Sharks 2022-23 Game 25 Recap: Sharks 4, Canadiens 0 (11/29/22)

 The Sharks start their Eastern Canadian road trip off with a bang as they shut out the Montreal Canadiens 4-0. 

This is now the Sharks’ seventh-straight win in Montreal, as the Sharks have had the Canadiens’ number in recent years. Team Teal opened the scoring early in the first period via Matt Nieto from Alexander Barabanov and Logan Couture. The Canadiens challenged it for offsides, but the goal stood after further review. The Sharks had some significant penalty kills in the second period, along with big shot block by Matt Benning to preserve their 1-0 lead. The scoring didn't pick back up until early in the third period, when the Sharks scored two more just minutes apart via Tomas Hertl's sixth goal of the season and Logan Couture's 13th goal of the season. The Sharks' third goal of the game was also Cooch's seventh goal in the past eight games and ninth of the month, going five-hole on a breakaway. Kevin Labanc, Nick Cicek, Matt Benning, and Marc-Eduoard Vlasic all assisted on the Sharks' second and third goals in this one. Lastly, Team Teal topped this one off with a few minutes remaining with an empty-netter for Tomas Hertl's second goal of the game from Kevin Labanc and Timo Meier.

Kaapo Kahkonen bounced back from his previous two starts in a huge way, recording 28 saves and his first shutout as a Shark. In addition, Jeff Viel was recently called up from the Barracuda and made his first appearance for the Sharks this season against the Canadiens in Montreal. This was meaningful and a dream come true for Viel as he grew up a Habs fan, would frequently attend games at the Bell Centre as a child, and always wanted to play in that building when he got to the NHL. 

Overall, this is a massive win for this Sharks team, as it helps them gain some confidence and put some of their recent struggles behind them. Kaapo Kahkonen's best performance of the season is just what this team needed, and hopefully they can continue to build on this and be more consistent. Next up, the Sharks travel to Toronto to face the Maple Leafs for the second game of a back-to-back set tonight at 4 pm PT. 

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

Give the gift of CPF apparel this holiday season (sample pictured below): CPF Store

Sharks 2022-23 Game 24 Recap: Canucks 4, Sharks 3 (OT) (11/27/22)

 The Canucks and Sharks traded scoring chances and went down to the wire, but the Sharks ended up on the wrong side of this one in a 4-3 overtime loss.

The Canucks strike first in the first period via Kyle Burroughs. Team Teal answered back late in the second period in unusual fashion: the initial shot by Matt Benning was deflected by Nick Bonino, went off the back of Luke Kunin and over a few Canucks defenders, and bounced into the net. This is credited as Luke Kunin's fourth goal of the season, making it 1-1 through two periods of play. What an unbelievable sequence.

The Sharks went ahead fairly early in the third period on Logan Couture's 12th goal of the season on the power play, with assists from Erik Karlsson and Alexander Barabanov, only for the Canucks to tie it up again shortly after via Ilya Mikheyev. A few minutes later, Elias Pettersson tipped one in to give the Canucks another one-goal lead. In a matter of minutes, Luke Kunin scores his second goal of the game on a great setup from Erik Karlsson to tie the game at three and send it to OT. 

It wasn't long into overtime when a costly turnover by Timo Meier ultimately lead to a breakaway chance by Andrei Kuzmenko, who scored the game-winning goal in overtime for the Canucks. Timo meant to pass the puck to Tomas Hertl when Hertl was heading to the bench, leading to a slow line change by the Sharks, miscommunication, and the breakaway by Vancouver that won them the game.

Kaapo Kahkonen was given the start in net, making a total of 16 saves. In addition, prior to this game, Mario Ferraro was placed on the IR with a lower-body injury, and Scott Harrington was recalled from the Barracuda. However, Harrington was inactive against the Canucks Sunday night.

The Sharks had a great third period to at least earn a point and played well enough to win, but a few untimely and costly miscues are the main factors as to why the Canucks won their fourth straight game against the Sharks Sunday night. Most importantly, this Sharks team has proved that they can hang in there, remain resilient, and have some of the pieces in place to win games. Next up, the Sharks head out on a lengthy road trip to Eastern Canada, with the first stop in Montreal against the Canadiens on Tuesday at 4 pm PT. 

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

Give the gift of CPF apparel this holiday season (sample pictured below): CPF Store

 

Sharks 2022-23 Game 23 Recap: Kings 5, Sharks 2 (11/25/22)

 The Sharks drop their first meeting with the LA Kings and the debut of their Reverse Retro 2.0 sweaters 5-2. 

The Kings set the tone in this game from the get-go. Adrian Kempe scored 42 seconds in for the Kings, but it was challenged for offsides and overturned. LA scored the actual first goal of the game at around the nine-minute mark of the first period via Jaret Anderson-Dolan. About four minutes later, Kevin Labanc puts the Sharks on the board to tie it at one with his fourth goal of the season, with helpers from Timo Meier and Tomas Hertl. With about two minutes remaining in the first frame, Philip Danault pots one in on the man advantage to give the Kings a 2-1 lead through one period of play. 

Early in the second period, Viktor Arvidsson scores to give LA a two-goal lead. The Sharks answered back late in the second period on Alexander Barabanov's third goal of the year. 

The Kings were on cruise control in the final frame, as Rasmus Kupari scores early in the period to regain the Kings' two-goal lead, and Anze Kopitar puts one in the empty net late in the third to seal the deal. 

James Reimer wasn't his best, recording 24 saves in the loss and his defense letting him down once again. 

I didn't watch this game live because I was attending a completely different game that night, but this was a frustrating result. On a more positive note, the Sharks' new Reverse Retro threads look great on the ice. The Sharks conclude their current homestand Sunday against the Vancouver Canucks at 5 pm PT before heading out on their next road trip to Eastern Canada and Buffalo. 

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

Give the gift of CPF apparel this holiday season (sample pictured below): CPF Store

Sharks 2022-23 Game 22 Recap: Kraken 8, Sharks 5 (11/23/22)

 Timo Meier scored his 4th career hat trick, but the Sharks lose to the Seattle Kraken 8-5 in only the 5th all-time meeting between these two clubs. This also marked the first time the Kraken scored eight goals in a game in franchise history. 

There are at least a few positives from this game for Team Teal, but this was still a terrible, subpar, and unacceptable result, especially since they gave up eight goals to the NHL's newest team. The Sharks scored first early in the first period on Logan Couture's 11th goal of the season, which he tipped in on a shot from Nick Cicek, who earned his second NHL point on this play. Matt Nieto earned the other assist on the Sharks' first goal of the game. Towards the middle of the first period, the Kraken tied it at one on a power play goal via Andre Burakovsky. Late in the first period, Timo Meier scored his first goal of the game on a 4-on-3 opportunity to go ahead 2-1 through one period of play. Erik Karlsson collected his 30th point of the season with an assist on the Sharks' second goal, while Logan Couture was credited with the other assist on that goal.

 The second period featured a string of three unanswered goals from the Kraken, starting near the six-minute mark with goals from Vince Dunn, Ryan Donato, and Jamie Oleksiak. Later on, Timo Meier scored his second goal of the game to get within one, making it 4-3 Kraken through two periods of play. Tomas Hertl was credited with the only assist on Timo's second goal of the game. 

Early in the third period, the Sharks tied the game at four on a redirection from Alexander Barabanov on the initial shot from Matt Benning. Marc-Eduoard Vlasic picked up the other helper on the equalizer. It wasn't long before the Kraken went back ahead in a matter of minutes on goals from Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jaden Schwartz. Near the halfway point of the third period, Timo Meier completed the hat trick with his third goal of the contest, with assists from Kevin Labanc and Tomas Hertl. This got the Sharks back within one and back in this game, only for any chance to complete any kind of comeback to slip away soon after. Matty Beniers scored to put Seattle back up by two, and Jaden Schwartz sealed the deal with an empty-netter for his second goal of the game.

Kaapo Kahkonen was given the start in net in Seattle against the Kraken, recording 19 saves and giving up seven goals. Aaron Dell was the backup goalie for Kajkonen, as James Reimer is currently out with a lower-body injury. In addition, Radim Simek was activated off the IR but was inactive in this game, while Nico Sturm was moved to the IR in place of Simek.

What this game came down to was the Sharks' defense completely falling apart, resulting in them allowing the Kraken to put an eight-spot on the scoreboard. It has happened plenty of times for the Sharks during this season when a player or two has a phenomenal performance, only for another aspect of the team to waste it and lose the game. I have gotten used to things being this way for this team, and I've had enough. The Sharks return home to face the LA Kings for the first time this season on Friday at 7:30 pm PT, when they will debut their new Reverse Retro jerseys for this season.

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

Give the gift of CPF apparel this holiday season (sample pictured below): CPF Store

 

Sharks 2022-23 Game 21 Recap: Sharks 5, Senators 1 (11/21/22)

 A huge second period and an excellent performance in net from Kaapo Kahkonen helped lift the Sharks over the Ottawa Senators 5-1. 

This was also the Sharks' first win at home in regulation since April 23 against the Blackhawks. Team Teal needed this one, especially since they have had only one win at home prior to this game.  First off, the Sharks scored early in the first via Noah Gregor's first goal of the season, with assists from Luke Kunin and Matt Benning. The Senators tied the game at one about seven minutes later on a goal from Tim Stutzle. 

The Sharks began the second period off with a bang, as Timo Meier scores from a sharp angle on the feed from Erik Karlsson to gain a 2-1 lead. It took about two-and-a-half minutes into the second period for Nick Cicek to record his first NHL fight, with it being against Mark Kastelic. Team Teal extended their lead to two when Matt Nieto tipped in a shot from Matt Benning for his third goal in four games, prompting the Senators to replace Cam Talbot in net with Anton Forsberg. Alexander Barabanov collected the other assist on that play. Tomas Hertl capped off a big second period with his fifth goal of the season, deflecting a shot from Logan Couture on the man advantage at around the 16-minute mark to make it a three-goal lead. Luke Kunin also picked up his second assist of the game on Team Teal's third-straight goal. 

With about a minute left in regulation, Logan Couture sealed the deal with an empty-netter from the other end of the ice for his tenth goal of the year. Luke Kunin picked up his third assist of the night, while Jaycob Megna recorded the other assist on the empty-netter. 

Kaapo Kahkonen was outstanding in net against the Senators, making 37 saves and earning his second win of the season. This was also a statement win for Kahkonen, as he proved that he deserves more starts and to be in the Sharks' goalie tandem. 

Overall, this was an all-around great win for the Sharks to bounce back from their previous two games. Next up, Team Teal will travel to Seattle for a quick road trip to face the Kraken for the first time this season on Wednesday at 7 pm PT. 

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

Give the gift of CPF apparel this holiday season (sample pictured below): CPF Store

 

Sharks 2022-23 Game 20 Recap: Rangers 2, Sharks 1 (11/19/22)

 The Sharks’ offense couldn’t get going for much of this game as they lose this one late in the third period 2-1 to the New York Rangers. 

This was also the season finale between these two teams, and it is very difficult for a team like the Sharks to sweep a season series against a team as good as the Rangers are this year. It was scoreless for two periods and most of the third period, but this doesn't mean nothing significant occurred during those scoreless periods. Nico Sturm briefly went to the dressing room late in the first period after Ryan Carpenter laid a big hit on him from behind, but fortunately he returned to the bench around the start of the second period. James Reimer made some huge saves during those scoreless periods and throughout the game in general, and Steven Lorentz made a big stop of his own as well. 

Late in the third period was when the scoring began. It first happened around the 14-minute mark by Julien Gauthier to put the Rangers on the board, followed by an empty-netter by Adam Fox around the 19-minute mark to put the Rangers up by two. Logan Couture helped the Sharks avoid getting shut out with 17 seconds remaining in regulation with his ninth goal of the season, with assists from Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier. 

James Reimer made a total of 41 saves in the 2-1 loss to the Rangers. He has been having more quality starts in net this season than Kaapo Kahkonen, therefore earning more ice time and starts between the two goalies. This game also marked Barclay Goodrow's return to the Tank for the first time since he was traded to the Lightning at the trade deadline during the 2019-20 season.

Overall, this wasn't a great game from the Sharks' perspective, but it could've been worse. I only say that it could've been worse is because the Sharks were in it the entire game and they didn't get completely blown out. This team really needs to start performing better at home. On a more positive note, fans in attendance at this game received free Sharks-49ers white and red shirseys, and the players wore different white and red Sharks-49ers collab jerseys during warmups, which both looked pretty cool. Next up, the Sharks host the Ottawa Senators on Monday at 7:30 pm PT. 

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

Give the gift of CPF apparel this holiday season (sample pictured below): CPF Store

 

Sharks 2022-23 Game 19 Recap: Red Wings 7, Sharks 4 (11/17/22)

 The Sharks' three-game win streak has been snapped, as they lose 7-4 to the Detroit Red Wings. 

Team Teal had a chance in this one, but the Red Wings were too much for the Sharks to handle. There were some positives from this game, but the home woes continue. The Sharks struck first fairly early in the first, with Erik Karlsson making an incredible behind-the-back, between-the-legs pass to Kevin Labanc, who deposits it into the net. Timo Meier picked up the other assist on the first goal by Kevin Labanc. About a few minutes later, Filip Hronek tied the game at one for the Red Wings. Soon after the 1-1 tie, Matt Nieto scores his third goal of the season to go ahead 2-1, with Erik Karlsson picking up his second assist of the game and Nick Cicek picking up his first NHL point on that play. In addition, this marks Erik Karlsson's ninth multi-point game of the season. 

The Red Wings scored the next two goals during the second half of the middle frame via David Perron and Jake Walman to get their first lead of the night 3-2 through two periods of play. 

Early in the third period, Joe Veleno scores to extend the Red Wings' lead to two. Around the midway point of the third period, the Sharks scored the next two goals: Logan Couture to get within one and Erik Karlsson to tie at four after the latter's shot made a lucky deflection off of the backside of Andrew Copp to find the back of the net. EK65 now has a total of four points on the night, and the only player in the NHL to currently have more points than him this season is Connor McDavid. Jaycob Megna, Kevin Labanc, and Tomas Hertl also recorded assists on the Sharks' last two goals of the game. Late in the third, it was all Red Wings from there as Moritz Seider scored the go-ahead goal and the game-winner to put Detroit up 5-4. this was followed by another goal a few-minutes later in which Pius Suter dodged a poke check by James Reimer when he was out of his crease, putting Reimer in a vulnerable position for the easy tap-in. Lastly, the Red Wings added an empty-net dagger with 1:15 remaining via Dominik Kubalik to put up a seven-spot and win by three. 

James Reimer didn't have his best performance in net at home against the Red Wings, making 14 saves on 20 shots against. 

In other news, a recent report suggested that the Sharks have spoken to the Ottawa Senators about a potential trade for Erik Karlsson to return to Ottawa, but it was nothing too serious. On the other hand, the NHL introduced a new rule stating that players that entered the league starting in the 2019-20 season and later will be required to wear helmets in warmups going forward. All other players can decide for themselves if they want to wear helmets in warmups or not. This new rule is designed to further prevent head injuries but at the same time is ridiculous and doesn't make much of, if not any difference in that regard. 

The Sharks have fallen down to earth after returning home from a great road trip in which they took three of four games. Although they had some momentum and big performances from certain players, they didn't have much momentum, and this didn't feel very good. They will try to fix their struggles at home in their next game on Saturday, when they face the New York Rangers at 7:30 pm PT.

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App, NHL Discussion via Instagram 

Give the gift of CPF apparel this holiday season (sample pictured below): CPF Store

 

Sharks 2022-23 Game 18 Recap: Sharks 5, Ducks 2 (11/15/22)

 The Sharks extend their win streak to three as they conclude their current four-game road trip with a 5-2 win over the Golden Knights in Vegas, possibly their best win of the season so far. 

Team Teal got off to a slow start to this one, but they stayed in it for the whole game and had the momentum tilt in their favor as the game progressed. This is also a huge win in the fact that the Golden Knights have been the top team in the Western Conference this season, and the Sharks earned their first win at T-Mobile Arena in regulation since Game 5 of the 2019 playoffs. 

The first period was almost scoreless until about four seconds remaining when Jack Eichel ripped one past James Reimer to put the Golden Knights on the board. The Sharks tied the game at one towards the middle of the second period via Luke Kunin, with assists from Erik Karlsson and Nico Sturm. Soon after, Erik Karlsson stumbles and falls back to create an odd-man rush heading the other way for the second time in a three-period span. Luckily, James Reimer made the stop on that odd-man rush. Late in the second, Jonathan Marchessault scores to put the Knights up 2-1 through two periods of play. 

The third period was when the Sharks' offense came alive and took over this game. Early on, Matt Nieto scored his second goal of the season to tie the game at two, getting helpers from Alexander Barabanov and Marc-Eduoard Vlasic. Later in the third with about three minutes remaining, Logan Couture makes a great pass to Timo Meier, who buries it for the go-ahead goal and the game-winner. In addition, Alexander Barabanov recorded his second assist of the game on the Timo Time game-winner. The Sharks added on two empty netters for good measure from Logan Couture and Mario Ferraro to seal this one up. Tomas Hertl and Erik Karlsson picked up the assists on the first empty-netter from Cooch. 

James Reimer had another solid performance in net, recording 24 saves. Yesterday, in preparation for this game, the Sharks had placed Radim Simek on the injured reserve and recalled defenseman Nick Cicek from the Barracuda in the NHL, with the latter making his NHL debut against the Golden Knights. 

This win felt amazing, especially with the odds stacked against the Sharks. San Jose has been playing well, finding its scoring touch, and improving their defense lately, taking three of four on their most recent road trip. This group has proved that they're resilient and capable of winning games, and they shouldn't be counted out in big situations. Next up, the Sharks return home to SAP Center for their next three games starting on Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings at 7:30 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Give the gift of CPF apparel this holiday season (sample pictured below): CPF Store

 

Sharks 2022-23 Game 17 Recap: Sharks 3, Wild 2 (SO) (11/13/22)

 The Sharks come from behind in the third period and get it done in the shootout against the Minnesota Wild for their fifth win of the season 3-2. 

Team Teal didn't get off to the best start in this one, but that didn't matter as they made up for it later on. The Wild scored the first goal of the game in the first period via Freddy Gaudreau to make it 1-0 in favor of Minnesota through two periods. Although the second period was scoreless, Radim Simek had to leave the game after the elbow of Mason Shaw made contact with Simek's head. 

Early in the third while on the power play, a mishap by Erik Karlsson in which he fell backwards while handling the puck created a 2-on-0 opportunity for the Wild that led to a goal by Connor Dewar to extend the Wild's lead to two. This mishap could've proven costly to the Sharks, but this was only until about six minutes left in regulation, when Steven Lorentz put the Sharks on the board with his second goal of the season. Marc-Eduoard Vlasic and Matt Benning assisted on the Sharks' first goal of the game. Two minutes later, the Sharks tied the game at two via Nico Sturm to force bonus hockey, with Erik Karlsson and Marc-Eduoard Vlasic collecting the assists on the equalizer. 

Unlike their last three shootouts this season, this one in Minnesota went the Sharks' way. Kirill Kaprizov scored the first successful attempt of the shootout in the third round for the Wild. Nick Bonino made his attempt in the sixth round for the Sharks, but the difference-maker Alexander Barabanov's first shootout attempt of his NHL career in the tenth round, in which he went five-hole and scored the game-winner.

James Reimer was excellent in net against the Wild, recording 28 saves. In addition, EK65 logged just over 34 minutes of ice time in the victory over the Wild, his most as a Shark. 

This Sharks team has been finding its groove and getting better as the season progresses, which is great to see. Their upcoming schedule isn't getting any easier, but hopefully they can remain consistent and compile even more of a win streak. Next up, Team Teal makes one last stop on their current road trip in Vegas against the Golden Knights on Tuesday at 7 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Give the gift of CPF apparel this holiday season (sample pictured below): CPF Store

 

Sharks 2022-23 Game 16 Recap: Sharks 5, Stars 4 (11/11/22)

 The Sharks staved off a late comeback from the Stars and held on to snap a five-game skid in a 5-4 victory in Dallas. 

This is a big relief for this Sharks team that they got over the hump and back in the win column for their fourth win of the season. But first, I have to start with how this game began. With under five minutes into the first period, Jamie Benn scores to put the Stars on the board. The Sharks answer back a few minutes later on the man advantage via Alexander Barabanov's first goal of the season, with assists from Tomas Hertl and Logan Couture. Team Teal gained their first lead of the night about six minutes later on a goal by Evgeny Svechnikov from Oskar Lindblom and Steven Lorentz, only to lose that lead right before the first intermission on Jamie Benn's second of the game for the Stars to tie it at two. 

Early in the second period, Timo Meier scores his seventh goal of the season, extending his point and goal streak to five games. Kevin Labanc recorded the lone assist on the Timo Meier goal. It was only a matter of seconds before the Sharks built a two-goal lead via Logan Couture's sixth goal of the year. Alexander Barabanov picked up the lone helper on the Captain Cooch goal. Late in the middle frame, Logan Couture fought Jamie Benn in a very unlikely tilt to complete his first-ever Gordie Howe hat trick (goal, assist, and fight). 

The Sharks' first line continues to stay productive early in the third period, with Tomas Hertl scoring his fourth goal of the season to extend San Jose's lead to three. Timo Meier and Jaycob Megna were credited with the assists on what was also Hertl's 400th point of his NHL career. A bit later in the third, the Stars mounted a comeback, adding two more goals via Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski to cut their deficit to one. It seemed at that point as if the Stars had all the momentum late in the third, and the Sharks were bound to blow yet another multi-goal lead and find another way to lose. Fortunately, Team Teal never lost their lead in the third period and held on for a much-needed win. 

James Reimer was back in net against the Stars, recording 25 saves.

San Jose needed this win badly and got the job done. It may have been a bit ugly, but they should be okay with any kind of win this season to inject more confidence in this group and continue to show the hockey world that they have something to prove. Not only has the top forward line been excellent thus far, but the Sharks have been able to find scoring from their depth forwards as well, which was a huge factor in helping them get back into the win column. Hopefully this is the beginning of a lengthy hot streak for the Sharks. Next up, the Sharks travel to Minnesota to face the Wild on Sunday at 3 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Give the gift of CPF apparel this holiday season (sample pictured below): CPF Store

 

Sharks 2022-23 Game 15 Recap: Blues 5, Sharks 3 (11/10/22)

 The Sharks drop their fifth straight game as the St. Louis Blues were the more desperate team and won 5-3 to end their franchise-record eight-game skid. 

Team Teal is so close, yet they can’t seem to get over the hump. This one all came down to the Sharks’ lack of scoring depth and woes in the defensive zone. Although this was a terrible loss, there were some positive aspects to take from this game, which I will get to later in this post. The Blues opened the scoring two and a half minutes into beginning frame via Torey Krug. The Sharks got the equalizer late in the first, which was last touched by Timo Meier for his sixth goal of the season and fourth consecutive game with a goal. Erik Karlsson made the initial shot that Timo Meier made contact with for the 1-1 tie and his 20th point in 15 games this season, one shy of a Sharks franchise record set by Patrick Marleau during the 2009-10 season. Kevin Labanc was credited with the other assist on the Sharks' first goal of the game. 

The Blues took the lead relatively early in the second period on the power play via Jordan Kyrou. Team Teal answered back about six minutes later on Tomas Hertl's third goal of the year, with Kevin Labanc recording his second assist of the game and Mario Ferraro picking up the other assist on the Sharks' second goal of the game. With about two minutes remaining in the second period, the Blues went back ahead 3-2 on a goal by Brandon Saad. 

Early in the final frame, Logan Couture tipped one in from Erik Karlsson for his fifth goal of the season to tie it at three. This would also be EK65's second assist of the night. However, when the Sharks had a chance to get things done and win against a struggling Blues team, they couldn't, as Calle Rosen scores the game-winner for the Blues later in the third and Noel Acciari adds the extra insurance with an empty-netter with seconds remaining in the game. 

Kaapo Kahkonen received the nod in net but couldn't get bailed out by the rest of the team, recording 28 saves on 32 shots against. In addition, this marked Jaycob Megna's 100th NHL game and Tomas Hertl’s 600th NHL game. 

The Sharks' first midwest road trip of the season is off to a slow and awful start. I had a gut feeling that the Blues would do everything they can to end their 8-game losing streak against this Sharks team and be successful in doing so because that's how this season is going for Team Teal. They have to forget this one and improve quickly, as the Sharks play their next game tonight in Dallas against the Stars in the second game of a back-to-back set at 5:30 pm PT.

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Give the gift of CPF apparel this holiday season (sample pictured below): CPF Store

Sharks 2022-23 Game 14 Recap: Ducks 5, Sharks 4 (SO) (11/5/22)

 The Sharks have dropped their fourth straight game and third straight in the shootout to close out their current homestand, a 5-4 shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks. 

Like the last few games, this was another close one that was winnable for the Sharks, but they let it slip away. They had a lead in the third period but continue to allow goals late in the third period to force bonus hockey and find ways to shoot themselves in the foot. Before diving into how this all happened, I must begin with how this game started. Kevin Labanc opened the scoring for the Sharks in the first period with his second goal of the season, with assists from Timo Meier and Matt Benning. It had found the back of the net after going off John Klingberg's stick. Soon after, Jonah Gadjovich and Nathan Beaulieu dropped the gloves and fought. Later in the first, the Ducks scored the next two goals via Brett Leason and Max Comtois to go up 2-1 through one period of play. 

Towards the middle of the second period, Timo Meier scored his fifth goal of the season to tie it at two, with Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl picking up assists. The Sharks went ahead late in the second on a tip-in by Luke Kunin on a shot from Tomas Hertl on the power play. Kevin Labanc picked up the secondary assist on the Kunin go-ahead goal. The Ducks challenged it for offsides, but the goal stood. 

The Sharks extended their lead to two towards the middle of the third period on Tomas Hertl's second goal of the season, with Timo Meier being credited with the lone assist on this goal. Team Teal should've won this game in regulation at this point, but like in the previous game, they couldn't hold it together late in regulation, allowing two late-period goals by Mason McTavish and Adam Henrique to tie the game at four and force bonus hockey. 

Anaheim set the tone for the shootout in round two with off-pace, fake-out moves by Trevor Zegras that completely fooled James Reimer, resulting in a goal. As for the Sharks, Kevin Labanc and Nick Bonino made their shootout attempts in the third and fifth rounds. However, Mason McTavish scored right after Bones to keep this game going. The real difference-maker in the shootout was Adam Henrique's attempt in the tenth round to win it for the Ducks, resulting in another disappointing defeat for Team Teal. 

James Reimer had arguably his worst performance in net Saturday night making 21 saves on 25 shots against and letting in some softies. 

On a more positive note, the Sharks are on a three-game point streak and seem to be getting better as the season progresses, but can't finish late in games and take the next step to win games. Tomas Hertl had a three-point night and Erik Karlsson continues his point streak, but these great performances continue to go to waste by the Sharks finding ways to lose nearly every time. This is getting ridiculous. San Jose doesn't play again until Thursday, when they begin their next road trip in St. Louis to face the Blues at 5 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

P.S. Become one of the first to own a piece of my hockey apparel (pictured below) (Baseball merch now available as well): CPF Store

 

Sharks 2022-23 Game 13 Recap: Panthers 4, Sharks 3 (SO) (11/3/22)

 The Sharks had a great third period with an incredible comeback effort, but a last minute goal by the Panthers in regulation to force OT and bad luck in the skills competition leads to the Sharks finding another way to lose, a 4-3 heartbreaking shootout loss to the Florida Panthers. 

Here we have another winnable game that Team Teal lets slip away. Early in the first period, Luke Kunin received a match penalty and was ejected after laying a hit on Patric Hornqvist in which Kunin's shoulder made contact with Hornqvist's chin. This will automatically go to a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety, and I anticipate that this will result in a one or two game suspension for Kunin. The Panthers scored first late in the first on a goal from Aleksander Barkov to take a 1-0 lead through one period of play. 

The Panthers extended their lead to two late in the second period on a goal by Radko Gudas. A boarding call against Gudas on Timo Meier with about seven seconds remaining in the second period along with a delay of game/puck over glass against Gustav Forsling early in the third set up a 5-on-3 for the Sharks that allowed Timo Meier to score his fourth goal of the season to get the Sharks on the board and cut the Sharks' deficit to one. Alexander Barabanov and Erik Karlsson picked up the assists on the Sharks first goal of the game on the two-man advantage. Five and a half minutes later, Erik Karlsson further continues his hot start by scoring his tenth goal of the season, tying the game at two. EK65's ten goals in the first 13 games of the season now sets a post-WWII record for an NHL defenseman. Nick Bonino was credited with the lone assist on Erik Karlsson's tenth goal of the season. About five minutes later, the Sharks took their first lead of the night on Matt Benning's first goal of the season, stringing together three unanswered goals for Team Teal in the third period. Erik Karlsson picks up his second helper of the game and his third point of the night, while Logan Couture is credited with the secondary assist on the Matt Benning goal. This should've been good enough for the Sharks to win this one, but as mentioned at the beginning of this post, they let this one slip away in typical Sharks fashion. With about 1:22 remaining in regulation, Carter Verhaeghe scores to tie the game at three for the Panthers to send the game to an extra period. In addition Matthew Tkachuk had a three-point night for the Panthers with three assists in this game.

During the OT period, the Sharks took their first minor penalty of the night, which was for too many men on the ice, but luckily it wasn't a complete death blow for them. However, it took four rounds of the shootout to decide this one, with Sam Reinhart scoring on his attempt to give the Panthers the extra point and the victory. 

James Reimer was solid in net and made several clutch stops in the shootout loss, recording a total of 41 saves. 

The Sharks should've won this game in regulation after their third consecutive goal in the third period. However, after Florida tied the game late in the third, I had a sense of impending doom that the Sharks would find another way to lose, and I was right. Another great effort by the Sharks offense has been overshadowed and wasted by another disappointing loss. San Jose will try to improve and redeem themselves in their next game on Saturday, facing the Anaheim Ducks for the second time this week to close out their current homestand. Puck drop for Saturday's game is at 7 pm PT. 

Sources: Sharks Audio Network, NHL App 

P.S. Become one of the first to own a piece of my hockey apparel (pictured below) (Baseball merch now available as well): CPF Store

 

Sharks 2022-23 Game 12 Recap: Ducks 6, Sharks 5 (SO) (11/1/22)

 The first meeting of the season between the Sharks and Ducks was highlighted by a high-scoring affair and an Erik Karlsson hat trick. However, the Sharks were on the wrong end of this one, losing to the Ducks 6-5 in a shootout. 

There were lots of good in this game for the Sharks, and they could've won this game, but it all came down to the shootout. This historic night wasn't deserving of its end result, but we'll get to that specifically in a bit. Early on before the scoring began, Evgeny Svechnikov took a puck to the face when blocking a shot, but luckily he was fine and stayed in the game. As for the scoring, it began by the Ducks about five minutes into the first period via Adam Henrique. About a minute later, Erik Karlsson scores the first of his three goals of the game, with assists from Evgeny Svechnikov and Tomas Hertl. EK65 tallies the second of his three goals of the game seconds later to give the Sharks a 2-1 lead, this time getting assists from Jaycob Megna and Nico Sturm. It's possible that Sturm may have last touched the puck before Erik Karlsson's second goal found the back of the net, but the official scoring was changed to reflect that it was indeed EK65 who scored it. The Ducks added two more in the first period via Frank Vatrano and Adam Henrique's second goal of the game for the Ducks to go ahead 3-2 through one period of play. 

Team Teal continued to produce and score in alternating fashion, with Timo Meier scoring his first goal of the game and second goal of the season on the power play. In the process, he was tripped up at the blue line, but stayed with it the entire time to score this spectacular goal. Alexander Barabanov and Erik Karlsson picked up assists on the first Timo Time goal. Late in the second period, Ryan Strome scored to put the Ducks ahead 4-3, only for Jakob Silfverberg to put one in his own net seconds after, which was credited as Timo Meier's second goal of the game. In addition, Luke Kunin and Nathan Beaulieu fought early in the third period after Kunin laid a clean hit and Beaulieu went after Kunin to stick up for his teammate. 

During the second half of the third period, Max Comtois put the Ducks up 5-4, while Erik Karlsson tied the game at five about six minutes later with his third goal of the game to complete his first career hat trick. Tomas Hertl and Alexander Barabanov picked up the assists on Erik Karlsson's third goal of the game. About 30 seconds after this occurred, fans at SAP Center realized that EK65 recorded a hat trick, so the raining of hats onto the ice was a tad delayed. Karlsson also became the first Sharks defenseman to score a hat trick last night. In addition, this would force overtime and a shootout. 

As for the shootout, it started off pretty well with Logan Couture going five-hole and scoring during the Sharks' first attempt, only for Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry to score on the next two attempts for the Ducks. Erik Karlsson could've kept this game going in the shootout with his attempt, as it would be even more fitting and amazing if he had scored there, but he was stopped at the doorstep by Anthony Stolarz to seal the victory for the Ducks. 

Kaapo Kahkonen received the nod in net last night, recording 39 saves on 44 shots against. 

Despite the undesirable end result, the Sharks still picked up a point, and this game had the elements of a classic. Next up, the Sharks host the Florida Panthers at SAP Center on Thursday at 7:30 pm PT before they host the Ducks again in a matter of days on Saturday.

Sources: ESPN, NHL App

P.S. Become one of the first to own a piece of my hockey apparel (pictured below) (Baseball merch now available as well): CPF Store