The San Jose Sharks held a players-only meeting after their disappointing 7-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday, looking to address their recent woes.

San Jose has now lost three consecutive games and four of its last five, dropping to a 7-9-1 record. The latest drubbing was especially disconcerting, as the Sharks found themselves thoroughly outmatched by their California rivals at Crypto.com Arena.

Los Angeles took control almost immediately, with Adrian Kempe scoring just 1:23 into the contest. Kempe struck again later in the opening period, while Quinton Byfield added a power-play goal to give Los Angeles a comfortable 3-0 advantage after 20 minutes.

Captain Macklin Celebrini momentarily gave San Jose some momentum by scoring his sixth goal of the season early in the second period. However, the Kings responded with two more goals in the frame, including Kempe's third of the night, before eventually coming away with the five-goal win.

Following the defeat, reporters asked Celebrini about the message shared during the players-only gathering, but he made it clear that the conversation would remain within the locker room, opting not to disclose what the players had discussed. However, he acknowledged that the group needs to improve, saying, “To a man, we need to be better.”

Forward Kiefer Sherwood also pointed to a lack of connection among teammates on the ice. Meanwhile, head coach Ryan Warsofsky welcomed the players' decision to address their situation themselves, expressing appreciation for the leadership shown by those attempting to bring the group together.

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The Sharks currently occupy sixth place in the Pacific Division, with only Los Angeles and Vancouver Canucks holding worse records in the division. San Jose also ranks 28th in the NHL in scoring, averaging 2.53 goals per game, while their 3.53 goals allowed per contest place them tied for 27th.

The Sharks are attempting to end a seven-year postseason drought after finishing last season with a 39-35-8 record, just four points behind the Kings for the Western Conference's second wild-card position.

Their immediate challenge will be two more road games against the Minnesota Wild on Friday night and Dallas Stars on Saturday.