NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The party will need to wait for at least two more days.
The Sharks missed on an opportunity to clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs Thursday, coming out on the wrong side of a 5-3 game with the Nashville Predators.
A win in Nashville would have secured the Sharks 13th trip to the playoffs in 14 years by guaranteeing that they would finish the season no lower than third place in the Pacific Division. The Sharks will get another opportunity to punch their ticket into the second season when they complete their four-game road trip in Las Vegas Saturday night.