Sharks 2021-22 Game 8 Recap: Sharks 2, Jets 1 (OT) (10/30/21)

 The Sharks are back in the win column in incredible fashion as they take down the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 in overtime for their second win over the Jets this season. 

What makes this win so incredible is the unexpected news that came a few hours before puck drop. A total of eight players and head coach Bob Boughner couldn’t play in today’s game. Boughner and seven of those eight players tested positive for COVID and were placed in the NHL’s COVID protocol despite all being vaccinated. The other player who couldn’t play in today’s game was Logan Couture, who was out with a non-COVID illness. The players that were placed in COVID protocol were confirmed as Erik Karlsson, Andrew Cogliano, Jonathan Dahlen, Marc-Eduoard Vlasic, Jake Middleton, Matt Nieto, and Radim Simek. As a result, five players were called up from the Barracuda before the start of this game: John Leonard, Ryan Merkley, Nick Merkley, Jaycob Megna, and Nicolas Meloche. John MacLean became the acting head coach, and Ryan Merkley and Santeri Hatakka made their NHL debuts. 

The Sharks had plenty of scoring opportunities in the first period, but couldn't quite get one past Connor Hellebuyck. Within the first minute of the second period, the Sharks score first via Tomas Hertl from Timo Meier and Alexander Barabanov on a remarkable play. 

Despite being depleted, San Jose stood its ground the entire game, although it needed overtime because Kyle Connor tied it up late in the third. Early in OT, an interference penalty committed by Nikolaj Ehlers set up the Sharks on the power play, in which Timo Meier scores the game-winner to earn two out of a possible two points in this game, with helpers from Kevin Labanc and Brent Burns. 

James Reimer had another excellent start in net for Team Teal, stopping 34 of 35 shots against. In addition, Rudolfs Balcers skated in his 100th NHL game against the Jets today. 

After the news they received hours before the start of this game, the Sharks had all odds stacked against them, but they remained resilient and held on for a huge and incredible win. I loved what I saw from this depleted Sharks squad. If the roster remain this way heading into their next game on Tuesday against the Sabres, hopefully they can keep up their current performance level and momentum. At the same time, I hope that at least some of the Sharks players and personnel that went on COVID protocol can return to the roster and regular team activities before Tuesday's game. Speaking of Tuesday's game, puck drop is at 7:30 pm PT and will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Sharks 2021-22 Game 7 Recap: Canadiens 4, Sharks 0 (10/28/21)

 The Sharks were unable to solve Jake Allen as they were blanked by the Montreal Canadiens 4-0. This marks the Habs’ first win in San Jose since 1999. 

Simply put, the Sharks couldn’t get anything going against Jake Allen, who was lights out and stood on his head the entire night, recording a 45-save shutout. San Jose has now lost its third-straight game after winning its first four to start the season. In addition, the Sharks have gone 0-for-11 on the power play in their last three games. This team has fallen flat lately; it won’t get any easier from here on out, but they still have time to turn things around. 

It was all Canadiens on offense as well, starting with goals from Mike Hoffman in the first, followed by two in the second by Alexander Romanov and Brendan Gallagher, and lastly an empty-netter from Josh Anderson to close this one out. The final seconds of the game saw Jonah Gadjovich fight Alexander Romanov, with both players really going at it in their tilt.

Adin Hill wasn't his best in net against the Canadiens at home, making 28 saves and allowing three goals. On the flip side, this game marked Bob Boughner's 100th game as the Sharks' head coach.  

The Sharks' shutout loss to the Canadiens was probably the most frustrating loss of the season so far, especially considering that the Sharks tend to perform very well against Montreal and the Habs are struggling so far this season. Luckily, the Sharks have four more games left on their current homestand to make up for it. Their next game is Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets at 4 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Sharks 2021-22 Game 6 Recap: Predators 3, Sharks 1 (10/26/21)

 The Sharks fall to the Nashville Predators 3-1, dropping their second-straight game and finishing their first road trip of the season with a 3-2 record. 

Unlike their first four games, the Sharks' power play and offense were sloppy and lackluster against the Predators. San Jose gave up the first goal early in the first period to Matt Duchene, while they fell into a 2-0 hole in the second period by giving up one to Filip Forsberg. Roman Josi assisted on both of the Predators' goals in the first two periods. 

In the third, Timo Meier scored the Sharks' lone goal of the game to extend his point streak to six games and avoid the Sharks from getting shut out. Logan Couture also extended his point streak to six games with an assist on the Timo Time goal, while the other assist on that goal went to Jonathan Dahlen. The Predators capped things off with about a minute remaining in the game with an empty-netter from Mikael Granlund. 

James Reimer had a solid performance in net, stopping 23 of 25 shots against, but the Sharks' offense didn't help his case. Juuse Saros had a better performance in net for Nashville, making 28 saves; I mention the latter only because it was a significant boost to my fantasy team. 

Hopefully the Sharks can recoup their offense and special teams and get back into the win column when they return home to SAP Center to face the Montreal Canadiens in the beginning of a five-game homestand on Thursday. This will be San Jose's season finale against the Habs, which starts at 7:30 pm PT. 

Sources: Sharks Audio Network, NHL App

Sharks 2021-22 Game 5 Recap: Bruins 4, Sharks 3 (10/24/21)

 The Sharks' late comeback effort falls short as they lose to the Bruins 4-3 and have their four-game win streak snapped. 

Early on in this game, San Jose dug themselves a 3-0 hole due to three unanswered goals from the Bruins' Brad Marchand, Derek Forbort, and David Pastrnak. San Jose finally got one back before the end of the first period via Jasper Weatherby's second goal of the season. On the Sharks' fist goal of the game, Jonah Gadjovich recorded his first NHL point with an assist while Andrew Cogliano recorded the secondary assist. The second period saw Jake DeBrusk extend the Bruins' lead to 4-1, while the Sharks' comeback efforts began in the later half of the third. Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier each scored roughly two minutes apart, which both came via deflection. The first third period goal was deflected off of a shot from Marc-Eduoard Vlasic while the second third period goal was deflected off a shot from Logan Couture. Alex Barabanov and Jonathan Dahlen also picked up assists on those last two goals as well. 

The last significant event that occurred in this game was Jake Middleton and Trent Frederic dropping the gloves and going at it. Despite the Sharks' first loss of the year, this team has more fight in them than the in the past two seasons, and I love that. 

Adin Hill made ten saves on 14 shots against before getting pulled in the second period in favor of James Reimer. After Reimer was inserted into the game, he was perfect for about one-and-a-half periods, going 20 for 20 on save opportunities. 

The Sharks conclude their first road trip of the season in Nashville on Tuesday against the Predators, with James Reimer getting the start in the crease. Puck drop is at 5:30 pm PT, and this game will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+. 

In other news, later that night, the Sharks traded Dylan Gambrell to the Ottawa Senators for a 2022 7th-round pick. With a handful of the Sharks' rookies off to hot starts this season, Gambrell basically became expendable and there was no room for him on the roster. He should get more opportunities and playing time in Ottawa, and I wish him nothing but the best. As for my fantasy team, I won big time against Laffing Stock 219.85 to 158.55 for my first win of the season.

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App, Yahoo Sports Fantasy 

Sharks 2021-22 Game 4 Recap: Sharks 5, Maple Leafs 3 (10/22/21)

 The San Jose Sharks are now a perfect 4-0-0 to start the 2021-22 season, taking down the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 Friday afternoon. This marks the first time since December 2016 that the Sharks swept the three Eastern Canadian teams in a road trip. 

The first period was pretty uneventful as it remained scoreless through one, but the barrage of scoring from both teams began in the second frame, starting with Logan Couture's first goal of the game. Marc-Eduoard Vlasic went behind the net to feed Couture for the first goal of the game. The Leafs answered with one from Jason Spezza to tie it at one. Moments later, the Sharks regain the lead on an amazing wrister from Timo Meier. It wouldn't be long before the Maple Leafs would tie it again on a breakaway attempt from Ondrej Kase. About a few minutes later, Erik Karlsson fires an incredible shot to make it 3-2 in favor of the Sharks and extend his point streak. 

San Jose opens the scoring to start the third period with Jonathan Dahlen's third goal of the year to give the Sharks a two-goal lead, getting assists from Logan Couture and Timo Meier. Later on in the third, Toronto gets one back via John Tavares to make it 4-3 Sharks. Lastly, with seconds remaining in the game, Logan Couture finds the empty net for his second goal of the game. In addition, Jake Middleton and Andrew Cogliano each recorded an assist in San Jose's 5-3 win over the Leafs. 

Adin Hill had another solid start in net, making some huge stops for a total of 30 saves on 33 shots against. 

Another thing I saw online was that Leafs fans were so frustrated with this game that one fan went as far as to throw their jersey onto the ice. This is an absolute disgrace, and no reasonable fan would give up a valuable possession like that. 

Although this game took place at a less-than-ideal time for me and many others (I had to be at work when this game was in action by the way), it is still great that the Sharks continue to be one of the hottest teams in the NHL to start the 2021-22 season. Very few pegged the Sharks to make the playoffs this season, and I love that this team is in full force to prove the doubters wrong and show that they are capable of amazing things. 

Team Teal will look to extend their hot streak when they travel to Boston to face the Bruins in their next game on Sunday. Puck drop is at 10 am PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App, Bay Area News Group

Sharks 2021-22 Game 3 Recap: Sharks 2, Senators 1 (10/21/21)

 The Sharks continue their hot start to the 2021-22 season with their third-straight win, a 2-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators. 

San Jose gave up the first goal at around the midway point of the first period to Drake Batherson to start this game, but it gets better. Kevin Labanc appears to go top corner and tie the game shortly after the first goal by the Sens, but it was overturned due to Brent Burns and Nick Bonino going offside before the puck crossed the blue line for them to set up the play. 

All the Sharks needed were two second period goals to wrap this one up, which were from Logan Couture and Kevin Labanc respectively. Labanc redeemed himself from his first goal that was overturned with an incredible slapshot on the power play that proved to be the game-winner. Brent Burns, Timo Meier, Erik Karlsson, and William Eklund each recorded an assist in San Jose's victory over Ottawa. This is William Eklund's third-consecutive game with a helper, and EK65 already has five points in the Sharks' first three games. In addition, Team Teal is now 5 for 12 on the man advantage, which is already a huge step above the past two seasons. Some Sharks players are now referring to Kevin Labanc as Kevin Ovechkin due to a massive improvement in his game. 

James Reimer was fantastic in his first start of the season and his second tenure with the Sharks, making 30 saves and posting a .968 save percentage. 

A significant milestone was reached in this game as well, as Brent Burns skated in his 600th consecutive NHL game and recorded points in his previous 14 games against the Senators.

This Sharks team has been a pleasant surprise to many and a ton of fun to watch so far. They'll definitely be a legit playoff contender if they can keep up their current level of play. San Jose is back at it again later today in Toronto against the Maple Leafs in the second leg of their first back-to-back of the season. Adin Hill will be back in net as the Sharks attempt to remain undefeated to start their 2021-22 campaign in Toronto on Friday, with puck drop at 3 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Sharks 2021-22 Game 2 Recap: Sharks 5, Canadiens 0 (10/19/21)

 The Sharks begin their first road trip of the new season with their second consecutive win, shutting out the Montreal Canadiens 5-0. This is the first season since 2016-17 that the Sharks began the season 2-0-0 and the Sharks’ tenth-straight win over the Canadiens. 

San Jose took control of this game early on with Jonathan Dahlen’s first two NHL goals. This is the quickest any player has scored his first two NHL goals in Sharks franchise history. Both of Dahlen’s goals came in the first few minutes of the game; the first one was originally credited to Timo Meier, but Timo only made the initial deflection to set up Dahlen. Meier was also credited with the secondary assist on the second Dahlen goal, in which Logan Couture shot the puck and it deflected off Jake Allen, then Dahlen scored off the rebound. Towards the end of the first period, Erik Karlsson potted one in from the point to make it 3-0 at the first intermission. 

Early in the middle frame saw Timo Meier score his first goal of the season on the man advantage, getting assists from Logan Couture and Erik Karlsson. The Sharks got some added insurance in the later half of the final period on another power play opportunity from Kevin Labanc. In addition, Erik Karlsson recorded a total of three points (one goal, two assists), and Brent Burns, Matt Nieto, Mario Ferraro, and William Eklund each recorded an assist against the Canadiens on Tuesday. 

Adin Hill stopped all 21 shots he faced for his fourth career shutout and first shutout as a Shark. Hill has been amazing in Teal in the two games the Sharks have played this season so far. The power play has improved significantly under John MacLean compared to the past two seasons under Rocky Thompson. Montreal simply couldn't get anything going against Team Teal and have now fallen to a league-worst 0-4-0, especially considering they are without Carey Price, Shea Weber, Philip Danault, among others this season. 

In all, the younger players and veteran core have stepped up in a huge way thus far, and I'm confident that they can keep up their current level of success and competitiveness for much of this season. The Sharks' next stop on their current road trip is Ottawa, where they will face the Senators on Thursday at 4 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Sharks/Fantasy News & Notes (10/19/21)

 The Sharks' first game of the 2021-22 season is already in the books and their second game is today in Montreal. A few important and significant headlines have been released that are worth discussing, let's get into them: 

• Signs are pointing to Sharks defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov needing lower body surgery, which will require eight to ten weeks of recovery time. Knyzhov was arguably San Jose’s best defenseman last season and this obviously sucks, but I firmly believe that he will come back better and stronger when he is ready to join the Sharks’ roster.

•  The NHL has suspended Evander Kane for 21 games without pay due to a violation of the the league's COVID-19 protocol. In addition, the NHL has determined that its investigation into allegations of domestic abuse made by Kane’s estranged wife Anna “could not be substantiated.” Kane isn’t eligible to return to the Sharks until November 30 at the soonest. If Evander Kane does in fact return to the Sharks at the end of November, most of the fans won’t welcome him back, including myself. He is already an afterthought in the Sharks’ locker room and could ruin the team chemistry if San Jose continues to perform well without him. Reinstating Evander Kane is too big of a gamble to make, and therefore it would be best for the Sharks to terminate Evander Kane’s contract. 

• I have completed my first week of the new fantasy hockey season as Optimus Reim Hill, losing to the Atlanta Thrashers 191.95 to 160.25. My top performers were Chris Kreider, Victor Hedman, and Elvis Merzlikins with 24.25, 23, and 22 fantasy points respectively. In addition, I added Jonathan Drouin and Robby Fabbri to my roster while dropping Dylan Strome due to Strome constantly being a healthy scratch. As for this week, I am off to a great start with a 26.25-point lead over Laffing Stock. I also got franchise centerpiece Nathan MacKinnon back from COVID protocol, which should help my squad immensely. 

Stay tuned to CPF Hockey for more news and updates. Expect a recap of today’s Sharks-Canadiens game later tonight. 

Sources: NHL App, Yahoo Fantasy 

Sharks 2021-22 Game 1 Recap: Sharks 4, Jets 3 (10/16/21)

 The Sharks came from behind to defeat the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 in their season opener Saturday night. San Jose was also the last team in the NHL to play their first game of the season. In addition, it was the first Sharks regular season game with a full capacity crowd in over a year.

The first goal of the game came in the first period by the Jets' Pierre-Luc Dubois to grab an early 1-0 lead for Winnipeg. Early in the second, Andrew Copp scored to add on to the Jets' lead while shorthanded. Shortly after, Andrew Cogliano goes top shelf to score the Sharks' first goal of the 2021-22 campaign to get San Jose on the board and cut the Jets' lead in half. Logan Couture and Brent Burns were credited with the assists on Team Teal's first goal of the game and the season. Like the previous goal by the Jets, the Sharks' first one was scored while shorthanded. In the later half of the second period, Jasper Weatherby tallies his first NHL goal in his first NHL game off the primary feed from Erik Karlsson on the power play. Kevin Labanc was also involved on Weatherby's first NHL goal, recording the secondary assist on that play. Weatherby becomes the first Sharks player in five years to score in his NHL debut.

Early in the third period, Tomas Hertl finds a hole on Connor Hellebuyck off the rebound to score on the power play for his first goal of the season to give the Sharks their first lead of the night, 3-2. In addition, William Eklund gets his first NHL point with an assist on the go-ahead goal, and Jasper Weatherby gets his first NHL assist as well. Rudolfs Balcers notches what would end up being the game-winner a few minutes later as he was shoved into Connor Hellebuyck by Neal Pionk to extend the Sharks' lead. As the game-winner was being scored, the Jets took exception to Balcers colliding into Hellebuyck and all hell breaks loose. After things simmered down, Tomas Hertl hyped up the SAP Center crowd as he was heading to the penalty box for roughing against Neal Pionk. 

The Jets added one more goal later in the third by Jansen Harkins, but it wasn't enough as the Sharks held on to win their first game of the new season. 

Adin Hill was given the start in net for the Sharks and performed decently in his Sharks debut, making 20 saves on 23 shots against. 

Before the game, Mario Ferraro was named an alternate captain for the Sharks, joining Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, and Tomas Hertl. 

To be fair, I was at work when this game was taking place, so I was unable to watch most of it live. However, I was able to stream the conclusion of the first period while on my meal break and watch highlight reels after getting home from work. Despite these circumstances not being ideal, that was one amazing season opener for the Sharks and one that this team can build off of for their next stretch of games coming up. The Sharks are already better this season than in the past two seasons, and they don't need Evander Kane in order to perform well. I understand that this is only the first game and the rest of the season is totally unpredictable, but I have renewed optimism in the retooled Sharks and feel great about their chances of making the playoffs in a relatively weak Pacific Division. 

Up Next: The Sharks will embark on a lengthy early-season road trip starting in Montreal on Tuesday against the Canadiens. Puck drop for Tuesday's game is at 4 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App & YouTube channel, Kevin Kurz via Twitter

Sharks' Opening Night Roster Announced

I'm a tad late with this, but the Sharks have announced their roster ahead of their season opener against the Jets on Saturday. However, it still remains relevant since the Sharks are one of the last teams to play their season opener this year. 

There are a few rookies that have made the opening night roster out of training camp, while a few notable players such as Dylan Gambrell and Adam Raska will begin the season with the Barracuda in the AHL. The Sharks rookie I am most excited about this season is their seventh overall pick in this past draft, William Eklund. I believe he has the potential to breakout in his first season and make a case for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. 

With that being said, here is the Sharks' complete 2021-22 opening night roster:

Forwards: 

Rudolfs Balcers

Alexander Barabanov

Nick Bonino

Andrew Cogliano

Logan Couture

Jonathan Dahlen

William Eklund

Tomas Hertl 

Kevin Labanc

Timo Meier

Matt Nieto

Lane Pederson

Jasper Weatherby

Defensemen: 

Brent Burns

Mario Ferraro 

Santeri Hatakka

Erik Karlsson

Jake Middleton

Radim Simek 

Marc-Eduoard Vlasic

Goaltending:

Adin Hill 

James Reimer

Injured Reserve:

F Jeff Viel 

*D Nikolai Knyzhov 

*Knyzhov is is not officially listed on the injured reserve, but he is currently battling a lower body injury and out of the lineup indefinitely. 

Evander Kane is listed as a non-roster player as he is currently being investigated by the NHL for off-ice matters. His $7 million cap hit will not go against the salary cap for the Sharks. 

Source: sjsharks.com

Sharks Claim Jonah Gadjovich Off Waivers from the Canucks

 The Sharks made a successful waiver claim on Thursday in the form of forward Jonah Gadjovich from the Vancouver Canucks. 

Based on what I've heard, Gadjovich could possibly make the Sharks' roster out of training camp come opening night, but that has yet to be determined. To be honest, I never really heard about Gadjovich before this news came out. 

Jonah Gadjovich appeared in one game for the Vancouver Canucks last season. Prior to that, he recorded 18 points, 17 penalty minutes, and a +5 rating in 19 AHL games with the Utica Comets last season. In addition, Gadjovich has had a solid preseason for the Canucks so far before he was placed on waivers. The Sharks could have just found a hidden gem in the waiver wire, and I hope that is the case. 

In other news, the latest Evander Kane accusation involves him possibly submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccination card. If this is true, this is absolutely unacceptable. The off-ice issues seemingly never ends with this guy, and I've had enough. 

Lastly, the Sharks play their last preseason game this year on Saturday against the Golden Knights and host their first-ever Skills Showcase on Sunday before their season opener a week from Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets. I'm certainly looking forward to what's in store for the 2021-22 NHL season and the Sharks bouncing back from last season. 

Source: Sharks + SAP Center App

My 2021-22 NHL Regular Season Standings Predictions

 We are about a week away from the start of the 2021-22 NHL season, and that means it's time for my annual regular season standings predictions. 

As with last season, I will list my predictions based on how I think each team in every division will finish the regular season. I won't include any final records or point totals with the standings. However, as you may already know, the NHL has returned to its regular divisions and 82-game schedule, which is the way it should be. In addition, the Arizona Coyotes have moved to the Central Division with the addition of the Seattle Kraken as the NHL's 32nd team.

One final disclaimer: I don't expect every prediction of mine to be right or taken seriously. In fact, I hope some of them are wrong at the end of the regular season. There are always at least a few surprises every season, and I am looking forward to finding out what they end up being in 2022. 

Without further ado, here are my standings predictions for the 2021-22 NHL regular season. I'm super excited that hockey is back! 

Atlantic Division 

1) Tampa Bay Lightning

2) Boston Bruins

3) Florida Panthers

4) Toronto Maple Leafs

5) Montreal Canadiens

6) Ottawa Senators

7) Detroit Red Wings

8) Buffalo Sabres

Metropolitan Division 

1) Washington Capitals

2) Pittsburgh Penguins

3) New York Islanders

4) New York Rangers

5) Carolina Hurricanes

6) Philadelphia Flyers

7) New Jersey Devils

8) Columbus Blue Jackets

Central Division 

1) Colorado Avalanche

2) Minnesota Wild

3) Dallas Stars

4) Winnipeg Jets

5) St. Louis Blues

6) Nashville Predators

7) Chicago Blackhawks

8) Arizona Coyotes

Pacific Division 

1) Vegas Golden Knights

2) Edmonton Oilers

3) Calgary Flames

4) San Jose Sharks

5) Seattle Kraken

6) Vancouver Canucks

7) Los Angeles Kings

8) Anaheim Ducks

P.S. I will hold off on Sharks News and Notes posts for the time being unless there is a major headline, breaking news, or anything of significance released that will impact the Sharks' regular season. Team Teal is currently in the middle of their preseason, in which these games ultimately don't matter or mean anything except for which depth players will prove themselves to make the opening night roster. 

Stick around for more hockey content coming soon.