Devan Dubnyk didn’t have the homecoming he was looking for in his return to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. on Friday night.
Dubnyk made 25 saves but allowed goals to Joel Eriksson Ek and Zach Parise as the Sharks lost 4-1 to the Minnesota Wild.
Matt Nieto, who signed as a free agent with San Jose in October, scored his first goal of the season at the 6:12 mark of the first period. But goaltenders Cam Talbot and Kaapo Kahkonen combined to make 28 saves as the Wild (4-1-0) took the opener of the two-game series that wraps up Sunday. Kahkonen replaced an injured Talbot after the first period.
The Sharks went 0-for-3 on the power play Friday as they still have not won consecutive games this season. The Sharks were 0-for-7 with the man advantage Wednesday in their 2-1 shootout win over the St. Louis Blues.
Defenseman Erik Karlsson assisted on Nieto’s goal, but the Sharks top six forwards were silenced for the second straight game. Minnesota was credited with 24 blocked shots Friday and got their sticks and bodies into Sharks passing lanes all game long.
Sharks coach Bob Boughner shook up his forward lines for the third period, but Kahkonen made nine saves to preserve the win between the new division rivals.
“I think the difference is our power play at crucial times needs to get us one there,” Boughner said. “Minnesota’s a pretty good penalty kill team, but we didn’t generate a lot of emotion from our power play. Especially when we had chances, we didn’t capitalize on our chances.
“We need more from the big guys. We got another goal from Matt Nieto on that fourth line, and we need our best players be our best players.”
Dubnyk played six seasons for the Wild from 2014 to 2020 when he had a combined record of 177-113-28 in 328 regular season games. After Dubnyk had a down 2019-2020 season, the Sharks (2-3-0) acquired him and a 2022 seventh round draft pick for a 2022 fifth round pick.
Dubnyk’s family, which calls Minnesota home, was in attendance Friday — thanks to some help from Parise — as only a few dozen spectators were allowed into the building. He and Ryan Donato, who played 1 1/2 seasons with the Wild before he was acquired by the Sharks on the same day Dubnyk was picked up, both received video tributes.
“I knew it was going to be weird,” Dubnyk said. “For many reasons. Obviously coming back, but not having fans. I just wanted to go out and try to play and felt good.
“I had to sit myself down after the first and just tell myself to relax. I was a little fired up and overthinking stuff and I just wanted to give the guys a good chance.”
Donato had five shots on goal in his return to St. Paul.