Sharks' Bob Boughner looks at shaking up defense after blowout loss to Penguins

Bob Boughner and the Sharks on Monday sifted through the wreckage of their dreadful start the day before against the Pittsburgh Penguins, going through an uneasy video session before holding a no-nonsense practice at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

"I had a heart-to-heart with the guys," Boughner said. "It wasn't a fun meeting. It wasn't a fun practice. But it was much needed."

The Sharks (17-15-1) continue their four-game road trip Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings, looking to put the stench of their 8-5 loss to the Penguins on Sunday as far in the rearview mirror as possible. San Jose was outscored 6-1 in the first period as they couldn't manage the puck, gave up a host of odd-man rushes, and offered little support to starting goalie James Reimer.

"I saw a lot of black and gold in that first 10 minutes," Sharks defenseman Jake Middleton said. "They came out really firing."

Reimer will likely be back in the Sharks' net Tuesday, but Boughner wasn't making the same promises about a handful of other players. Notably, Boughner said there could be some lineup changes on defense and although he didn't mention anyone by name, it's fair to speculate where the adjustments might occur.

The pairing of Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Nicolas Meloche had an especially tough game against the Penguins.

Vlasic was on the ice for four goals against in the first period and for the game, he and Meloche, per Natural Stat Trick, allowed six high danger chances in just over 12 minutes of ice time at even strength. With Mario Ferraro in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol, Radim Simek was up with Brent Burns — another pair that had a game to forget at even strength from an analytics standpoint.

The Sharks were down 4-1 after Alexander Barabanov scored at the 15:33 mark of the first period. But the Penguins got goals from Kasper Bjorkqvist and Bryan Rust in the final 3:31 of the first to take a five-goal lead. The Sharks scored the next four goals but couldn't complete the comeback.

Jaycob Megna and Ryan Merkley, two defensemen on the Sharks' taxi squad, represent possible options to enter the lineup, although Boughner noted he still has to wait and see if any other players land in COVID-19 protocol.

"Anytime you lose like we did, get the play taken to you and certain guys continue just to have very below-average games for 60 minutes — and some other guys responded and improved — we're looking at everything right now," Boughner said when asked about the defense. "I wouldn't be surprised to see some new faces tomorrow."

Tuesday's game will be the third without Ferraro, who remains in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol. Boughner, though, said Ferraro does not have symptoms and could potentially fly to Buffalo on Wednesday and play against the Sabres on Thursday.

It's difficult for the Sharks to replicate all that Ferraro brings. The third-year defenseman and alternate captain leads the NHL in blocked shots, plays hard minutes against the opposing team's top lines, leads the Sharks in minutes on the penalty kill, and is a vocal presence in the room.

Boughner said he noted Monday morning to his assistant coaches how quiet it was in the dressing room on Sunday.

"Mario's that guy that brings that noise and brings that energy and drags guys in with him," Boughner said. "He wasn't around last night and that's no excuse, obviously. But you miss a guy that gets other guys around him going. He's an infectious guy, so, definitely miss Mario and his energy."

Middleton said he's texted Ferraro every day since he landed in the protocol on Dec 30.

"I do think we miss him big time, but it's an opportunity for other guys to step up," Middleton said. "You can't replace a guy like him with his attitude and fun-loving way of going about things, but it's another opportunity for a lot of guys."

The Red Wings (15-15-3) have lost two straight since the Christmas break, getting outscored 8-2 in the process, but are 11-5-2 at home this season. Detroit has missed the playoffs in five straight years but still has postseason hopes for this season, as it enters Tuesday in fifth place in the Atlantic Division.

After the Sharks' game with the Sabres on Thursday, they finish the trip Saturday in Philadelphia.

"This road trip is a hard road trip. There are no easy games, it doesn't matter who you're playing," Boughner said "It's going to force us into playing in the right way."