Sharks 2022-23 Game 51 Recap: Sharks 6, Penguins 4 (1/28/23)

 The Sharks bounced back big time to get their first win of their current road trip and head into their All-Star break on a high note, defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-4. 

This felt amazing, relieving, and refreshing, especially after the collapse against the Hurricanes in the previous game. The Sharks struck first early in the first period on Mikey Eyssimont's second goal in two games, who has been looking like a great waiver-wire pickup lately. Logan Couture and Marc-Eduoard Vlasic collected the assists on the first goal. Later on in the first frame, the Pens tied the game at one and went ahead 2-1 on two different power play chances, with the first one by Evgeni Malkin and the second one by Sidney Crosby. Near the end of the first period, the Sharks knotted it up at two after Erik Karlsson tipped in a pass from Alexander Barabanov. This is EK65's 16th goal of the year, with Steven Lorentz recording the secondary assist on that equalizer. 

Team Teal went back on top on Noah Gregor's third goal of the season, with Logan Couture recording his second assist of the game on the go-ahead goal. About three minutes later, Jonah Gadjovich and Marcus Pettersson dropped the gloves and were involved in a real hockey fight. During the later half of the second period, Ryan Poehling evened it up at three for the Pens while they were shorthanded. The Sharks answered back with Alexander Barabanov scoring his seventh goal of the season from Logan Couture and Matt Benning to go up 4-3 through two periods of play. 

Around the ten-minute mark of the third period, Evgeni Malkin scored his second goal of the game to tie things at four. About five and a half minutes later, Logan Couture scores the go-ahead game-winner from Alexander Barabanov and Marc-Eduoard Vlasic to make it 5-4. Still late in the third period, Jason Zucker crunched Nico Sturm into the boards, which shook up Sturm enough to to where he was hurt and had trouble getting off the ice. In addition, the refs missed that dangerous hit into the boards by Zucker, which went unnoticed. That particular incident is usually penalized nine times out of ten and no call was made by the officials, which was ridiculous. Anyway, with ten seconds remaining, Logan Couture added an empty-netter for his second goal of the game to extend the Sharks' lead to two, capping off his first five-point performance of his career. In addition, Erik Karlsson tallied his 50th helper of the season on the empty-netter by Captain Clutchure. 

Not only was Couture's five-point performance a huge factor in the Sharks overcoming the Penguins in Pittsburgh, Kaapo Kahkonen was another big reason for their improbable win, recording 37 saves. Kevin Labanc and Scott Harrington were healthy scratches in this game, with David Quinn saying during the postgame press conference that Labanc's healthy scratches were performance-related more than anything. 

I initially didn't think this Sharks team had much of a chance against the Penguins after their epic collapse in Raleigh the previous night, but I'm thrilled that Team Teal overcame all odds and finally got a win on this tough road trip to snap their four-game skid. San Jose as a team will be off for ten days before they hit the road again for three more games, starting in Tampa against the Lightning on Tuesday, February 7 at 4 pm PT. In addition, Erik Karlsson will be heading to South Florida to represent the Sharks in this year's NHL All-Star festivities this Friday and Saturday. As in year's past, I will recap the skills competition and All-Star game from the Sharks' perspective once those events have been completed this coming weekend, so be on the lookout for that post soon. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App 

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 50 Recap: Hurricanes 5, Sharks 4 (OT) (1/27/23)

 The Sharks played well for most of this game and could've won in regulation, but a late-minute collapse in the third period allowed the Carolina Hurricanes to tie it up and win in come-from-behind fashion 5-4 in overtime.

Another disappointing, tough pill to swallow, but I will try not to complain too much about this one. The Sharks struck first late in the first period by Oskar Lindblom redirecting a shot from Evgeny Svechnikov. Steven Lorentz came up with the secondary assist on that first goal as well. The Hurricanes evened things up a few minutes later on a goal from Calvin de Haan to make it 1-1 through one period of play. 

 The second period was scoreless, but the best play of that frame was Timo Meier laying a great hit on Jaccob Slavin after Slavin hit a different Sharks player. The offense picked back up early in the third period, as Sebastian Aho scored to give the Canes a 2-1 lead. The Sharks evened things up soon after on a backhanded, top-shelf goal by Nick Bonino, with the lone assist on the equalizer going to Mikey Eyssimont. Eyssimont followed that up with his first goal as a Shark from Nico Sturm and Mario Ferraro to regain the lead for Team Teal.

With about two minutes remaining in regulation, the Sharks sealed the deal on an empty-netter by Mario Ferraro from Mikey Eyssimont. Or so we thought. Seconds after the empty-netter, the Canes stormed back with a goal by Sebastian Aho to get within one, and Martin Necas scored with twelve seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game at four and send it to bonus hockey. Carolina had all the momentum at this point, and they completed their comeback just under a minute into overtime on Martin Necas' second goal of the game to win 5-4. I also read an unbelievable stat regarding this game: this is now the second time the Sharks held a 4-2 lead in the third period having scored an empty-netter, only to lose 5-4 in OT. To make matters worse, these instances occurred within a three year span, with the first time happening during the 2019-20 season against the Washington Capitals, and the Sharks are the only team in NHL history to pull off this absolutely embarrassing statistic.

James Reimer started in net for his fifth start in the past six games, recording a total of 31 saves. In addition, Marc-Eduoard Vlasic was scratched due to being under the weather ahead of this game, and Jacob MacDonald made his Sharks debut after being acquired in the Matt Nieto & Ryan Merkley trade with the Avalanche on Wednesday. 

Overall, this game was great until the very end. This is glorified tanking at its finest. I can't put this into any more words, other than this Sharks team is an embarrassing dumpster fire that besides Tomas Hertl, Timo Meier, and Erik Karlsson, needs to completely blow it up and clean house if they want to move any closer to becoming the perennial playoff contender they once were. Any amount of hope I had in this team this season has practically disappeared, but I continue to watch and follow them closely for a few reasons. Those reasons are that I am a true diehard fan, and they are in the thick of potentially winning the Connor Bedard sweepstakes this offseason, with the latter possibly changing the course of this franchise for the better if all goes right. 

San Jose travels to Pittsburgh to face the Penguins for their last game before the NHL All-Star break tomorrow at 4 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App, Curtis Pashelka via Twitter

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Sharks Trade Matt Nieto and Ryan Merkley to Avalanche for Jacob MacDonald and Martin Kaut

 The Sharks and Avalanche announced a trade Wednesday night, with forward Matt Nieto and defenseman Ryan Merkley heading to the Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Jacob MacDonald and forward Martin Kaut. 

The Colorado Avalanche will be getting a solidified depth forward and a familiar face along with a young defenseman with a lot of offensive upside in this deal. This will be Long Beach Native Matt Nieto's second stint with the Avs, having played for them from 2016 to 2020. During this season with the Sharks so far, Nieto has recorded eight goals and seven assists for 15 points in 45 games. Until today, Matt Nieto was in the midst of his second stint with the Sharks since the 2021 season, finishing with 19 goals and 20 assists. Throughout both of his stints with the Sharks, Matt Nieto has totaled 47 goals and 62 assists for 109 points in 364 career games. 

Ryan Merkley is a disgruntled young defenseman who had a lot of potential and upside on offense and desired a change of scenery. This season, Merkley has tallied 14 points, all of which were assists, in 30 games with the Barracuda in the AHL. He also appeared in 39 games with the Sharks last season, tallying one goal and five assists for six points. In total, Merkley has two goals and 42 assists in 93 AHL games with the Barracuda. 

As for the Sharks' end of the deal, they receive a veteran defenseman and a young forward who also needed a change of scenery. Jacob MacDonald can also play the forward position and has 76 NHL games under his belt, recording a total of two goals and ten assists for 12 points with the Florida Panthers and Colorado Avalanche. In addition, MacDonald has 68 goals and 121 assists for 189 points in 271 AHL games with Springfield, Albany, Binghamton, and Colorado. He was most recently named to the AHL Second All-Star Team and the AHL All-Star Game in 2020 with the Colorado Eagles. 

Martin Kaut spent time with both the Avalanche and the Colorado Eagles in the AHL this season, recording one goal and two assists for three points in 27 games with the Avalanche, and five goals and three assists for eight points in ten AHL games with the Eagles. Last season, Kaut tallied 19 goals and 12 assists for 31 points in 46 regular season games with the Eagles, along with one goal and four assists for five points in nine playoff games. In total, Kaut has recorded three goals and three assists for six points in 47 NHL games, along with 47 goals and 52 assists for 99 points in 173 AHL games.

 Furthermore, MacDonald will join the Sharks on the road, while Kaut will join the Barracuda. According to many insiders and from what I have read, the Avalanche have received the better end of the deal and won this trade on paper. Overall, I am not all that impressed with this deal, but the change of scenery has to work in MacDonald and Kaut's favor in order for this trade to look good on the Sharks' behalf. I understand that the Sharks had to pull the trigger on this one since they are having another awful season this year, but I still don't think of this trade too highly. 

Sources: Sharks + SAP Center App, Curtis Pashelka via Twitter

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 49 Recap: Red Wings 3, Sharks 2 (OT) (1/24/23)

 It was another close game where the Sharks fell short when it mattered the most, as Team Teal loses 3-2 in overtime to the Detroit Red Wings. 

The Sharks had some great chances and the potential to win in Detroit, but they fell short in the bonus period and found another way to lose. All of the goals scored by both the Sharks and Red Wings in regulation came in the second period, starting early in the period with the Red Wings striking first via Adam Erne. The Sharks answered back about six minutes later on Timo Meier's 28th goal of the year from Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl, which was buried on a wraparound attempt. During the later half of the second frame, Michael Rasmussen scored to regain the Red Wings' one-goal lead, while Logan Couture scored his 17th goal of the season from Erik Karlsson and Jaycob Megna to even things up for the Sharks once more. 

Besides recording two assists on the night, EK65 pulled off sick, dirty, and ankle-breaking dangles early in the third period while in the Red Wings zone. 

This contest remained tied at two through three periods of play to force overtime, where Andrew Copp scored the game-winner for the Red Wings by taking advantage of James Reimer being in a vulnerable position in the crease while the area surrounding him and the net was crowded. 

Speaking of Reimer, he made a total of 32 stops on 35 shots against in the OT loss. Kevin Labanc was back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch in the past four games, while Matt Benning returned to the lineup after missing Sunday's game in Boston and Jonah Gadjovich, Evgeny Svechnikov, and Scott Harrington were scratches in Detroit against the Red Wings. In addition, Nikolai Knyzhov made significant progress in his development after being out long-term with a torn ACL and was sent to the Barracuda on a conditioning loan, making his season debut for the Cuda on Wednesday. According to the latest CBA from the NHL, Knyzhov's conditioning loan will last no more than two weeks. 

 More disappointment surrounds the Sharks once again, and I have gotten pretty used to it over the past few seasons and fully come to expect these kinds of results for them this season. San Jose is still looking for its first win of this long road trip, with its next opportunity on Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh at 4 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App, Curtis Pashelka and Sheng Peng via Twitter

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 48 Recap: Bruins 4, Sharks 0 (1/22/23)

 The Bruins were in complete control of this one, as the Sharks get shut out 4-0 in Boston.

I didn't expect this game to go any differently for the Sharks against the best-performing team in the NHL this season, especially since the Bruins play their best hockey at TD Garden. Early in the first period, an unlikely tilt occurred between Timo Meier and Brandon Carlo after Carlo laid a hit on Tomas Hertl into the boards and Timo stood up to Carlo for Hertl. This is now Meier's third career NHL fight and his first since December 2018 against Greg Pateryn in Minnesota. At around the seven-minute mark of the first, the Bruins score the first goal of the game via Hampus Lindholm. 

Early in the second period, the Bruins scored back-to-back goals to extend their lead to three. The first of these two was a beauty by Charlie McAvoy, while the second one was a deflection by Nick Foligno. The Bruins added one more goal in the third period, this time from David Pastrnak. 

James Reimer made 18 saves against Boston, while the Sharks only managed a total of 18 shots on goal. In addition, Nick Cicek replaced Matt Benning on defense in the lineup in this game, while Kevin Labanc was a healthy scratch for a fourth consecutive game. 

Overall, this was a completely one-sided affair in favor of the Bruins. In fact, I didn't have my full attention on this game as the 49ers were playing a much better, more important game against the Cowboys at the same time, in which the 49ers advanced past the Cowboys to face the Eagles in the NFC Championship next week. No one can blame me for feeling and reacting this way. 

The Sharks travel to Detroit for their next game against the Red Wings on Tuesday at 4 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App 

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 47 Recap: Blue Jackets 5, Sharks 3 (1/21/23)

 The Sharks had great chances in this one, but couldn’t hold it together late as they lose 5-3 to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

This has been one of several instances where the Sharks had the lead, blew it, and found themselves chasing the game from behind. The Sharks got off to a fantastic start, scoring first in the first period on a great goal by Timo Meier from Noah Gregor and Tomas Hertl. This marks Meier’s 27th goal of the season. 

Things picked back up in the second period, as Nick Bonino scored a wraparound goal from Nico Sturm and Jaycob Megna to extend the Sharks’ lead to two. Right father the faceoff following that second goal, Jonah Gadjovich and Mathieu Olivier dropped the gloves and fought, which was instigated by Olivier to get the Blue Jackets going. Later in the second frame, the Blue Jackets scored two goals in 72 seconds via Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner to tie it at two through two periods of play. 

Early in the third period, the Sharks regained their lead on an unusual goal that went to Nico Sturm for his 11th of the year. This sequence began when Noah Gregor shot one that almost scored but instead hit the post, Sturm got an initial shot on net that was stopped by Joonas Korpisalo, but it ended up being an own goal by Adam Boqvist that he tried to clear but unknowingly went through the five-hole of Korpisalo and found the back of the net. From this point forward, it all went downhill from there. About two minutes later, the Jackets tied the game at three via Patrik Laine, while Gus Nyquist scored about nine and a half minutes later to give Columbus its first lead of the night. Lastly, the Blue Jackets put the cherry on top of their comeback efforts with an empty-netter from Sean Kuraly with about a minute remaining in regulation. 

Kaapo Kahkonen was okay in his start in tonight's game against the Jackets, making 24 saves. 

Overall, the Sharks played well in the first period and early in the second, but some miscues in the later half of the game resulted in more disappointment against a Blue Jackets team who is currently at the bottom of the league standings. This is only the start of a lengthy road trip, and it won't get any easier, with the Sharks heading to Boston to face the Bruins in their next game tomorrow at 4 pm PT.

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App 

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 46 Recap: Sharks 5, Stars 3 (1/18/23)

 The Sharks rally for five straight goals during the second half of this game to take down the Stars 5-3. 

The Sharks have been playing better as of late, and it’s finally paying off. They didn’t have the best of starts in this one, but what matters more is how they finished. The Stars scored first in the first period via Ty Dellandrea. Later on in the first period, a flying puck hit Sharks assistant coach Ryan Warsofsky in the face. Warsofsky went down and had to be assisted to the Sharks' dressing room, but luckily he was okay and returned to the Sharks bench soon after. 

Early in the third period, the Stars built a 3-0 lead with goals from Jason Robertson and Radek Faksa. At that point, the Sharks seemed out of it, but not so fast. Near the midway point of the second period, the Sharks began to rally from behind, starting with Steven Lorentz's fifth goal of the year from Noah Gregor to get within two. About two minutes later, Nick Bonino scores his seventh goal of the season and his third goal in four games from Alexander Barabanov and Erik Karlsson to cut the Sharks' deficit to one. Team Teal got the game tied at three on the man advantage via Timo Meier's 26th goal of the year from Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl. 

Around the middle of the third period, Erik Karlsson scored the go-ahead and game-winning goal for his 15th goal of the season from Nick Bonino and Nico Sturm to give San Jose a 4-3 lead. The Sharks capped off their comeback rally in the final minute with an empty-netter from Logan Couture. Erik Karlsson recorded his third assist of the night on the empty-netter, totaling another four-point performance. In addition, Erik Karlsson now has 61 points on the season, continuing his absolute tear and career year. 

They say good things come to those who wait, and this certainly applies to James Reimer, who finally earned his 200th NHL win in the come-from-behind victory over the Stars, recording 33 saves on 36 shots against in the process. 

In other news, during the afternoon prior to this game, the Sharks traded center Jasper Weatherby to the Detroit Red Wings for center Kyle Criscuolo. Weatherby has six points in 39 AHL games and is a pending restricted free agent this offseason, while Criscuolo has ten points in 28 AHL games this season. In addition, Criscuolo will report directly to the Barracuda, which is what I had anticipated from this deal. I am not a huge fan of this trade, especially since Weatherby is the younger and better player between the two, but I understand from the Sharks' perspective that they felt that they might not be able to re-sign Weatherby and find a spot for him back on the Sharks roster. Best of luck to Jasper Weatherby in Detroit.

Overall, this was a great game and a great comeback effort by the Sharks to close out their three-game homestand. I would love to see the Sharks play like this more often, but we haven't gotten that kind of consistency from the Sharks this season. They will now embark on a five-game road trip until the All-Star break, starting in Columbus against the Blue Jackets on Saturday at 4 pm PT.

Sources: TNT, Sharks Audio Network, NHL App, Bay Area News Group 

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 45 Recap: Devils 4, Sharks 3 (SO) (1/16/23)

 The Sharks had many things go their way and put up a good fight throughout this game, but the New Jersey Devils tied it up in the last ten seconds of regulation and ultimately prevailed in the shootout 4-3.

Ryan Graves scored the first goal of the game for the Devils 29 seconds into the first puck drop. After that rough start, the Sharks were able to get going to an extent, outshooting the Devils in the first period. However, the first period ended a few minutes earlier than it would normally due to a broken board, which is the first time I and most everyone can recall a strange instance like this ever happening. The remaining four minutes of the first period were played after the first intermission due to the broken board, but the second period began soon after the conclusion of the first. 

Those final four-ish minutes of the first period allowed the Sharks to take the lead. Timo Meier scored his 25th goal of the season from Mikey Eyssimont and Erik Karlsson to tie it at one towards the beginning of that stretch, while Erik Karlsson scored his 14th goal of the season from Timo Meier and Tomas Hertl in the remaining seconds of that stretch to give the Sharks the lead. Erik Karlsson now has 200 points as a Shark.

The scoring picked back up seconds into the third period, as the Devils knotted it at two via Nico Hischier. Near the six-minute mark of the third period, the Sharks retook the lead on Nick Bonino's sixth goal of the year from Mikey Eyssimont and Matt Benning. This marks Mikey Eyssimont's first two points as a Shark and the first multi-point game of his career. We were all led to believe that the Sharks would hold on and get a huge win over one of the top teams in the league in regulation, but the Devils had other ideas, as Jack Hughes tied the game in the last ten seconds to force bonus hockey. 

The overtime period had everyone watching it on the edge of their seats. Both teams had great chances to end it and win, and both goalies (James Reimer and Vitek Vanecek) made clutch stops to keep things going. In addition, after Mikey Eyssimont was denied on a great scoring chance, he and Tomas Tatar got into a mini scrap, with both players going to the box for two minutes each for unsportsmanlike conduct. 

All it took in the shootout was the first attempt by the Devils via Tomas Tatar, which was the only successful shootout attempt in this game. As for the Sharks, they rolled out Nick Bonino, Logan Couture, and Alexander Barabanov in the skills competition, but each attempt was denied by Vitek Vanecek. 

James Reimer performed well and made a total of 38 saves in a loss that is very characteristic of the Sharks this season. After the Sharks first shift of the game, the team paused to honor equipment manager Mike Aldrich, who worked his 2,000th NHL game. Another significant change in the Sharks lineup against the Devils was Kevin Labanc being listed as a healthy scratch, with Noah Gregor taking his place in the lineup.

There were certainly positive aspects and developments of the Sharks' game against the Devils this afternoon, but it's disappointing that Team Teal still found a way to let this one slip away and lose. Next up, San Jose concludes its three-game homestand on Wednesday, hosting the Dallas Stars at 7 pm PT; this game will be nationally televised on TNT.

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 44 Recap: Oilers 7, Sharks 1 (1/13/23)

 The Sharks get blown out by the Edmonton Oilers 7-1 Friday night. 

It was pretty much all one-sided in favor of the Oilers, and I saw this outcome coming from a mile away. I don’t find the result of this lopsided affair all that surprising. The Oilers struck twice late in the first period via Connor McDavid on the power play and Klim Kostin. Edmonton then scored three in the second period via Connor McDavid’s second goal of the game, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins while shorthanded, and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers added two more goals in the third period via Jesse Puljujarvi and Ryan McLeod. In total, the Sharks allowed three players on the Oilers to record three points each, with those three players being Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. It was also Connor McDavid’s 26th birthday, so there was no way that he would be denied a big performance on his special day. 

However, the Sharks were able to squeeze in one goal late in the third period via Oskar Lindblom from Matt Benning and Jonah Gadjovich, but the damage was already done, and any sort of comeback was a complete long shot. 

Kaapo Kahkonen was given the start in net, making a total of 34 saves on 41 shots against. Kahkonen made some great stops, but the rest of the Sharks completely left him out to dry. 

The Sharks could barely get anything going against the Oilers, resulting in one of their worst losses of the season. I don’t have much else to say about this one, other than it downright sucked. I was unable to watch most of this game live, and that is totally fine considering the final result. The sharks are off the rest of this weekend before their next game on Monday against the New Jersey Devils. Puck drop for Monday’s game is at a special 1 pm PT in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App 

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 43 Recap: Kings 4, Sharks 3 (1/11/23)

 The Sharks fought hard in this one and attempted a comeback but was for not as the Sharks fall to the Los Angeles Kings 4-3. 

LA set the tone early in this one, getting on the board first via Adrian Kempe. In addition, they outshot San Jose by a wide margin in the first period, 22-8. The Sharks had an answer early in the second period via Nick Bonino with the backhand for his fifth goal of the season to tie it at one. Scott Harrington was in the starting lineup on defense but didn't take a shift in the second period and didn't return due to an undisclosed injury. Later on in the second period, Quinton Byfield scored to put the Kings back on top by one. 

Things picked back up in the third period when Timo Meier scored on the power play for his 24th goal of the year to tie it at two. Logan Couture and Erik Karlsson picked up the assists on this equalizer, with the latter now at a 16-game point streak. In the next few minutes after this equalizer, the Kings scored the next two goals via Gabe Vilardi and Drew Doughty. In a late comeback effort, the Sharks got back within one on a goal that was initially given to Alexander Barabanov but was later credited to Tomas Hertl for his 14th goal of the year, but wasn't enough to at least force overtime. Barabanov was later credited with the primary assist, while Timo Meier was credited with the secondary assist on this last goal. 

James Reimer had a decent outing in net, totaling 33 saves and remaining one shy of his 200th NHL win. 

In addition, the season series has wrapped up between the Sharks and Kings, with the Kings sweeping the season series three games to none. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise this season since the Kings are on a hot streak and the Sharks have struggled for much of this season. Certainly disappointing, but many people expected this outcome at the same time. Next up, the Sharks return home to face the Edmonton Oilers on Friday at 7:30 pm PT. 

Sources: Sharks Audio Network, NHL App, Bay Area News Group 

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 42 Recap: Sharks 4, Coyotes 2 (1/10/23)

 The Sharks earn a hard-fought win over the Arizona Coyotes 4-2 in their first-ever game at Mullett Arena, snapping a two-game skid. 

This was a great effort and great win by the boys, with many players putting up solid performances and showing up for a full 60 minutes. The Sharks opened the scoring early in the first period on Kevin Labanc going top corner for his tenth goal of the season from Timo Meier and Tomas Hertl. The Coyotes answered back about two minutes later via Barrett Hayton to even the game at one. Later in the first, the Coyotes went ahead on a breakaway chance via Christian Fischer to take a 2-1 lead through one period of play. Recent Sharks waiver claim Mikey Eyssimont made his Sharks debut in this game in Arizona and fought Josh Brown in the final minute of the first period in an effort to get this Sharks team going heading into the second period. 

Team Teal got the equalizer at around the six-minute mark of the second period on Nico Sturm’s tenth goal of the year, pulling off a sweet dangle on his way to the net and finding the back of the net on the rebound after Karel Vejmelka made the save on the initial shot. Nick Bonino picked up the primary assist on the Sturm goal in his 800th NHL game, while Oskar Lindblom picked up the secondary assist. 

San Jose regained its lead seconds into the third period on Matt Nieto’s eighth goal of the season from Alexander Barabanov and Logan Couture, taking advantage of Arizona’s lack of situational awareness leading up to the go-ahead goal. Late in the third, the Sharks added extra insurance on a clutch goal by Jaycob Megna from the point for his first of the season. Erik Karlsson recorded the primary assist on the Megna goal to extend his point streak to 15 games, while Kevin Labanc recorded the secondary assist. 

Kaapo Kahkonen was outstanding in net against the Desert Dogs, making 27 saves, many of which were excellent. 

Like I’ve mentioned in previous game reviews, it would be great to see the Sharks play like they did tonight in more games against more teams and have this be the start of a significant hot streak. The Sharks travel to Los Angeles for their next game against the Kings tomorrow night at 7 pm PT, which will be nationally televised on TNT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App 

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 41 Recap: Bruins 4, Sharks 2 (1/7/23)

 The Sharks kept this one closer than I thought they would, but they were still no match for one of the top teams in the NHL as they would fall 4-2 to the Boston Bruins. 

Despite staying in this one for the most part, the Sharks didn't show much life against the Bruins. As expected, the Bruins got on the board first early in the first period by Brad Marchand skating around and through defenders and going with the backhand. The Bruins then made it 2-0 at around the 5:30 mark of the first period via Craig Smith. Soon after, the Sharks cut their deficit in half by Logan Couture redirecting a shot from Alexander Barabanov for his 15th goal of the season. Marc-Eduoard Vlasic was credited with the secondary assist on the Sharks' first goal of this contest. 

Late in the second period, the Sharks knotted the game at two on Mario Ferraro's second goal of the game, in which he shot from the point, went off the back of Hampus Lindholm and into the back of the net past Linus Ullmark. Matt Benning and Matt Nieto picked up the assists on the Sharks' game-tying goal by Ferraro. Lastly, David Pastrnak scored the last two goals of the game for the Bruins, the first one at the 16:45 mark of the second period on the power play and the second one at the nine-minute mark of the third period. 

This was James Reimer's first start in a week, and although he was rusty at times, he was a huge factor as to why this game was as close as it was even if it may not have felt like it, recording 25 saves. 

I don't have much else to say about this one other than it pretty much went the way I expected it to. The Sharks are officially halfway through their 2022-23 campaign and are in the midst of one of their worst seasons in recent memory and franchise history. It's hard to see things getting much better for the Sharks this season, but a lot could happen between now and April when the regular season concludes. Next up, the Sharks are back on the road for their next two games, starting in Arizona against the Coyotes in their first-ever game at Mullett Arena on Tuesday at 6 pm PT. In addition, the Sharks and Bruins will face each other again in Boston at TD Garden later this month. 

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

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 40 Recap: Ducks 5, Sharks 4 (OT) (1/6/23)

 The Sharks had an early lead, but the Ducks came roaring back to take the last meeting between these two teams 5-4 in overtime. 

It’s kinda hard to believe that the season series between the Sharks and Ducks in 2022-23 has concluded, but it has been close contests whenever they have faced off in recent seasons. The Sharks got on the board 38 seconds in via Matt Nieto, who got a piece of a shot by Alexander Barabanov. Marc-Eduoard Vlasic recorded the other assist went to Marc-Eduoard Vlasic on the first goal. Team Teal extended their lead to two about five and a half minutes later when Steven Lorentz got a piece of a shot by Erik Karlsson, with Jonah Gadjovich collecting the other assist on the second goal. Erik Karlsson's point streakSoon after, Gadjovich and Sam Carrick dropped the gloves and fought. The Ducks got on the board moments after the fight via Trevor Zegras, while Ryan Strome knotted it at two late in the first to get the Ducks back in it before the first intermission. 

San Jose regained its lead around the ten-minute mark of the second period on Timo Meier's first goal of the game, in which Timo deflected a shot from Kevin Labanc. Tomas Hertl picked up the other assist on this go-ahead goal. About three minutes later, Mason McTavish tied things up again, only for the Sharks to regain their one-goal lead on Timo Meier's second goal of the game. Like his first one, it was a deflection off of a shot by Kevin Labanc, except the other assist went to Matt Benning. 

Late in the third, Mason McTavish scores a crucial goal for his second of the game to tie it at four. Sharks head coach David Quinn challenged it for potential offsides, but the goal stood after a thorough review and the Sharks were assessed a minor penalty for delay of game. This goal would force overtime, where John Klingberg would score about a minute into bonus hockey to complete the Ducks' comeback and give the Sharks another heartbeaking loss. Three of the Sharks' four games against the Ducks this season went into overtime or a shootout, and the Ducks won those games that required bonus hockey.

Kaapo Kahkonen received the start in net, making  saves. His best save came late in the second period where he dove and flat out robbed John Klingberg with a glove stop. 

In other news, Erik Karlsson was named to the Pacific Division roster for this year's All-Star Game in South Florida as part of the first 32 players (one from every team) selected by the NHL. With the kind of career season EK65 is having this year, he has absolutely earned his way to participate in the All-Star Game. Also, prior to the start of this contest, the Sharks claimed forward Mikey Eyssimont off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets and placed Radim Simek on the IR to clear a roster spot for Eyssimont. 

This is another one of those games for the Sharks, where they couldn't hold it together, blew a lead, and lost when they should've won, especially if it needed extra time to settle. This has become characteristic of the Sharks this season. They will have to forget this one pretty quickly, as Team Teal returns home on Saturday to face the Boston Bruins, who have been one of the top teams in the league this season, on Saturday in the second game of a back-to-back set at 7:30 pm PT. 

Sources: Sharks Audio Network, NHL App, Bay Area News Group 

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 39 Recap: Sharks 5, Blackhawks 2 (1/1/23)

 The Sharks ring in the new year by snapping their three game skid against the bottom-feeding Chicago Blackhawks 5-2. 

It feels great for the Sharks to finally win, especially against the cellar-dwelling teams below them that they have to beat. The scoring in this one didn't begin until the second period, when the Blackhawks tallied the first two goals of the game via Patrick Kane and Sam Lafferty. The Sharks followed the first two by the Blackhawks up with five unanswered goals of their own. Three of those five came in a 3:26 span late in the second period, starting with a tip-in that was credited to Jonah Gadjovich for his second goal of the season, with assists from Oskar Lindblom and Erik Karlsson. EK65 now has a point in 13 straight games, setting a new Sharks franchise record. The next one was scored by Marc-Eduoard Vlasic for his first goal of the season in his 1,200th NHL game, with assists from Matt Benning and Logan Couture. Vlasic's goal was reviewed by the NHL situation room to determine if there was a distinct kicking motion, but the goal stood after the league officials determined that it was directed in, not kicked in. The third Sharks goal scored before the end of the second period was by Alexander Barabanov for his sixth of the year from Logan Couture and Erik Karlsson. 

The last two of the Sharks' five unanswered goals came in the third period, picking back up with Timo Meier's 21st goal of the year from Tomas Hertl and Scott Harrington early in the period. Lastly, Evgeny Svechnikov topped off the Sharks' scoring barrage late in the third with his fourth goal of the year from Nick Bonino and Oskar Lindblom. 

Kaapo Kahkonen received the start in net in the second game of this back-to-back set and had a great performance, recording 20 saves and getting better as of late. 

Team Teal got the job done against a struggling Blackhawks team that has found themselves at the bottom of the NHL league standings as they should. Hopefully the Sharks can show up with similar efforts more consistently against better teams, especially ones that the Sharks aren't favored against and playoff-caliber teams. The Sharks have the next four days off before their next game on Friday in Anaheim against the Ducks at 7 pm PT exclusively on ESPN+. 

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

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