Sharks 2021-22 Game 66 Recap: Coyotes 5, Sharks 2 (3/30/22)

 The Sharks lose to the Arizona Coyotes 5-2 in their final game at Gila River Arena in Glendale. 

San Jose got off to a good start to this one but let things slip away towards the end. It first began when Scott Reedy deflected a shot from Ryan Merkley on the power play for his second NHL goal. John Leonard also got a piece of the first goal, but Reedy was the last to touch it before it found the back of the net. The Coyotes tied it a few minutes later to get on the board via Nick Ritchie, leading to a 1-1 score through one period of play. 

The Coyotes' scoring picked back up near the middle of the second period, as Ryan Merkley blew a tire behind the Sharks net and allowed Jan Jenik to score his first goal of the game. Fortunately the Sharks found a way to tie the game a bit later on Brent Burns' seventh goal of the season, which was assisted by Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier. 

The Sharks had plenty of chances to increase their scoring throughout this game, but they either hit several posts or couldn't figure out Karel Vejmelka. Arizona then proceeded to score three unanswered goals in the third period via Jan Jenik's second goal of the game, Barrett Hayton, and an empty-netter from Nick Schmaltz. Jan Jenik has scored four NHL goals so far, and each of them have come against the Sharks. Also, Phil Kessel currently has a six-game point streak against the Sharks, recording two assists on each of the Jenik goals as the Coyotes avoid a season sweep at the hands of the Sharks.

In addition, late in the final period, a scary incident occurred as Clayton Keller was turning a corner and lost his balance, causing his ankles to buckle and his body to crash full speed into the boards. Play had to stop as Keller was in a ton of pain and laid there immobilized with both of his legs pointing in opposite directions. Crews had to bring a stretcher onto the ice and carry him off, and as Keller was being carted off, he gave a thumbs up to let everyone know that he is conscious and everything was going to be okay. His legs and ankles appeared to take the brunt of the collision. The conditions and status of Clayton Keller's injury weren't officially released, but he is anticipated to be out long term. My thoughts and prayers are with Clayton Keller, and I hope he has a speedy recovery. It is never good when players get injured like that and have to leave the game on a stretcher. 

James Reimer didn't have his best performance in net last night, but it wasn't entirely his fault either, recording 19 saves on 23 shots against. 

Although the Sharks' young players continue to step up, this game didn't end well for Team Teal, and the injury to Clayton Keller paints a dark cloud over the Coyotes' victory. The Sharks travel to Denver for their next game tonight as they face the Colorado Avalanche in the second game of a back-to-back slate at 6 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Sharks 2021-22 Game 65 Recap: Sharks 4, Ducks 1 (3/26/22)

 A Timo Meier hat trick, the magic of James Reimer, and the Sharks’ bottom-line forwards stepping up led the Sharks to a 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks, handing the Ducks their ninth-straight loss. 

San Jose took advantage of a struggling Ducks team and pretty much dominated this game. The only other Shark to score in this game was Marc-Eduoard Vlasic, who scored the first goal of the game late in the first period. Pickles has improved his production as of late and now has three goals on the season. The second period was when Timo Meier scored his first goal of the game, which was followed by another fight taking place between these two clubs later in the period, this time between Jonah Gadjovich and Sam Carrick. The main motive for this fight was to stick up for teammates after Gadjovich laid a clean hit on Cam Fowler, in which Fowler fell awkwardly near the boards and was slow to get up.

Early in the third period, Gerry Mayhew scored to put the Ducks on the board and avoid Anaheim from getting shut out. Timo Meier scored his second goal of the game a few minutes later on the power play and completed the hat trick later in the third, totaling 30 goals on the season. The third goal of this one was Timo's best one, putting it between his legs and going to the backhand for an absolute beauty. This becomes Timo Meier's third career hat trick, and Timo is now the sixth player in Sharks' history with multiple 30-goal seasons. Tomas Hertl and Alexander Barabanov each recorded two assists, while Ryan Merkley, Scott Reedy, and Brent Burns each recorded an assist. In addition, Ryan Merkley had made some incredible dangles on a shot attempt in the third period that was saved by Lukas Dostal. 

James Reimer was outstanding once again, making 27 saves, some of which were unbelievable stops throughout this game. 

In other news, Logan Couture is currently considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury, and I'm glad the rest of the Sharks stepped up in his absence last night. 

This was an overall impressive effort by Team Teal, with plenty of Timo Time included. As a result, the Sharks leapfrogged the Ducks in the Pacific Division and Western Conference standings, which is always great to see. The Sharks have a few days off before their next game in Arizona against the Coyotes on Wednesday at 7 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Sharks 2021-22 Game 64 Recap: Oilers 5, Sharks 2 (3/24/22)

 The Sharks fall to the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 in Kaapo Kahkonen’s first start as a Shark and their first game in Edmonton since before the pandemic. 

San Jose kept the Oilers in check in the first period and scored the first goal of the game via Erik Karlsson in the second period, with great passing from Timo Meier and Tomas Hertl. The Oilers tied it at one a few minutes later via Kailer Yamamoto on the power play, making it the fifth-straight game that the Sharks have given up at least one power play goal. It wasn't long before the Oilers took the lead on Leon Draisaitl's first goal of the game. However, Zach Kassian got away with a cross-check on Erik Karlsson right before Edmonton took the lead, and this goal wouldn't have occurred had the officials noticed or even cared to notice the cross-check on EK65. 

The Sharks have another concerning injury to deal with as Logan Couture had to exit the game after the second period due to an upper-body injury. The scoring picked back up in the third period, starting with Derrick Brassard extending the Oilers' lead to two, followed by Tomas Hertl scoring the Sharks' second goal of the game, with more great passing from Timo Meier and Erik Karlsson to set up that goal. Team Teal had a chance to complete their comeback for the second consecutive game, but it was all for not as Leon Draisaitl tallied his second goal of the game and the Oilers' second power play goal of the game, and Evander Kane pots one into the empty net with about three minutes remaining in regulation. 

Kaapo Kahkonen was solid in his first start with the Sharks, recording 36 saves and despite giving up four goals. Timo Meier took a high stick to the face in the third, but ultimately he would be okay. 

Often times with the Oilers, if their star players can get going, namely Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, they pretty much can't be stopped. McDavid didn't score any goals in last night's game against the Sharks, but he had two assists on the night. I also find it difficult to root for the Oilers since they are Evander Kane's new team and Kane had left a bad taste in the Sharks' mouths with his ongoing off-ice drama in the past few years. 

The Sharks return home to the Tank for their next game against the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday at 7:30 pm PT before hitting the road for another brief road trip next week. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Sharks 2021-22 Game 63 Recap: Sharks 4, Flames 3 (3/22/22)

 The Sharks complete the comeback in the third period for their third win over the Calgary Flames this season 4-3. 

The last period of this game was filled with chaos, which ended with a miraculous win. However, it wasn't entirely chaos for much of the game. First off, the Flames scored the first two goals of the contest in in the first via Johnny Gaudreau and Dillon Dube, grabbing a fairly early two-goal lead until later in the first, when Marc-Eduoard Vlasic scored his second goal of the season to get the Sharks within one through the first period. 

The Flames regained their two-goal lead in the second period via Mikael Backlund, while Timo Meier got the Sharks back within one with a spin-o-rama wrister from an unusual angle. Brent Burns and Alexander Barabanov assisted on the Timo Time goal in the second period. 

The final frame was when the chaos ensued. Early on in the third, Matthew Tkachuk got away with an elbow on Jonah Gadjovich, which led to a large scuffle and further incidents. Apparently Jacob Markstrom had speared Nicolas Meloche in the groin with his stick and got away with it, and the only one getting penalized from this scuffle was Jeff Viel, who received two minutes for roughing and a ten-minute game misconduct. James Reimer saw his first penalty shot attempt all season, in which he made a nifty glove save on Johnny Gaudreau. Most importantly, Alexander Barabanov tied the game at around the 11-minute mark, while Logan Couture scored the game-winner seconds later. The officials had to double-check to see if what would end up being the game-winner was good, and it certainly was. Assisting on the last two goals of the game were Tomas Hertl, Noah Gregor, and Sasha Chmelevski. The last few minutes of this game saw the Flames scramble for another goal to tie this game and James Reimer playing out of his mind, shutting the door on Calgary's offense. 

In all, despite giving up three goals, James Reimer was outstanding in net and one of the main factors in the Sharks' comeback win over the Flames, recording 28 saves. 

Although the Sharks pulled off an amazing comeback win over the first place team in the Pacific, it may have come at the cost of Timo Meier, who had to exit the game in the third period after suffering a lower-body injury. This is quite concerning since Timo has been the Sharks' top scorer this season. 

Overall, this was an impressive victory by the Sharks that not many people saw coming. It was also the Flames' first loss in regulation when leading after two periods this season. Next up the Sharks continue their current brief road trip in Edmonton to face the Oilers on Thursday at 6 pm PT, which will be Kaapo Kahkonen's first start for the Sharks since they acquired him on Monday in the Jake Middleton trade. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Sharks 2022 Trade Deadline Day Recap

 The madness known as the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline is now behind us, and besides the re-signing of Tomas Hertl last week, a few trades involving the Sharks took place on trade deadline day. I felt it was best to wait until the deadline has passed and all trades were finalized, allowing me to summarize the ones involving the Sharks in one post. Without further ado, let's begin: 

The first trade of deadline day involving the Sharks sent defenseman Jake Middleton to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for goalie Kaapo Kahkonen and a 2022 5th-round pick. This move adds Kahkonen to the Sharks' goalie tandem with James Reimer while Adin Hill is currently injured and sends Zach Sawchenko down to the Barracuda. As for Middzy, at least a handful of teams were inquiring about him, and the Sharks eventually swung on a deal that they couldn't refuse. Both Middleton and Kahkonen are set to become restricted free agents this offseason. 

Jake Middleton has recorded three goals and six assists in 45 games this season and has been known to drop the gloves in games sometimes. He has been a solid defenseman for the Sharks this season and will be missed. In addition, trading away Jake Middleton has allowed the Sharks to activate Radim Simek off of the injured reserve and clear a roster spot for him. On the other hand, Kaapo Kahkonen has a 12-8-3 record with a 2.87 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage in 23 starts in 25 games with the Wild this season. In total, Kahkonen has a 31-17-4 record with a 2.89 goals-against average, a .907 save percentage, and two shutouts in 51 starts in 54 games in his NHL career. He is looking to join the Sharks in their next game in Calgary against the Flames on Tuesday. 

The next Sharks trade of deadline day saw forward Nick Merkley dealt to the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Anthony Bitetto. This is nothing more than a depth move, as Team Teal bolsters its blue line with a veteran d-man and moves a rarely-used forward (at the NHL level) in return. Nick Merkley has recorded one goal and two assists for three points in nine NHL games with the Sharks this season, along with 11 goals and 25 assists for 36 points in 43 AHL games with the Barracuda. As for Bitetto, he has recorded four goals and 11 assists for 15 points in 39 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL this season. In total, Bitetto has three goals and 28 assists for 31 points along with 142 penalty minutes in 197 NHL games with the Predators, Wild, Jets, and Rangers.

The third Sharks trade of deadline day was another depth move, in which forward Andrew Cogliano was traded to the Colorado Avalanche for a 2024 5th-round pick. San Jose signed Cogliano to a one-year deal before the start of this season, and he was more than likely going to leave in free agency this offseason, so it was better to trade him to a contender and get something in return rather than lose him for nothing. Cogs has scored four goals and 11 assists in 56 games with the Sharks this season.

Last but not least, the Sharks dealt goalie Alexei Melnichuk to the Tampa Bay Lightning for forward Antoine Morand. Melnichuk was a promising goaltending prospect in the Sharks organization, but was the odd goalie out after San Jose acquired Kaapo Kahkonen before this deal took place and has been unable to find his groove ever since he was first called up to the Sharks towards the end of last season. Morand has recorded ten points and 21 penalty minutes in 44 AHL games with Syracuse Crunch this season, bringing his career point total to 44 in 138 AHL games.

In all, considering the current state of the Sharks and their low odds of making the playoffs this season, I am okay with the trades that the Sharks made before this year's deadline, even though many Sharks fans would have preferred to keep Jake Middleton around. Hopefully the rest of this season and this offseason set the Sharks up very well to get back to contending for the playoffs next season. 

Sources: NHL App, Sharks + SAP Center App 

Photos featured in this post were from my most recent NHL game between the Sharks and Ducks in Anaheim on February 22.

Sharks 2021-22 Game 62 Recap: Sharks 4, Coyotes 2 (3/20/22)

 The Sharks snap their three-game skid by defeating the Arizona Coyotes 4-2 Sunday evening. 

San Jose took advantage of a constantly rebuilding Coyotes team and was firing on all cylinders. Nick Bonino tipped in a shot from Andrew Cogliano 20 seconds into into this game to open the scoring for the Sharks, with Noah Gregor grabbing the other assist on that play.

The Coyotes tie the game late in the second period via Phil Kessel, who always seems to perform better against the Sharks compared to other teams. In addition, Jonathan Dahlen took a puck to the mouth, had to exit the game early, and didn’t return. 

Late in the third, the Coyotes took a brief 2-1 lead via Lawson Crouse before the Sharks scored the next two seconds later via Timo Meier and Noah Gregor, which were both scored 44 seconds apart. The Sharks’ scoring and this game was capped off with about a minute remaining with an empty-netter from Rudolfs Balcers. Alexander Barabanov, Jaycob Megna, and Logan Couture assisted on two of the last three Sharks goals in their much-needed win over the Coyotes Sunday evening. 

James Reimer was solid as well, notching 23 saves on 25 shots against. In addition, it was Erik Karlsson’s 200th game as a Shark, and Matt Nieto was held out of this game as he sustained an injury in the previous game. 

This was a great effort by the Sharks, and this was a game they had to win. Next up, the Sharks embark on a brief road trip through Alberta, starting in Calgary against the Flames on Tuesday at 6 pm PT. 

In other news, as I am writing this, there has been one trade that has taken place involving the Sharks on trade deadline day. I will cover this trade in a separate post along with any other trades the Sharks swing before the deadline, so watch this space for details on those trades.

Source: NHL App 

Sharks 2021-22 Game 61 Recap: Avalanche 5, Sharks 3 (3/18/22)

 The Sharks’ late comeback effort was for not as they lose to the Colorado Avalanche 5-3, dropping their third-straight game. 

Early on, it seemed as if the Sharks were about to get shut out for the second game in a row, but fortunately it didn't turn out that way. The Avalanche jumped to a two-goal lead through the first period and extended their lead up to four during the later half of the middle frame, with goals from Nazem Kadri, Darren Helm, Cale Makar, and Valeri Nichushkin. In addition, Jake Middleton and Kurtis MacDermid dropped the gloves and fought during the first period. Towards the end of the second period, Jeff Viel redirects a shot from Marc-Eduoard Vlasic for the Sharks' first goal of the game. Also assisting on the Sharks' first goal was Nicolas Meloche. 

The Sharks' scoring picked back up in the later half of the final frame via Rudolfs Balcers and Erik Karlsson to get within one late in the third, only for Valeri Nichushkin to put this one away once and for all with an empty-netter and his second goal of the game. Alexander Barabanov, Tomas Hertl, and Logan Couture each recorded assists on the last two Sharks goals of the game. 

Zach Sawchenko was given the nod in the crease against the Avalanche, going 24-for-28 on save opportunities. 

In other news, it was announced this morning that defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov will be shut down for the remainder of this season after being unable to play this season and suffering setbacks with his injuries. 

In all, the Sharks performed fairly well against the Avalanche last night, but Colorado is a Cup contender, and their star-studded roster was a bit much for the Sharks. The Sharks host the Arizona Coyotes in their next game on Sunday at 4 pm PT, which is also their last game before Monday's trade deadline. 

In regards to Monday's trade deadline, I expect the Sharks to make a few minor trades before then, but not anything significant. I plan to release the details about those trades on this site as soon as I can once they happen. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Sharks 2021-22 Game 60 Recap: Kings 3, Sharks 0 (3/17/22)

 The LA Kings avoid a season series sweep by the Sharks by shutting out the Sharks 3-0 on St. Patrick’s Day. 

 Not much went well for the Sharks in their season finale against their rivals. Most notably their offense went cold. Team Teal gained more chances on offense in the third period, but they weren't enough. 

The unfortunate fact of the matter was that the Kings converted on a few of their scoring chances: one each from Anze Kopitar and Philip Danault in the second period, and an empty-netter from Adrian Kempe late in the third. 

James Reimer was solid in the crease, recording 24 saves on 26 shots, but the lack of offense didn't help Reimer's cause. On the other hand, Cal Petersen was perfect for the Kings, stopping all 29 shots he faced for the shutout.

On a more positive note, the Sharks outshot the Kings 29-27, and Noah Gregor skated in his 100th NHL game. In addition, the Sharks already won the season series against the Kings 3-1. 

I don't have much else to say about this game other than it pretty much sucked. Things aren't gonna get any easier in their next game, as they face the Colorado Avalanche back at the Tank in the second game of a back-to-back set tomorrow at 7:30 pm PT. 

Sources: NHL App, Sharks Audio Network

Sharks Re-sign Tomas Hertl to 8-Year Contract Extension

 Early signs were pointing to the Sharks keeping Tomas Hertl around, and things are now official between the two parties. 

Tomas Hertl and the Sharks have agreed to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of roughly $8 million, which keeps him around until the 2029-30 season. A deal had to get done soon before Monday's trade deadline since Hertl becomes a UFA this offseason, and I'm super thrilled that he's sticking around for the long haul. 

Hertl has been having one of the best seasons out of anyone on the Sharks roster this season, recording 25 goals and 23 assists for 48 points in 59 games so far. He is currently tied with Timo Meier for the team lead in goals and second behind Meier in points. 

In addition, a three-year no-movement clause and a five-year limited no-trade clause have been attached to the Hertl extension. What makes this contract extension better is that Ninja Hertl is one of my favorite players on the Sharks. Not only is he a great scoring forward, he also has a great personality and always has a smile on his face. 

I am aware that there are people who feel skeptical about the Hertl contract extension due to the term, value, salary cap, and direction they feel the Sharks should be heading in. However, the Sharks have stated that they aren't rebuilding, and Tomas Hertl feels that the Sharks can get back to being a perennial playoff contender within the next eight years and enjoys San Jose, explaining why he just signed a contract extension this afternoon. 

I love Tomas Hertl's positive outlook on the future of the Sharks, and I am grateful that the Sharks find ways to keep their star players around (for the most part). With the announcement of the Hertl extension, hopefully the Sharks can re-sign other key players in the near future, such as Timo Meier, Mario Ferraro, and Alexander Barabanov, while working around and staying under the salary cap.

Sources: NHL App, Elliotte Friedman via Twitter 

Photos featured in this post were from my most recent NHL game between the Sharks and Ducks in Anaheim on February 22. 

Sharks 2021-22 Game 59 Recap: Panthers 3, Sharks 2 (OT) (3/15/22)

 The Florida Panthers come back to defeat the Sharks 3-2 in overtime in Jumbo Joe Thornton's return to SAP Center. 

San Jose performed incredibly well in the first two periods but they kinda let the remainder of the game slip away from them. First things first, the Sharks presented a tribute video for Jumbo Joe for his first game at SAP Center as a member of the visiting team since 2003, and the crowd gave him a standing ovation. Logan Couture opened the scoring in the first period on the power play, which has been much better as of late, with his 20th goal of the season from Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier. The Panthers tie it up a few minutes later with a shorthanded goal from Jonathan Huberdeau, followed by the Sharks regaining their one-goal lead on Nicolas Meloche's second goal of the season. The second goal was set up very well by Tomas Hertl and Marc-Eduoard Vlasic, in which Meloche fired it to find the back of the net. 

There were a few fights about to go down in the second period, one between Patric Hornqvist and Jonah Gadjovich and the other between Mason Marchment and Nicolas Meloche, but the officials meddled in between both tussles before they ever fully went down. 

Early in the third period, Frank Vatrano tied it at two with his first goal of the game. Mason Marchment scored what was initially the go-ahead game-winner in the third, but it was challenged and overturned due to goalie interference. 

It only took about a minute into OT before Frank Vatrano scored the official game-winner and his second goal of the game to complete the Panthers' comeback. I can't entirely fault the Sharks for only getting a point out of this because the Panthers are one of the best-performing teams in the NHL this season. 

In addition, this was James Reimer's first game back from injury, recording 31 saves in the OT loss. John Leonard was recently called up from the Barracuda, who has been tearing up the AHL for much of this season. 

The Sharks make another brief trip to So Cal to face the LA Kings one last time this season in their next game on Thursday at 7 pm PT, which will be another ESPN+-exclusive game. 

Sources: Sharks Audio Network, NHL App

Sharks 2021-22 Game 58 Recap: Sharks 5, Kings 0 (3/12/22)

 The Sharks dominate and shut down the Los Angeles Kings 5-0 in the second game of a home-and-away set with their So-Cal rivals. 

This was certainly a fun and entertaining one. One of the biggest aspects of this huge win was the return of Adin Hill, who recorded 29 saves and a shutout in his first start back from his stint on the IR. 

San Jose opened up the scoring toward the halfway point of the first period via Timo Meier on their first power play opportunity, with Brent Burns and Nick Bonino assisting on the play. A few minutes later, Matt Nieto extends the Sharks' lead to two in his 300th NHL game, with Nick Bonino picking up his second assist of the game. Towards the end of the first period, Jonathan Dahlen makes it 3-0, getting an assist from Timo Meier. 

The Sharks took further advantage of the Kings losing more players to injury, as Tomas Hertl added two more goals in this one-sided affair, one in the second and another in the third. Timo Meier added another apple for a total of three points on the night, while Logan Couture, Rudolfs Balcers, and Alexander Barabanov each recorded assists in the second and third periods. 

In other news, Ryan Dzingel and Alex Stalock were both reassigned to the Barracuda before Saturday's game against the Kings. 

As of late, the Sharks own the LA Kings, and I couldn't be happier with that. I want this kind of domination to continue for as long as possible. Next up, the Sharks host the Florida Panthers in Jumbo Joe Thornton's return to SAP Center on Tuesday at 7:30 pm PT, which will be televised exclusively on ESPN+ and Hulu. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Sharks 2021-22 Game 57 Recap: Sharks 4, Kings 3 (OT) (3/10/22)

 The Sharks get a statement win for the first time in what seems like forever as they take care of the LA Kings 4-3 in overtime. 

This game was highlighted by a few aspects that propelled the Sharks. Zach Sawchenko earned his first NHL win, and Erik Karlsson made his return from left forearm surgery and made an immediate impact with two assists and improved coverage on the power play. I'll get to the most meaningful one in a bit. 

First, Brent Burns lights the lamp on the power play within the first few minutes to get the Sharks on the board. Besides the EK65 assist, Logan Couture picked up the secondary assist on the first goal. A few minutes later, the Kings gained their first lead of the night on goals from Philip Danault and Andreas Athanasiou, which both came seconds apart. 

Halfway through the second period, Trevor Moore extends the Kings' lead to two while shorthanded. LA's two-goal lead didn't last for long as Nick Bonino pokes one in on the man advantage, getting assists from Jonathan Dahlen and Jake Middleton. Early in the third, Alexander Barabanov redirected a pass from Erik Karlsson to tie the game at three to eventually force OT. Tomas Hertl was credited with the other assist on the Barbs game-tying goal. Speaking of Tomas Hertl, he scored the game-winner in overtime by faking out Jonathan Quick, creating a wide-open net, and burying it on the wraparound attempt for his first goal since late January. Some will say this boosted Hertl's trade value ahead of the trade deadline in a few weeks, while others will make the case that this gives the Sharks more reason to keep him around. 

In addition, the fact that Tomas Hertl was heated after taking a questionable tripping penalty late in the third fired him up even more to score the game-winner in OT and his first goal since late January.

Along with his first NHL win, Zach Sawchenko recorded 33 saves on 36 shots against. 

This is a big and much-needed win by the Sharks, especially after their recent struggles. San Jose has also dominated the Kings in recent years and are looking to continue that on Saturday when these two teams face each other again, this time at SAP Center, at 6:30 pm PT.

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Sharks 2021-22 Game 56 Recap: Ducks 3, Sharks 2 (OT) (3/6/22)

 The Sharks performed fairly well in Zach Sawchenko’s first NHL start, but still couldn’t get the win as they lose to the Ducks 3-2 in overtime, dropping 11 of their last 13. 

It almost went the same way as the previous match-up between these two teams that I was in attendance for, except not quite. Right off the first faceoff, Jeff Viel and Sam Carrick dropped the gloves and fought to start this game. Logan Couture scored the first goal in the first period, with Timo Meier recording his 30th assist and Santeri Hatakka recording only his second assist. 

Early in the second period, Adam Henrique ties the game at one for the Ducks. The Sharks regain the lead about a minute later on Marc-Eduoard Vlasic's first goal of the season, getting an assist from Nicolas Meloche. This was also Pickles' first goal in almost a year. Towards the end of the middle frame, the Ducks tied the game at two via Sonny Milano. 

Jake Middleton scored an impressive shorthanded goal in the third period, but it was challenged for offsides by the Ducks and was successfully overturned. It would've been the game-winner had there not been offsides on the 2-on-1 shorthanded breakaway chance by the Sharks. 

The Sharks and Ducks headed to overtime, where Rickard Rakell scored the game-winner 14 seconds into the OT period while the Ducks got away with having too many men on the ice. 

Zach Sawchenko was impressive in his first NHL start, recording 33 saves in the loss. 

Despite performing significantly better than the previous night and well enough to win, frustrations continue to mount, patience is running thin, and hope is running out. The Sharks' record stands at 24-25-7 with 55 points, 11 points out of a playoff spot. Their next game isn't until Thursday, when they're back in So Cal to face the LA Kings at 7:30 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Sharks 2021-22 Game 55 Recap: Predators 8, Sharks 0 (3/5/22)

 The Sharks' season continues to slip away as they get shellacked by the Nashville Predators 8-0 Saturday night. This was their biggest home shutout in franchise history.

Very little, if anything, went well for Team Teal, and it was almost as if they hit rock bottom. Michael McCarron and Matt Duchene scored the first two goals for the Predators in the first period, while Matt Luff scored the next two in the second period. The Preds proceeded to add four more in the third period via Matt Duchene, Michael McCarron, Yakov Trenin, and Mikael Granlund. 

Alex Stalock made his first NHL start since the 2020 season and gave up six goals before getting pulled in favor of Zach Sawchenko in the third, who then gave up two more goals. 

A few fights took place late in the third period between Jonah Gadjovich and Ben Harpur, Jake Middleton and Luke Kunin, and among some Sharks fans. 

This is probably the ugliest Sharks game I have ever heard and reported about. This team no longer wants to play and show up for their coach, who has made his fair share of stupid decisions over the course of his tenure in San Jose. I am usually optimistic about the San Jose Sharks, but I have been let down once again and am very close to giving up on this season. There's no way this team goes on a magical run to the playoffs this season, and it's becoming more and more doubtful that Tomas Hertl will stick around past the trade deadline. I won't go as far as to say that the Sharks will be stuck in a rebuild or in mediocrity in the next several seasons because I can't predict what will happen during that time. 

I will continue to watch this team as much as I can, even though they may push me past my breaking point. Bob Boughner is no longer fit to coach the San Jose Sharks, and this team desperately needs a new coach come next season. 

The Sharks play the Ducks in Anaheim on Sunday in the second game of a back-to-back set at 5pm PT. This will be Zach Sawchenko's first NHL start and bring back memories from when my friend and I attended the same match-up on February 22. 

Source: NHL App

Sharks Acquire Alex Stalock from Oilers

 The Sharks have acquired goalie Alex Stalock in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for future considerations. 

This move comes as the Sharks may be without James Reimer for the foreseeable future due to a lower-body injury sustained from being overused. They are also without Adin Hill as he is currently on the injured reserve for the time being. 

As for Stalock, he returns to the Sharks for the first time in seven years. He began his NHL career with the Sharks in the 2010-11 season until the 2015-16 season mainly as a backup to Antti Niemi. Stalock then played for the Wild from 2016 to 2020 but missed the 2021 season due to injury. Over the course of his nine-year NHL career, Stalock has a 61-49-18 record with a 2.61 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage in 151 games. As for this season, he has appeared in five games and posted a 3-1-0 record with the Bakersfield Condors in the AHL. 

Alex Stalock is a solid goaltender who is a familiar face to the Sharks organization and fills an immediate need for this team, but I don't see him as a long-term solution at goalie. Depending on how he performs in his second stint in teal, once James Reimer and Adin Hill have fully recovered from injury, Stalock will probably either be sent down to the Barracuda in the AHL or be used as trade bait. Overall, I'm happy that Alex Stalock is back with the Sharks. 

Source: sjsharks.com

Sharks 2021-22 Game 54 Recap: Golden Knights 3, Sharks 1 (3/1/22)

 Not much went well for the Sharks in Vegas as they lose their 11th-straight game against the Golden Knights 3-1. 

I am not shocked at all that I had seen this coming. It wasn't long before the Golden Knights scored the first goal of the game in the first period via Keegan Kolesar. 

James Reimer made 10 saves in his 13th consecutive start before exiting the game after the first period due to a lower-body injury. This was more than likely due to Reimer being overworked as a result of Bob Boughner mismanaging his goalies. Zach Sawchenko took over for Reimer beginning in the second period. 

It seemed like Noah Gregor couldn't buy a goal for much of the season, but he was able to put one in to tie the game in the second period, with assists from Nick Bonino and Andrew Cogliano. However, the next two goals by Rielly Smith in the second and third periods sealed the deal for the Golden Knights. 

James Reimer was performing well until he got hurt, and Zach Sawchenko picked up where Reimer left off, recording 18 saves and being the main factor alongside Reimer keeping the Sharks in this game. 

On the other hand, Mario Ferraro was placed on the injured reserve, while Santeri Hatakka was called up from the Barracuda. Erik Karlsson and Adin Hill could be available to play as soon as this weekend. 

I want to remain optimistic about this Sharks team, but with this season progressing the way it is, it's becoming more and more difficult to remain optimistic about the Sharks' chances of making any sort of run to the playoffs. I still hold onto that glimmer of hope because I want to. San Jose doesn't play again until Saturday, when they face off against the Nashville Predators at the Tank in the first game of another weekend back-to-back set at 5:30 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App