The San Jose Sharks put in a strong effort but came up short against the Anaheim Ducks last night.

The San Jose Sharks put in a strong effort but came up short against the Anaheim Ducks last night.

San Jose fell 2-0 without 2024 No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini. The team played closer to the system that head coach Ryan Warsofsky had been trying to implement but couldn't find the offense. Here are three takeaways from the loss.

1. Don't sleep on Vitek Vanecek

It has now been back-to-back seasons where a Sharks netminder made a strong impression on their debut. Vitek Vanecek made his team debut last night and made 28 saves. While it wasn't the same 50 saves that Mackenzie Blackwood made last season, Venecek shut a lot of the Ducks offense down with no rebounds. 

The team in front of Venecek defended well, but he was good when needed. 

"I felt really good. The team played really good, too," Vanecek said postgame. "We played good offensively and defensively. So they helped me a lot to feel confident."

Vanecek is looking to have a bounceback year, not only in terms of health but also in terms of his play. He had a strong training camp and preseason, which seemed to carry over to his first game. 

2. Give Will Smith time

Will Smith isn't Macklin Celebrini, but still an excellent hockey player. His low-key style can leave you wanting more, but the centerman's chances are coming. Smith had two shots in last night's game and arguably had the best chance to get the Sharks the lead in the third period.

He began to showcase his elite hands and was able to have the puck on his stick more than in his NHL debut.

3. Warsofsky's systems are starting to show, but the winning execution isn't there

"We got to win a hockey game at the end of the day," Warsofsky said. 

The bench boss has often said he wants teams to have difficulty taking two points from the Sharks at SAP Center. While he felt the team accomplished that last night, he's still looking for the team to play that way and win the game. 

"We want to get on teams, forecheck them, and reload above them," Warsofsky said postgame. "I thought we did a good job on our forecheck tonight. We'll go back and look at it. I'm sure there's some things we can work on in all of our areas."

San Jose will go back to the drawing board for their next game, which is against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center on Tuesday. 

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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