing streak to start the season.

Here are three takeaways from last night's loss.

1. Mario Ferraro Finally Makes His Step Forward

Mario Ferraro had a career-high three assists last night. His third assist to Fabian Zetterlund was spectacular. 

Ferraro has been playing with an added emphasis on jumping into the offensive rush. Sharks head coach David Quinn has noticed and feels this is the best he is playing in his career. 

"I love everything about Ferraro's game. On offense, on when to get involved, his mentality. This is the best hockey he's played," Quinn said postgame.

Ferraro liked his game on offense but wanted to clean up some of his defensive zone. 

"I felt good offensively, but I could've done better in the D zone," Ferraro said. "I have to take care of my own end first. There are things I need to be better at." 

There was a bad turnover by the defenseman, which led directly to the Canucks third goal. 

Despite the costly turnover, Ferraro has been playing with an added layer to his solid defensive game. 

2. Lack Of Depth Causing Fatigue

There is no question the Sharks are out of gas. December has been the month with the most travel. They started the month on a six-game road trip and have dealt with injury after injury. 

They miss Nico Sturm, Calen Addison, Ty Emberson, and Logan Couture. All four of those players are NHL-level players. Combine that with young players playing top-six roles, and you get fatigued. 

Zetterlund plays nearly four minutes more than he did with the New Jersey Devils.

"100% [he's fatigued]," Quinn said about Zetterlund. "He's played a lot of hockey."

3. Defensive miscues are back with a vengeance

Puck watching. Cross-ice passes—bad net front box outs. These three issues have been as prominent as ever during this five-game losing streak. 

"Our mistakes are from not managing the puck. They capitalize on our turnovers," Ferraro said postgame. "It was my fault on one of them. Our mistakes are too costly."

Quinn chalked up the loss to a lack of energy when the San Jose Sharks played the Arizona Coyotes. After a few games, the team has returned to their aggressive hockey style. Last night's loss wasn't due to a lack of effort. It was because any turnover they gave the Canucks was turned into a high-quality chance. The Canucks are the No. 1 team in the NHL and have scored the most goals this season. 

"Our net front coverage was missing. Too often, the goals come too easy. We were soft, and puck management wasn't great. But we had a chance. We need to realize how close we are to winning."

Mackenzie Blackwood stood no chance on most goals and said he's not a superhero. Quinn didn't blame any of the goals on Blackwood.

"I'm not a superhero. I don't have superhero reflexes.

San Jose's next game after the holiday break is on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Kings.

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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