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
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