Sharks 2022-23 Game 11 Recap: Lightning 4, Sharks 3 (10/29/22)

 The Sharks lose in the last minute of regulation to the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3. 

Team Teal put up a solid effort and made things close throughout the entire game, but the Bolts maintained control and were the better, more skilled team. The Lightning opened the scoring 32 seconds in via Victor Hedman, and the two teams would alternate scoring goals from there. Soon after, Erik Karlsson would tie the game at one with his first goal of the game. The lone assist on the Sharks' first goal of the game would go to Tomas Hertl. Much later in the first period, the Lightning went ahead 2-1 before the first intermission via Ross Colton. 

Early in the second period, the Sharks knotted it at two via Nico Sturm, who is looking like a sneaky good pickup for the Sharks during this past offseason. Assisting on the Sharks' second goal were Luke Kunin and Marc-Eduoard Vlasic. Towards the end of the middle frame, Alex Killorn put Tampa back up by one to make it 3-2 through two periods of play. 

Things picked back up early in the third as Erik Karlsson scores his second goal of the game on the power play. Tomas Hertl picked up his second helper of the day, while Timo Meier picked up the other helper on EK65's second goal of the game. Erik Karlsson has been on a tear so far this season and now leads the NHL in points among defensemen with 11 and goals among defensemen with 6. With 57 seconds remaining in regulation, Nikita Kucherov put any comeback effort from the Sharks to bed with the game-winning goal for the Lightning. 

James Reimer was in net for the Sharks in their afternoon match against the Bolts, recording 22 saves on 26 shots against. 

In addition, Nick Bonino was back in the lineup after missing the past few games due to an upper-body injury. 

This loss wasn't entirely the Sharks' fault. In fact, they played pretty well, but the end result doesn't surprise me one bit. It's awesome to see Erik Karlsson get off to a hot start this season and return to vintage form; hopefully he stays healthy, doesn't regress, and keeps up his current scoring pace. Next up, the Sharks face the Anaheim Ducks for the first time this season on Tuesday at 7:30 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, Sharks Audio Network, NHL App

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 10 Recap: Sharks 4, Maple Leafs 3 (OT) (10/27/22)

 The Sharks get the job done in overtime for their third win and first home win of the season, defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3. 

The third win is the charm, carrying a lot of significance and importance for this Sharks team. Team Teal got going early in this one, specifically 20 seconds in, with Logan Couture’s first goal of the game. Matt Nieto and Alexander Barabanov were credited with the assists on the Sharks’ and Captain Couch’s first goal of the game. About five minutes later, the Leafs tied things up on a goal from David Kampf to make it 1-1 through one period of play. 

The Sharks score their next two goals in the second period, both on the power play and between the five- and six-minute marks. The first of the two was Logan Couture's second goal of the game, and the second of the two was initially scored as Couture's third goal of the game to give him a hat trick, but Timo Meier last touched it before the puck found the back of the net, making it his first of the season. Hats had flown onto the ice before the scoring change was made. Erik Karlsson picked up two assists on the two Sharks power play goals, while Alexander Barabanov picked up his second assist of the game on the first power play goal. Logan Couture's second goal of the game also marked his 300th career NHL goal. Late in the second period, the Leafs narrowed their deficit to one before the second intermission via Mitch Marner. 

Early in the third period, the Sharks lost their lead again as Auston Matthews tied the game at three on the power play. This forced overtime, where Erik Karlsson scores the game-winner almost a minute into bonus hockey on the breakaway. Timo Meier picked up the assist on the OT GWG for his second point of the night. EK65 currently leads the league in overtime goals with two and leads the Sharks in points with nine. 

Kaapo Kahkonen was solid in net and received the necessary production from his offense to earn the win, recording 22 saves. 

It may not have seemed like it at times, but this was a great game and great effort from the Sharks, especially with Erik Karlsson and Logan Couture carrying the offense with three points each and Timo Meier getting the monkey off his back by finding the back of the net for the first time this season. Next up, the Sharks face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, with an afternoon start time of 1:30 pm PT.

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 9 Recap: Golden Knights 4, Sharks 2 (10/25/22)

 The Sharks showed hope during parts of this game, but they ultimately got off to a slow start and collapsed in the third period as they drop their first meeting with the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2. 

The biggest highlight from this game that overshadows every other aspect of this game is the Golden Knights’ Phil Kessel breaking the NHL’s all-time Ironman Streak record, skating in his 990th consecutive game. In addition, Phil Kessel scored the first goal of the game in the first period, marking his 400th career NHL goal. Luckily things didn’t get completely out of hand for the Sharks in the first period, but they were outshot and created quite a few turnovers. 

The Sharks haven't played well during most second periods this season but have certainly showed up during the second period more recently. They tied the game early in the middle frame on a redirect by Nico Sturm for his team-leading fourth goal of the season, with assists from Kevin Labanc and Evgeny Svechnikov. Towards the end of the second period, Matt Nieto scored his first goal of the season on a breakaway chance to give the Sharks their first lead of the night, with Tomas Hertl sending a great pass to Nieto to set up this incredible goal. 

Things were looking great through two periods until they let this one slip away in the third, allowing the Knights to score three unanswered goals via Shea Theodore early in the final frame and William Karlsson and Mark Stone late in the period. This was a winnable game for the Sharks, but they didn't show up for a full 60 minutes and allowed a worn-out Golden Knights team that was skating in the second game of a back-to-back set to take advantage of them. 

James Reimer was decent in net, recording 27 saves, but his offense and defense left him out to dry at times during this game. 

This wasn't a great game from the Sharks perspective but an important and significant one from a historical perspective, mainly for Phil Kessel, the Golden Knights, and the NHL as a whole. At least one other team is doing worse than the Sharks right now, and that would be the Vancouver Canucks, who are still looking for their first win of the season. Team Teal will try to regroup and get their act together in their next game on Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7:30 pm PT. 

Sources: ESPN, Sharks Audio Network, NHL App

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 8 Recap: Sharks 3, Flyers 0 (10/23/22)

 The Sharks close out their current East Coast road trip and earn their second win of the season by shutting out the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 Sunday night. 

Pretty much everything went right for the Sharks against the Flyers in Philadelphia. Every aspect of the Sharks stepped up, and most importantly, they had a great second period. Speaking of the second period, the Flyers though they had the first goal of the game via Joel Farabee, but the Sharks challenged it and the goal was successfully overturned due to the Flyers going offside in the process. Soon after, Erik Karlsson scored the official first goal of the game for the Sharks, with assists from Tomas Hertl and Alexander Barabanov. Late in the third, The Sharks extended their lead to two on a tip-in by Steven Lorentz for his first goal in teal. Jaycob Megna made the initial shot from long distance that set up Lorentz to tip it in. Matt Nieto also assisted on the second Sharks goal by Lorentz. 

This marks the first time the Sharks had a lead heading into the third period. Nico Sturm topped this off with an empty-netter late in the third period for a 3-0 lead, with assists from Logan Couture and Luke Kunin. This is also the first game this season where the Sharks scored a third-period goal and three goals in regulation. 

James Reimer had his best performance of the season in net so far, recording 30 saves and a shutout against the Flyers. 

In addition, the Sharks' final game of this current road trip was Oskar Lindblom's return to Wells Fargo Center to face his former team, where he received a well-deserved standing ovation from the Philly crowd. Nick Bonino was held out of this game and is considered day-to-day due to an upper-body injury. 

This was an excellent showing from the Sharks, with James Reimer putting the team on his back to get the job done and end the four-game road trip on a high note. The Sharks begin a six-game homestand on Tuesday when they host the Vegas Golden Knights at 7:30 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 7 Recap: Devils 2, Sharks 1 (10/22/22)

 The Sharks go back to their losing ways, falling 2-1 to the New Jersey Devils Saturday morning/afternoon. 

The first period was pretty uneventful, but things began to pick up in the second period. Nico Hischier and the Devils thought they had the first goal of the game, but it was overturned because Hischier made a distinct kicking motion while scoring that supposed goal. The Sharks caught a break there, but it was only a matter of time before the Devils redeemed themselves and scored the actual first goal of the game via Yegor Sharangovich. A few minutes later, the Sharks surrendered their first power play goal of the season as Dawson Mercer made it 2-0 for the Devils late in the middle frame. However, Team Teal averted complete disaster and got one back soon after via Kevin Labanc’s first goal since November 22, 2021. It was also a statement goal for Laban after he was a healthy scratch in the Sharks’ previous game against the Rangers on Thursday. Oskar Lindblom and Scott Harrington were credited with the assists on the Sharks’ first goal of the game. 

Luckily, the Sharks survived the second period and still remained within reach. However, Nick Bonino got hurt and had to head to the dressing room after an open-ice collision with Kevin Labanc. As with third periods in pretty much every game, the Sharks couldn't muster up any offense in the third period. 

Kaapo Kahkonen was great in net for the Sharks, making 34 saves, but didn't receive the necessary support from his offense to get the win. 

On a more positive note, the Sharks' AHL team, the Barracuda, is off to a great start to its season and just played its first game in its new arena, TechCU Arena. 

In all, besides a few moments and high points, this game was fairly mediocre but not a total crapshow. The Sharks will have to get over this one quickly as they face the Flyers in Philadelphia to close out their current road trip tomorrow in the second game of a back-to-back set at 4 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 6 Recap: Sharks 3, Rangers 2 (OT) (10/20/22)

 The Sharks finally earned their first win of the season in a huge, improbable way as they took down the New York Rangers 3-2 in overtime at Madison Square Garden. 

This was a great game and a hard-fought win for Team Teal. They played to win and not to not lose, and I have regained some confidence back in this team after their first win this season. The Sharks got off to a great start by scoring the first goal in the first period on the power play via Logan Couture from Luke Kunin and Erik Karlsson. They were also penalized quite a bit, but their excellent penalty has bailed them out every time. 

San Jose slipped up a bit in the second period, but still escaped and stayed in it. The Rangers scored the next two goals in the middle frame via Filip Chytil and Artemi Panarin to take a one-goal lead. Luckily, the Sharks tied the game soon after on an incredibly skilled goal by Radim Simek. Not only was this Simek's first goal of the season, it was also his first goal in 22 games. Matt Nieto and Oskar Lindblom picked up the assists on the game-tying goal in the second. 

This game remained tied at two through the third period to force overtime, where Erik Karlsson buried the game-winner less than a minute in to get the Sharks their first win of the season. EK65 handled the puck extremely well until he eventually lost control of it, allowing Timo Meier to pick it up, skate around behind the net, and pass it back to Erik Karlsson for him to find the back of a mostly-empty net. Tomas Hertl recorded the other assist on the OT game-winner. 

James Reimer recorded 21 saves in the win, some of which were significant. 

In addition, David Quinn won his first game as the Sharks' head coach against his former club, the Rangers, and Timo Meier skated in his 400th NHL game. 

It was an unexpected but amazing first win of the season for the Sharks, and this team needs to build on it and form more of a win streak moving forward. Team Teal faces the New Jersey Devils in their next game on Saturday at 10 am PT.

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

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My Thoughts on the Sharks Reverse Retro 2.0 Jersey

 The NHL unveiled their Reverse Retro 2.0 jerseys for all 32 NHL teams. After plenty of teasers and speculation, they are finally here. 

As you may have already determined, the main focus of this post is specifically on the Sharks' Reverse Retro 2.0 jersey. Like the initial speculation suggested, it is inspired by the Bay Area's previous NHL franchise, the California Golden Seals and one of the primary jerseys this previous team wore back in 1974. Instead of "Seals" printed across the center of the jersey, it has "Sharks" in place in the same font. It also contains teal and yellow striping along the upper sleeves, wrists, collar, and waist, with numbers printed on the middle of the sleeves where the elbows would be. Like with every Reverse Retro 2.0 jersey, the NHL crest on the collar is outlined in orange instead of the traditional chrome. 

 

Onto my initial thoughts: the Sharks Reverse Retro 2.0 jersey is just okay. I don’t despise it, but I don’t love it either. This is especially since I am not a huge fan of white jerseys and primarily large print on the front of hockey jerseys. In addition, based on how this season is going and the past few seasons have gone, these new Reverse Retro jerseys might be a bad luck charm. The Sharks announced that they plan to wear these jerseys in six games in the next two months, so we’ll see how they turn out and if they’ll affect the Sharks on-ice performance. 

However, my feelings on the Sharks’ latest jersey are subject to change once I see the players wear them on the ice. As of now, I’ll give the Sharks Reverse Retro 2.0 jerseys a 7 out of 10, and I am in no hurry to get my hands on one anytime soon. 

Sources: ESPN, San Jose Sharks social media accounts 

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 5 Recap: Islanders 5, Sharks 2 (10/18/22)

 Another subpar second period and other mistakes lead to the Sharks dropping their fifth-straight game to start the season, a 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders. This is their first 0-5-0 start to a season in franchise history. 

Team Teal had a solid first period, scoring the first goal late in the first by Nico Sturm, getting assists from Evgeny Svechnikov and Jaycob Megna. 

San Jose led 1-0 through one period of play, and things held steady until the second half of the middle frame. The Islanders went on to score the next two goals via Anders Lee and Zach Parise. The Sharks tied the game at two soon after on Evgeny Svechnikov’s second goal of the season from Matt Benning, only to trail again by one moments later on a go-ahead goal by Oliver Wahlstrom for the Islanders before the second intermission. 

This game only got further away from the Sharks in the third period. Oliver Wahlstrom scored his second goal of the game early in the third, while Cal Clutterbuck put the cherry on top with an empty-netter late in the third. 

James Reimer made  saves in his third start of the season. Like in his first two starts of the season, Reimer has had to bail out his offense and defense many times because said offense and defense couldn't step up when necessary. 

On a more positive note, Alexander Barabanov is back in the lineup after missing the first four games due to an undisclosed injury, and the fourth line has been productive. However, the Sharks can't rely solely on the fourth line to generate all the offense every night. 

The start to this season for San Jose has been nothing short of deflating. I hope they turn things around at some point, but the more they keep up their current pace of play, the less confidence I will have in this team doing anything significant throughout the entire season. 

Next up, the Sharks face the other New York team, the Rangers, at Madison Square Garden on Thursday at 4 pm PT, still looking for their first win of the season.

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 4 Recap: Blackhawks 5, Sharks 2 (10/15/22)

 The Sharks scored the first two goals but proceeded to allow five unanswered as the lowly Chicago Blackhawks earn their first win of the season on Doug Wilson Tribute Night 5-2. 

This was terrible. In fact, I didn’t watch this game as I was out last night attending a college football game. I will give this recap based on highlight reels and notes. 

Let’s begin: The Sharks scored the first two goals of the game in the first period via Nico Sturm and Erik Karlsson to lead 2-0 at the end of one period. Erik Karlsson and Mario Ferraro picked up assists on the first Sharks goal, while Logan Couture and Steven Lorentz picked up assists on the second Sharks goal. 

Like in the first three games, the Sharks had yet another lazy second period. In addition, they gave up goals to Jonathan Toews and two shorties to Sam Lafferty to now trail 3-2 through two. 

To make matters worse, the Blackhawks added on two more goals in the third period via Taylor Raddysh and Jason Dickinson. 

Kaapo Kahkonen made 20 saves, but it wasn't entirely his fault why this game went the way it did. 

The biggest positive from this game is the Sharks honoring Doug Wilson with a pregame ceremony and raising his banner to the rafters. Both the Sharks and Blackhawks also wore #24 during warmups to honor Doug Wilson. 

My and everyone else's expectiations for this year's Sharks team were low, but they look worse than I had anticipated. On a more positive note, the college football game I was at last night certainly went better than this game, and the Dodgers getting eliminated in the MLB postseason helped ease the pain from the Sharks' first four games of this season. 

Next up, Team Teal will embark on a five-game road trip to the east coast, specifically to New York and Philadelphia, with their first stop in New York against the Islanders on Tuesday at 4:30 pm PT. My confidence in this Sharks is now at an all-time low, but I will still watch games and follow them closely because I love them to death and cling to the hope that they'll turn things around at some point. 

Source: NHL App 

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 3 Recap: Hurricanes 2, Sharks 1 (10/14/22)

 The Sharks lose a close one to the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1in their actual home opener and in Brent Burns’ return to the Tank. 

This was certainly an interesting one, despite the pretty-much-expected undesirable end result. On a more positive note, the Sharks scored first late in the first period on a no-look shot from Evgeny Svechnikov for his first goal in teal. Jaycob Megna and Erik Karlsson were credited with the apples on the Sharks’ only goal of the game. 

The Canes tied the game at one late in the second period via Martin Necas. As for the Sharks in the second period, the offense practically did nothing as they left James Reimer to do all the work to keep the Sharks afloat, and the team was outshot significantly. 

Late in the third period, Noah Gregor and Jalen Chatfield dropped the gloves and fought near center ice, but it wasn't much of a fight as Chatfield quickly took down Gregor. With just under two minutes remaining in regulation, Sebastian Aho redirected a shot from Brett Pesce past James Reimer for the game-winning goal for the Hurricanes. 

James Reimer was great in net for this goaltending duel despite the loss, recording 33 saves. 

San Jose honored Brent Burns in his return to SAP Center with a great pregame tribute and a well-deserved standing ovation from the crowd.

This was nothing more than the Sharks beating themselves, which we have all grown accustomed to many times over the past few seasons. They are now winless in their first three games of the season, and tomorrow night would be a perfect time for the Sharks to get their first win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Doug Wilson Tribute/Banner Raising Night, with puck drop at 7 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App 

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Sharks 2022-23 Global Series Game 2 Recap: Predators 3, Sharks 2 (10/8/22)

 The Sharks performed better in the second game of the Global Series, but their efforts weren’t enough as they lose to the Predators 3-2 and get swept in this two-game set in Prague. 

San Jose opened the scoring in the first period with a goal from Luke Kunin off his own rebound on the man advantage against his former team. Oskar Lindblom and Mario Ferraro picked up assists on the first goal by Kunin. 

The Predators answered back early in the second period via Nino Niederreiter, with the Sharks regaining their lead ten seconds later on Logan Couture's first goal of the season. Mario Ferraro recorded his second assist of the game, while Steven Lorentz picked up an assist on the Sharks' second goal. It was a few minutes after the Sharks scored their second goal of the game that things began to dismantle for them, as the Predators scored the next two goals via Filip Forsberg and Nino Niederreiter's second of the game to take their first lead of the game. As for the third period, Team Teal played catch-up and couldn't muster up a goal to save their lives. 

Kaapo Kahkonen was given the start in net in the second game of the Global Series and performed fairly well, making 15 saves. Head Coach David Quinn has yet to decide who will primarily be starting in net this season between James Reimer and Kaapo Kahkonen. In addition, during both Global Series games this season, the net seemed to dislodge more easily than in most games at NHL arenas. 

In all, the Sharks' offense showed up more so in the second game than in the first game of the Global Series in Prague, but it wasn't enough to secure a win. Despite losing these first two games, this year's Global Series in Prague created new experiences and unforgettable memories for many of the Sharks players and coaching staff, especially for Tomas Hertl playing in front of his family, friends, and fans in his hometown. On a side note, hopefully three of the Sharks' most promising young players, William Eklund, Thomas Bordeleau, and Ryan Merkley, can be inserted into the roster and getting some ice time in games sooner rather than later.

Next up, the Sharks return back home to San Jose, where they will have roughly five days to readjust, regroup, and get back into their regular routines before their official home opener on Friday against Brent Burns and the Carolina Hurricanes at 7:30 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

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Sharks 2022-23 Global Series Game 1 Recap: Predators 4, Sharks 1 (10/7/22)

 The Sharks drop their first game of the 2022-23 season and the first of a back-to-back set as part of the NHL Global Series in Prague to the Nashville Predators 4-1. 

Things were pretty even between the Sharks and Predators through the first period, but the Preds took control during the rest of the game. Kiefer Sherwood scored one minute into the start of this contest to put the Predators on the board first, while none other than the hometown guy Tomas Hertl ties the game for the Sharks seven minutes later. Timo Meier and Luke Kunin picked up assists on the Sharks’ only goal of the game. 

Early in the second period, Nashville regained their lead on a goal from Eeli Tolvanen. Shortly after, Jonah Gadjovich and Mark Borowiecki dropped the gloves and got into a scrum at the corner, leading to five-minute majors for both Gadjovich and Borowiecki. Later on in the middle frame, Nino Niederreiter scored his first in a Preds uniform to extend the Preds' lead to two. The Predators capped off their victory in the first game of the Global Series late in the third on an empty-netter from Matt Duchene. 

James Reimer made some big stops in big moments, recording a total of 28 saves. However, the Predators' offense and Sharks' subpar defense didn't help his cause. 

Although the Sharks' showed flashes from last year's team in the opening game loss, this was a very meaningful and significant game for Tomas Hertl, who received an overwhelming amount of support from the crowd in his native Czech Republic. It was only fitting that he scored not only on his home turf, but the first goal of the season for the Sharks. 

Luckily this is only San Jose's first game of the new season. Team Teal is looking to bounce back against the Preds in the second and final game of the Global Series at O2 Arena in Prague tomorrow, with puck drop at 11 am PT. I will consider the Global Series in Prague a success for the Sharks if they can split this two-game set with the Predators tomorrow. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App 

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Sharks Defeat Eisbaren Berlin 3-1 in 2022 NHL Global Series Challenge

 The Sharks played their final exhibition game before the official 2022-23 campaign in interesting fashion, defeating Eisbaren Berlin 3-1 at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin. 

The Polar Bears scored the first goal in the second period via Giovanni Fiore before the Sharks tallied three unanswered soon after. The first two Sharks goals were scored by Tomas Hertl from Timo Meier and a deflection by Steven Lorentz on a shot from Erik Karlsson. The added insurance came in the third period via Luke Kunin from Mario Ferraro. Despite the Sharks dominating much of this game, Eisbaren put up a solid fight in this exhibition match. 

James Reimer made nine saves before he was replaced by Kaapo Kahkonen in the middle of the second period, who made nine saves as well. 

Although this game didn't have any significant meaning attached to it, this was still a fun game to watch, and exhibition games like this where an NHL game faces off against a top team in a different league overseas occur roughly once in a blue moon. As for Eisbaren Berlin, they have been the best team in the DEL, the top hockey league in Germany, for the past few seasons and are expected to remain that way this coming season. In all, the Sharks finished this preseason with a 5-1 record. 

San Jose opens their regular season with a home-and-home set on Friday and Saturday against the Predators in Prague, with each game starting at 11 am PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App 

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My 2022-23 NHL Regular Season Standings Predictions

 

The NHL regular season is just around the corner, and to prepare for the upcoming season, it's time to give my standings predictions. Like in the past two years, I will predict how each NHL team finishes at the end of the regular season in their respective divisions. However, I won't consider how many total points each team will end up with come the end of the regular season. As usual, the top three teams in each division make the playoffs, and two additional teams from each conference get in via the wild card. 

In addition, I don't expect every prediction of mine to be correct due to the NHL's wildly unpredictable nature. Due to how the past three seasons went for the Sharks and the moves they made this past offseason, I don't expect San Jose to be a playoff team, but I hope they prove me wrong and surprise many in the hockey world. Without further ado, presenting my 2022-23 regular season standings predictions: 

Atlantic

1) Tampa Bay Lightning

2) Florida Panthers

3) Toronto Maple Leafs

4) Boston Bruins

5) Ottawa Senators

6) Detroit Red Wings

7) Buffalo Sabres

8) Montreal Canadiens

Metropolitan

1) Carolina Hurricanes

2) New York Rangers

3) Pittsburgh Penguins

4) Washington Capitals

5) New York Islanders

6) Columbus Blue Jackets

7) New Jersey Devils

8) Philadelphia Flyers

Central

1) Colorado Avalanche

2) St. Louis Blues

3) Nashville Predators

4) Minnesota Wild

5) Winnipeg Jets

6) Dallas Stars

7) Arizona Coyotes

8) Chicago Blackhawks

Pacific 

1) Calgary Flames

2) Edmonton Oilers

3) Los Angeles Kings

4) Vegas Golden Knights

5) Vancouver Canucks

6) Anaheim Ducks

7) San Jose Sharks

8) Seattle Kraken 

Although my expectations for the Sharks are lower than before, I can't wait for another exciting and eventful NHL season!

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Sharks News & Notes (10/1/22)

 Nearly all of the Sharks' preseason games have wrapped up, in addition to a few updates worth discussing with the season less than a week away. Let's begin: 

Here's how the past four Sharks preseason games went down: 

• Sharks 5, Ducks 4 (9/27/22) 
• Sharks 3, Kings 1 (9/28/22) 
• Sharks 7, Golden Knights 3 (9/30/22) (Capped off by a Danil Guschin hat trick)
  
• Ducks 4, Sharks 1 (9/30/22) 

Team Teal's last exhibition game is Tuesday against Eisbaren Berlin in Berlin, Germany before they begin their regular season Friday in Prague. 

Update 1: Despite the Czech Foreign Ministry initially stating that Russian NHL players wouldn't be welcome in Prague during the Global Series games next week due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it will now allow Russian NHL players to participate in the Global Series games after all, which is the right decision. 

Update 2: After being added to the Sharks on a professional tryout and performing well during training camp, defenseman Scott Harrington was signed and added to the roster on a one-year, two-way deal worth $750k at the NHL level and $350k at the AHL level. 

In addition, the Sharks announced five new members of their hockey operations staff. They are as follows: 

• Domink Zrim, Director of Salary Cap Management/CBA Compliance (also co-founder of popular hockey business/transaction site CapFriendly) 
• A.J Bernstein, Hockey Analytics Coordinator 
• Martin Uhnak, European Scout (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Switzerland) 
• Cody Ward, Assistant Video Coach 
• Brian Ganz, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach 
• Stephen DiLustro promoted to Director of Strength and Conditioning 

 Stay tuned to CPF Hockey for more Sharks news and updates. 

Multiple sources contributed to this post. 

Become one of the first to own a piece of my hockey apparel (pictured below): CPF Store