Tough Going for Selanne in Debut With Sharks

Teemu Selanne certainly looked different in a different shade of teal Saturday.

Selanne wore the same No. 8 on his jersey as he did in Anaheim, but he seemed out of place in his debut as a San Jose Shark. First, he skated on left wing. Second, he tried to work his magic with Owen Nolan instead of Paul Kariya.

Nothing clicked for Selanne or the Sharks in a 1-0 loss to the Kings at Staples Center. Selanne pleaded for patience at game’s end. After all, he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery March 6, a day after the Ducks traded him to the Sharks.

“It was a tough night for me,” said Selanne, who played 18 minutes 35 seconds in his first game since scoring a goal and recording two assists in the Ducks’ 4-0 victory March 4 against the Kings. “I didn’t know until right before the game if I could play.”

Selanne joined the Sharks’ first power-play unit, recording his lone shot on net during a second-period chance with the man-advantage. But King goalie Felix Potvin swatted away Selanne’s quick flick from near the left goal post.

Selanne said playing the left wing after spending all of his career as a right wing was an adjustment.

“Sometimes [Nolan and I] were both on the same side and I had to say, ‘Oh, I gotta go on the other side,’ ” Selanne said. “I didn’t expect a lot tonight. Maybe I would have taken a few more days off if it were a different situation in the standings.”

The Sharks, after leading the Pacific Division for much of the season, have fallen behind the Dallas Stars.