The San Jose Sharks seem confident that Yaroslav Askarov can develop into a true No. 1 goalie in the NHL.

His teammates are going to have to be a whole lot better in front of him to help make that happen.

Askarov’s second-period giveaway against the Utah Mammoth on Friday that resulted in a go-ahead goal by Liam O’Brien was no doubt the game-changing play that led to a 6-3 Sharks loss at the Delta Center.

But that was hardly the only reason why the Sharks lost their fourth straight game to start the season. Askarov’s teammates looked totally disconnected in the first period, in which the 23-year-old goaltender made 10 saves to keep the Sharks in it, and weren’t much better in the third when they allowed three even-strength goals and were outshot 11-5.

Askarov finished with 28 saves as the inconsistent Sharks headed into their home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night as the last remaining winless team in the NHL.

“I thought there was good energy on the bench heading into the (third) period,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “In the dressing room, we were saying the right things, but we have to start doing the right things.”

The Sharks trailed 2-0 on two first-period goals by Nick Schmaltz, but tied the game at the 7:13 mark of the second period with a power-play goal from Tyler Toffoli and an even-strength marker from Jeff Skinner.

But just as the Sharks were establishing momentum, Askarov was unable to cleanly handle the puck behind his own net after it rimmed around the boards late in the second period, resulting in an easy and rare goal for noted tough guy O’Brien that gave Utah a 3-2 lead at the 16:09 mark.

Askarov made a big save on Schmaltz late in the second period to keep San Jose within one goal. But the Sharks were never quite able to recapture the momentum they had midway through the game. They made too many mistakes on their own end in the third period, and as has been the case in recent years, they’re not good enough to overcome those mistakes.

“We were back on our heels too early. We’ve got to start with the opposite and put them back on their heels,” Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro said. “Obviously, it’s a road game, but we’ve got to be even tighter in situations like that. I think just playing simple and getting pucks in and getting pucks out are really important.

“They put a lot of pressure on us, especially in the neutral zone. They came through the neutral zone with a lot of speed, so if we’re as tight as we can be next time in these road buildings to be tight and gapped up and not give them that time and space, maybe they’ll help us out a little bit. But for sure, our start wasn’t good enough tonight.”

Askarov, in his first full NHL season, has now stopped 65 of 78 shots in two starts this year for an unsightly .833 save percentage.

But Askarov also, per Natural Stat Trick, has faced 28 high-danger chances in those two games.

On Utah’s second goal, which gave it a 2-0 lead, the Sharks had three skaters below the goal line surrounding the puck to the Mammoth’s two. But Utah captain Clayton Keller, who was away from the play, ended up with the puck after a Sharks turnover, and he found Nick Schmaltz open in front of the net.

Schmaltz had time to gather the puck and spin around to his forehand before he beat Askarov, who had little chance, from close range. ESPN analyst A.J. Mleczko noted on the broadcast that it appeared the Sharks were caught between playing a zone and a man-to-man defense during the 5-on-5 goal.

In the third period, an off-target pass from recent waiver claim Vincent Iorio, who was going back to retrieve the puck, to defense partner Mario Ferraro, resulted in a turnover, and a goal by Mammoth forward Michael Carcone that gave his team a 5-2 lead at the 3:25 mark.

Ferraro understandably cut Iorio, 22, some slack considering it was his 10th career NHL game — and his first since April 2024 – and he only had one morning skate with the team on Friday after he met the Sharks in Salt Lake City.

Still, the Sharks, before Saturday, have allowed a league-worst 5.50 goals per game. That’s on everyone.

“Collectively, we’ve all got to be communicating,” Ferraro said of the play. “I don’t know, I’ve got to go back and watch it. I think I’ve got to be talking to him (Iorio) a little bit better there, and maybe he keeps it going.

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“It was just kind of an unlucky play. He tried to make the right play on the breakout, and if that gets to me, it’s a clean breakout. If I can get on my horse when that puck is turned over and get to the front of the net, maybe they don’t score there. So it’s a collective thing, communication.”

Sharks general manager Mike Grier took a big swing in August 2024 when he acquired Askarov from the Nashville Predators. Considering Askarov has only played 18 NHL games, some growing pains are to be expected.

Now they have to support him, and Grier’s next step is to find a true top-pair defenseman and continue to build out the Sharks’ depth at the position through trades, free agency, and the draft. Easier said than done, but they’re deep in prospect forwards. Can the Sharks use one or more of those players to acquire a defenseman they covet?

If they do, they’ll have a much better chance at getting the most out of Askarov.