Sharks 2022-23 Game 75 Recap: Sharks 4, Golden Knights 3 (OT) (3/30/23)

 The Sharks sweep their current two-game homestand by getting a huge win over the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in overtime. 

The Sharks got off to a great start against one of their biggest rivals, scoring the first two goals in the first period. The first of these two first went to Fabian Zetterlund because it appeared to have deflected off of him, but it later went to Mario Ferraro for his fourth goal of the season. Assists on this first goal went to Henry Thrun for his first NHL point in his NHL debut and Thomas Bordeleau in his season debut. Team Teal extended their lead to two later in the opening frame on Oskar Lindblom’s sixth goal of the year. Mario Ferraro and Henry Thrun recorded the assists on that second goal, with the latter registering his second NHL point in his big-league debut. A few minutes later before the end of the first period, the Golden Knights got on the board via Nicholas Hague to cut their deficit in half. 

The Knights evened things up early in the second period via Ivan Barbashev on the power play. Later on in the middle frame, Tomas Hertl scored his 21st goal of the year that ricocheted off of Laurent Brossoit and a Vegas defenseman to regain the lead for the Sharks. Martin Kaut and Jacob Peterson picked up the assists on the Hertl goal. 

Team Teal controlled the tempo and carried most of the momentum throughout this game. However, Vegas evened it up once more around the midway point of the third via Michael Amadio to eventually force OT. The bonus period was where Logan Couture would score the game-winner on the breakaway for his 26th goal of the year to win their second consecutive game at home. 

James Reimer made a total of 23 saves in the OT win over the Golden Knights.

In other news, the Sharks recently signed defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov to a two-year contract extension worth $2.5 million. 

Although the Golden Knights became the first team in the Western Conference to clinch a playoff berth prior to this game, Vegas realized that they are back in the playoffs and took their feet off of the accelerator against the Sharks, allowing Team Teal to earn a huge win from a confidence standpoint. In addition, Henry Thrun is already looking like a great addition to this Sharks team. Next up, the Sharks head to Arizona for their final meeting with the Coyotes this season on Saturday at 7 pm PT.

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App 

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 74 Recap: Sharks 3, Jets 0 (3/28/23)

 The Sharks return home to the Tank and snap their nine-game losing skid by shutting out the Winnipeg Jets 3-0. 

Team Teal got off to a solid start in this one, jumping out to a 1-0 lead through two periods via Noah Gregory’s fifth goal of the season from Jacob Peterson and Fabian Zetterlund. They continued to control the pace and momentum of this game, adding two more goals in final frame via Kevin Labanc early in the third and Martin Kaut later in the third. Nico Sturm and Noah Gregor assisted on the first of these two goals by Labanc, while Tomas Hertl and Erik Karlsson assisted on the Kaut goal. EK65's point total this year is now at 91 in his quest to reach the 100-point mark. 

The biggest star of this game was James Reimer, who saved all 41 shots he faced to complete the Sharks' fourth shutout of the year. His best play of the night was an incredible paddle stop made on Mason Appleton. 

San Jose is now at 20 wins, including seven home wins, on the campaign. The Sharks have struggled for much of this season, especially after they had no choice but to trade away Timo Meier in late February, but they weren't going to end their season on an 18-game losing streak whatsoever. This shutout win over the Jets honestly came as a big surprise, but a win is a win, and we'll take any result they can get since they only have pride and the future to play for at this point. Team Teal's brief homestand concludes on Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights at 7:30 pm PT. 

Sources: San Jose Sharks via Instagram, NHL App 

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 73 Recap: Flames 5, Sharks 3 (3/25/23)

 The Sharks made things a bit interesting at times, but their losing skid hits nine as they fall 5-3 to the Calgary Flames. 

Team Teal gets off to yet another slow start, giving up the first two goals to Mackenzie Weegar and Tyler Toffoli. The Sharks get back in this one late in the first after Logan Couture crashes into the net after deflecting a pass from Erik Karlsson. Andrew Agozzino picked up the secondary assist on this first goal for his second point as a Shark. 

Early in the second period, Nico Sturm and Martin Kaut scored to give the Sharks their first lead of the day. Noah Gregor and Erik Karlsson picked up the assists on the first of these two by Sturm, while Steven Lorentz and Oskar Lindblom were credited with the helpers on the go-ahead goal by Kaut. However, this lead didn’t last for long, as the Flames evened things up seconds later via Walker Duehr. 

It was all Calgary in the third period, as Nazem Kadri scored the game-winner early in the final frame and Tyler Toffoli added an empty-netter late in the period to go back up by two. 

Kaapo Kahkonen recorded a total of 25 saves on 29 shots against the Flames this afternoon. 

In other news, the Sharks signed defenseman Henry Thrun to a two-year deal after his season with Harvard just concluded. This contract will start immediately and go through the 2023-24 season. In a corresponding move, Nikolai Knyzhov was assigned to the Barracuda in the AHL to make room for Thrun on the Sharks roster. 

With the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 OT win over the New York Islanders on Friday, the Sharks are now dead last in the entire NHL standings in terms of point percentage, currently giving San Jose the best odds at winning the Connor Bedard sweepstakes. Along with that to look forward to, Erik Karlsson could very well hit 100 points by season’s end to cap off his unbelievable career year. Next up, the Sharks return home for their next two games, starting on Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets at 7:30 pm PT. 

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

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 72 Recap: Canucks 7, Sharks 2 (3/23/23)

 The Sharks’ winless streak has now hit eight as they lose 7-2 to the Vancouver Canucks. 

The Sharks got off to a rough start in this game, giving up the first two goals in the first period to the Canucks via J.T. Miller and Andrei Kuzmenko. Team Teal got back in it later in the first on Tomas Hertl’s 20th goal of the season, with assists from Erik Karlsson and Jacob Peterson. The secondary assist marks Peterson’s first point as a Shark in his Sharks debut. Right as the first period ended, Dakota Joshua scored to give the Canucks a two-goal lead through one period of play. 

The Canucks continued to control the momentum and game into the second period, extending their lead to three on a goal by Conor Garland. The Sharks were able to get another goal on the board in the third period while shorthanded via Andrew Agozzino's first goal as a Shark and first goal at the NHL level in three years to lessen their deficit to two. Noah Gregor recorded the lone assist on the shorty by Agozzino. It was all Vancouver from there, as the Canucks piled on three more goals late in the third from Vasily Podkolzin, Phil Di Giuseppe, and Sheldon Dries to run away with this one.

James Reimer made a total of 14 saves in the blowout defeat. Matt Benning was a late scratch ahead of tonight’s game in Vancouver, as he is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, while Radim Simek made his return to the lineup and skated in his 200th NHL game. 

Team Teal regressed in Vancouver compared to their previous game in Edmonton on Monday, mainly due to their slow start and all the turnovers committed throughout the game. The Sharks close out their current three-game road trip in Western Canada on Saturday in Calgary against the Flames at 1 pm PT. 

Sources: Sharks Audio Network, NHL App

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 71 Recap: Oilers 5, Sharks 4 (OT) (3/20/23)

 The Sharks put up one of their best efforts in a game all season, but the Oilers had the last laugh as Edmonton would prevail 5-4 in overtime, handing the Sharks their seventh straight defeat. 

The first period went better than expected. Tomas Hertl almost had his 20th goal of the season to start this game, but it was challenged by Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft and overturned after Alexander Barabanov went offside prior to the goal. The Sharks made up for it by scoring their official first goal of the game on Barabanov’s 15th goal of the year from Tomas Hertl and Marc-Eduoard Vlasic. The Oilers then evened things up via Nick Bjugstad. Edmonton almost went ahead late in the first via Zach Hyman, but this was challenged by Sharks coach David Quinn and overturned after Hyman’s right skate pushed James Reimer’s right skate before scoring, interfering with Reimer’s ability to make a save on the play. It remained tied at one through one period of play. 

Right as the second period got underway, the Oilers officially went ahead on a goal by Kailer Yamamoto. The Sharks proceeded to even it up on Andreas Johnsson’s first goal as a Shark; however, this became the third goal in this game that was challenged and overturned, this time after Logan Couture stood in the crease and interfered with Jack Campbell’s ability to make a save on that play. Later on in the middle frame, Steven Lorentz tied it up at two after batting in his own rebound on the breakaway. Andrew Agozzino recorded his first point as a Shark and his first NHL point in almost two years with an assist on the Lorentz equalizer in his Sharks debut, while Matt Benning registered his 23rd assist of the season and 100th NHL point on this goal as well, setting a new career-high in points with 24. Soon after, the Sharks went ahead on Erik Karlsson's first goal of the game and 21st goal of the season, with assists from Fabian Zetterlund and Logan Couture. The Oilers answered back to even it up at three on Mattias Ekholm's first goal of the game, while Erik Karlsson scored his second goal of the game and 22nd goal of the year to go back on top 4-3 through two periods of play. Alexander Barabanov and Martin Kaut collected the helpers on the second goal of the night by EK65.

The third period was rather quiet in comparison to the eventful middle frame. Noah Gregor nearly gave the Sharks a two-goal lead, but this became the fourth disallowed goal in this game after the Sharks went offside while entering the offensive zone. I have never seen this many overturned goals in a game before tonight. Later in the third, Mattias Ekholm scored his second goal of the game to tie it at four and ultimately force bonus hockey. In addition, Andreas Johnsson got injured in the third period and didn't return. 

The Sharks had as great of a chance as ever to get a huge win in Edmonton to start their current three-game Western Canadian road trip, but the Oilers ended things with 15 seconds remaining in OT via Darnell Nurse. 

James Reimer recorded a total of 46 saves, with his biggest and best one of the night being with around 47 seconds remaining in regulation, diving and robbing Leon Draisaitl of a potential game-winner in regulation. 

Regardless of the end result, the Sharks have a lot from this game to be proud of and build off of going forward. Team Teal will travel to Vancouver for their next game on Thursday against the Canucks at 7 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App 

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 70 Recap: Islanders 4, Sharks 1 (3/11/23)

 The New York Islanders were too much for the Sharks in this one, as Team Teal closes out their current homestand with a 4-1 loss and zero wins in their past four games. 

The Sharks kicked off the scoring in the first period on Kevin Labanc’s 12th goal of the year from Logan Couture and Nico Sturm. After the Sharks scored the first goal of the game and got off to a great start, it was all Islanders from there, as Jean-Gabriel Pageau evened things up at one later in the first. The Isles then added two more goals in the second period via Kyle Palmieri and Ryan Pulock, followed by one more goal in the third period by Zach Parise. 

Kaapo Kahkonen made a total of 29 stops in net against the Islanders Saturday night. 

Another noteworthy storyline from this game is that the Sharks had their LGBTQ+ Pride night at SAP Center, and the Sharks players wore special Pride jerseys during warmups. All of the Sharks players on the active roster except for James Reimer, who didn't skate in warmups as he opted not to wear the Pride warmup jersey citing his religious beliefs. I respect Reimer's decision here, but at the same time, this can come off as insensitive and homophobic to the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. 

In addition, the Sharks announced after the game that they would send top prospect William Eklund back to the Barracuda after he scored his first two NHL goals this week. The main reason why this somewhat shocking decision was made was due to the Sharks feeling the need to give Eklund more experience in meaningful games. This comes as the Barracuda are currently in a top-seven position in the Pacific Division in the AHL and are fighting to keep it that way. At the same time, this makes a lot more sense if you think about it more.

The Sharks hit the road for their next-to-last road trip of the 2022-23 season, starting on Monday in Edmonton against the Oilers at 6:30 pm PT. Both of San Jose's remaining road trips this season are in Western Canada.

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App 

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 69 Recap: Kraken 2, Sharks 1 (OT) (3/16/23)

 This game was pretty much neck-and-neck, but the Sharks would find another way to lose, as the Kraken win 2-1 in overtime. 

The first two periods were scoreless, but this doesn’t necessarily equate to a lack of action. Evgeny Svechnikov left the game in the first period after absorbing a body hit into the boards by Brandon Tanev and didn’t return to the game. Both teams, especially the Sharks, had some great scoring chances and one wild sequence in the middle frame, but both goalies were able to keep the puck out of the net every time. 

Early in the first period, William Eklund was awarded a penalty shot after he was hooked by Jaden Schwartz on his way to the net, which allowed Eklund to score his second NHL goal on his first big-league penalty shot to put the Sharks on the board first. Moments later, Oliver Bjorkstrand would tie the game for the Kraken, which would eventually force overtime. Team Teal's overtime woes this season would continue to bite them, as Vince Dunn would score the game-winner in the bonus period to claim the extra point in the third and final meeting between the Sharks and Kraken this season. 

Despite being on the wrong side of this contest, James Reimer shined in net and made a total of 30 saves.

This latest meeting between these two teams showed flashes from their previous meeting that I was in attendance for about a month ago, but it didn't surprise me that the Kraken found a way to win this one tonight. In addition, this Sharks team looks a lot different now than they did a month ago. Overall, this was a great game except for the end result, and the Sharks are continuing to show signs of improvement without finding ways to win. Team Teal concludes its current homestand on Saturday against the New York Islanders at 7:30 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App 

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 68 Recap: Blue Jackets 6, Sharks 5 (OT) (3/14/23)

 The Sharks had some great moments in this one, but they still can’t find the win column as the Columbus Blue Jackets would prevail 6-5 in overtime. 

That was one hell of a game regardless of the final outcome. The Sharks got off to a great start in the first period on the power play on Alexander Barabanov's 14th goal of the year from Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl. However, Team Teal began to fizzle out later in the opening period, allowing the Blue Jackets to tie it up on Johnny Gaudreau's first goal of the game. 

Early in the second period, Columbus gained their first lead of the night, going up by two on goals by Kent Johnson and Boone Jenner. At around the ten-and-a-half-minute mark of the middle frame, William Eklund scored his first NHL goal to get the Sharks within one. Derrick Pouliot recorded his first point as a Shark with the primary assist on Eklund's first NHL goal, while Tomas Hertl picked up the secondary assist on that same goal. This is a huge milestone for the Sharks' top rookie, and I also consider this to be the biggest highlight of the night for Team Teal. Both teams continued to trade scoring chances late in the second, with Boone Jenner scoring his second goal of the game to regain the Jackets' two-goal lead and Logan Couture getting the Sharks back within one in the last second of the second period on his 24th goal of the year from Erik Karlsson and Derrick Pouliot. 

Early in the third period, the Blue Jackets regain their two-goal lead via Liam Foudy. From this point forward in the third, the Sharks gained more momentum with Kevin Labanc scoring his 11th goal of the year and Nikolai Knyzhov scoring his first goal of the year and his first goal in two years to even the game up at five and ultimately force bonus hockey. Matt Benning and Fabian Zetterlund assisted on the Labanc goal, while Logan Couture and Alexander Barabanov assisted on the equalizer by Knyzhov. These were additional huge moments in this one that allowed the Sharks to earn at least one point in the standings. 

The overtime theme continues to repeat itself for the Sharks: a turnover by Erik Karlsson created a 2-on-0 opportunity for the Jackets involving Patrik Laine and Johnny Gaudreau that set up Gaudreau to score the OT winner, his second goal of the game, and his fifth point of the night for Columbus. 

Kaapo Kahkonen made 42 saves in yet another losing effort in his third start in the Sharks' past four games. 

With their overtime loss to the last-place Blue Jackets, the Sharks become the first team in the NHL this season to be officially mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. Despite this expected outlook from the get-go, there is plenty to be proud of in this game form the Sharks' perspective, especially William Eklund's first goal in the NHL and Nikolai Knyzhov's first goal in two years. It is still probably best for the Sharks to continue to lose as many games as possible this season to better their odds of winning the Connor Bedard sweepstakes, and they understood the assignment. I will continue to watch and follow this team til the very end since the 2023 draft class is deep and loaded with talent and for further player development. Team Teal's current homestand continues on Thursday, when they face the Seattle Kraken for the third and final time this season at 7:30 pm PT. 

Sources: Sharks Audio Network, NHL App 

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 67 Recap: Wild 5, Sharks 2 (3/10/23)

 The Sharks played decent for the first two periods but fell apart in the third as they lose to the Minnesota Wild 5-2 to start their current homestand. 

The Wild struck first early in the first period via Jared Spurgeon. This first goal stood for a while until the second period when Logan Couture evened it up at one with his 23rd goal of the year from Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl on the man advantage. EK65 now has sole possession of the Sharks franchise record for most points in a season by a defenseman with 84. Minnesota regained its lead late in the second period via Freddy Gaudreau while Evgeny Svechnikov was in the penalty box. 

Minnesota came out firing early in the third period after Marcus Johansson deflected a shot from John Klingberg to extend its lead to two. About eight minutes later, Tomas Hertl scored his 19th goal of the year and his 200th of his NHL career to get the Sharks back within one. Both Sharks goals in this one were on the power play, and Logan Couture and Alexander Barabanov picked up the assists on the second goal by Hertl. In addition, this second goal was challenged by Wild head coach Dean Evason for possible goalie interference and was upheld after further review, putting the Sharks right back on the power play. However, the Sharks were unable to get back in this game from there, as the Wild would score two more goals via Mats Zuccarello and an empty-netter from Matt Boldy to seal this one and avoid a season-series sweep by the Sharks. 

James Reimer was back in the crease to start the homestand, recording a total of 24 saves against the Wild. 

The Sharks host the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets in their next game on Tuesday at 7:30 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App 

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 66 Recap: Blues 4, Sharks 2 (3/9/23)

 The Sharks had a better performance in St. Louis compared to their previous game in Colorado, but they still couldn’t get the win as the Blues prevail 4-2.

 The Sharks had their first huge opportunity of this game early in the first period via a wraparound attempt by Steven Lorentz set up Evgeny Svechnikov to poke it in. This was initially ruled no goal, and it stayed that way after further review since the situation room in Toronto didn’t find any conclusive evidence to overturn it. Luckily, the Sharks made up for it afterwards by Erik Karlsson scoring his 20th goal of the season to put the Sharks on the board. This sets a new career high in points for EK65 with 83, tying the Sharks franchise record for points for a defenseman, with Alexander Barabanov and Andreas Johnsson assisting on the play. The Blues evened things up a few minutes later on a goal from Torey Krug. 

Around the ten-minute mark of the second period, the Blues grabbed their first lead of the night via Sammy Blais. The Sharks get the equalizer about four and a half minutes later on Tomas Hertl’s 18th goal of the season, with Barabanov picking up his second assist of the night, to make it a 2-2 game through two periods of play. 

Early in the third, Jakub Vrana scored to put St. Louis back on top. The Sharks almost tied it up at three not long after, but it was automatically disallowed after Tomas Hertl deflected the puck with a high stick before it found the back of the net. The Blues got extra insurance late in the third via Robert Thomas to extend their lead to two. 

Kaapo Kahkonen had a much better performance in net compared to the other night, recording a total of 26 saves. 

In other news, Head Coach David Quinn was fine $25,000 by the NHL due to his angry tirade at official Gord Dwyer in the Sharks' blowout loss to the Capitals on Saturday. This additional discipline doesn't surprise me, and it would be best for Gord Dwyer to not officiate another Sharks game again because he holds some sort of grudge against Team Teal with the way he has officiated two of the Sharks' most recent games.

Overall, despite the end result, this was a significant improvement over the other night to close out their current homestand. Team Teal remains at 19-35-12 with 50 points on the campaign, good for eighth in the Pacific, ninth in the West, and 30th overall in the NHL. They return home for their next four games, starting on Saturday against the Minnesota Wild at 7:30 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App 

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 65 Recap: Avalanche 6, Sharks 0 (3/7/23)

 The Sharks had nothing good going for them in Denver, as it was a completely one-sided affair by the Colorado Avalanche as Team Teal gets shut out 6-0. 

The Avalanche jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period on goals from Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mikko Rantanen. During the first stoppage in play in the first, Nico Sturm was honored in a video tribute by the Avalanche and given an applause and standing ovation by the Denver crowd since he was a member of the Cup-winning Avs team last season. In addition, the Sharks only had two shots on goal in the first period, and it was almost as if they weren’t really trying. 

Colorado continued their onslaught in the second period, adding goals from Valeri Nichushkin and Denis Malgin to extend their lead to 5-0 before Kaapo Kahkonen was pulled in favor of James Reimer in the Sharks net. Kahkonen finished his night with a total of 19 saves before getting pulled. 

Things calmed down for the Sharks after Reimer took over in net, as he recorded 18 saves and only gave up one goal late in the second period to Arturri Lehkonen. 

Early in the third period, Erik Karlsson was high-sticked by an Avs player and bleeding from the mouth, one which wasn’t called by the refs. Both EK65 and Head Coach David Quinn were frustrated by the no-call, and Karlsson reacted by throwing his helmet onto the ice from the bench as he was getting repaired. This reaction led to Karlsson getting two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct and a ten-minute game misconduct, the latter being the first of his career. 

The only other significant change in the Sharks lineup in this one compared to last night in Winnipeg was Derrick Pouliot replacing Jacob MacDonald and making his Sharks debut. 

San Jose was only able to register 13 shots on goal in their blowout loss to the Avs, all of which were stopped by Alex Georgiev, resulting in the easiest shutout of Georgiev’s career. 

In all, nothing went well for the Sharks in their first game against the Avalanche this season. They gotta forget this game entirely and focus on their next game on Thursday, in which they will travel to St. Louis to face the Blues at 5 pm PT to close out their current road trip. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App 

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 64 Recap: Sharks 3, Jets 2 (OT) (3/6/23)

 The Sharks start their current road trip off with a bang as they get an improbable comeback win in overtime against the Winnipeg Jets 3-2, snapping a five-game losing skid. 

Despite getting outshot by a nearly 2:1 ratio, Team Teal stayed in it, remained resilient, and put on an incredible come-from-behind performance. San Jose struck first late in the first period on Steven Lorentz's seventh goal of the year, in which he kept grinding and whacking away until the puck found the back of the net. Assists on this first goal by Lorentz went to Oskar Lindblom and Kevin Labanc. This also stood for a while until around the six-minute mark of the second period, when Nino Niederreiter evened it up at one for the Jets. In addition, Jacob MacDonald had to exit the game early due to injury. 

Things picked back up late in the third, as Nate Schmidt scored to put the Jets ahead 2-1. It seemed like that would be the game winner, but luckily that wasn't the case, as Tomas Hertl scored with 10.2 seconds left in regulation to tie it at two and force overtime. Erik Karlsson and Logan Couture assisted on this huge equalizer, which was Hertl's 17th goal of the season. 

It only took about 1:20 into overtime for Logan Couture to score the game-winner on a breakaway, with Erik Karlsson collecting his second assist of the night on the OT GWG. What an amazing finish to this one. 

The biggest factor keeping the Sharks in it the entire game was James Reimer, who recorded 36 saves on 38 shots against and received the necessary goal support to earn the win. Radim Simek didn't travel with the Sharks on their current road trip due to injury, so taking his place on defense was Nikolai Knyzhov, who was called up from the Barracuda after the completion of his rehab stint and made his season debut for the Sharks in this one. 

Wins like these are always great, especially to boost this Sharks team's confidence down the stretch. They've been able to find their scoring and winning touch mainly on the road this season but not so much at home. It would be ideal for this Sharks team to try to win more games at the Tank between now and the end of the season, but it's tough to know if they ever will or not. Next up, the Sharks travel to Denver to face the Colorado Avalanche for the first time this season tonight in the second game of a back-to-back set at 6 pm PT, with Kaapo Kahkonen expected to receive the start in net. 

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

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 63 Recap: Capitals 8, Sharks 3 (3/4/23)

 The same theme occurred today as in their previous game: great first period, collapse in the second period, and unable to produce anything significant for the remainder of the game. However, the result was worse for the Sharks in this one, as they would lose 8-3 to the Washington Capitals to close out their current homestand. 

The Sharks have started this one off with a bang, as they have built another 2-0 lead in the first period like in their previous game, this time with goals from Tomas Hertl and Alexander Barabanov. Assists on the first goal by Hertl went to Erik Karlsson and William Eklund. This broke a significant goal-less drought for Hertl, while Eklund registered his first point of the season in his season debut with the Sharks. Assists on the second goal by Barabanov went to Logan Couture and Andreas Johnsson. 

Things fully unraveled for Team Teal after the first period, allowing the Capitals to score four goals in each of the second and third periods. Washington got goals from Craig Smith, Nic Aube-Kubel, Matt Irwin, and another from Craig Smith to take a 4-2 lead through two periods of play. The Caps then added one from T.J. Oshie, two from Alex Ovechkin, and one from Dylan Strome in the third period to take complete control of this game. 

Early in the third period, Sharks head coach David Quinn was ejected after arguing a penalty call for clipping on Kevin Labanc and losing his cool in the process. This marks the first time in several years that a head coach got ejected from an NHL game, and David Quinn may face additional discipline from the NHL regarding this incident. I give credit to Quinn for sticking up for his team no matter what and will continue to side with him regarding his beef with the officials. In addition, Radim Simek left the game early in the third period due to injury concern. The only other goal that the Sharks were able to muster up was via Nico Sturm from Noah Gregor and Erik Karlsson at around the nine-minute mark of the final frame. The third and last goal scored by the Sharks in this one also set a career-best for Nico Sturm with 21 points this season. 

Kaapo Kahkonen received the start in net in the Sharks' current homestand finale, recording a total of 22 saves. 

Overall, what a complete joke this Sharks team is this year at this point in the season. They have only accumulated one win on their most recent homestand, which was the game I was in attendance for, and remain stuck at six home wins this season. On top of that, the Sharks are the only team in the NHL to have single-digit home wins this season, which is embarrassing. In addition, it would be great to see William Eklund remain on the Sharks roster for as long as possible, but I wouldn't be shocked if they decide to send him back down to the Barracuda after a set amount of games between now and the end of the season for whatever reason. I understand the whole "Tank for Bedard" narrative surrounding this Sharks team, but they need to get some wins under their belts with under 20 games left in their season purely from a confidence standpoint. Next up, the Sharks hit the road for three games against Central Division teams, starting on Monday in Winnipeg against the Jets at 4:30 pm PT. 

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

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Sharks 2023 Trade Deadline Day Recap

 This year's trade deadline frenzy has now come and gone, and the Sharks have made three trades and a significant transaction this morning prior to the trade deadline at 3 pm ET/12 pm PT today. This post will only cover these four headlines, as all other trades involving the Sharks leading up to today's deadline have already been covered on this site. Let's begin: 

The first trade of the day saw the Sharks flip Vladislav Namestnikov to the Winnipeg Jets for a 2025 4th- round pick. I didn't see Namestnikov suiting up for the Sharks anytime before today's deadline, so this is solid asset management by Sharks GM Mike Grier. 

The next trade of the day involving the Sharks is the biggest one of the three trades, which sent Nick Bonino to the Penguins in a three-team deal with Pittsburgh and Montreal. This trade reunites Nick Bonino with the Penguins, where Bonino played some of his best years in his NHL career. The Sharks received the rights to defenseman Arvid Henrikson from the Canadiens, a 2023 7th-round pick, and a 2024 5th-round pick from the Penguins, while the Canadiens received defenseman Tony Sund from the Penguins and the Sharks' 2024 5th-round pick. Henrikson is currently in his senior season at Lake Superior State University and has one assist in 29 games played this season. Bonino will have half of his salary retained by the Canadiens in this trade and has registered ten goals and nine assists for 19 points in 59 games played this season. Over the course of two seasons, Bonino has 26 goals and 19 assists for 45 points in 139 games during his tenure with the Sharks. He is a pending UFA at season's end and it is best that the Sharks get something in return than lose him for nothing in free agency.

The last trade made by the Sharks before this year's trade deadline dealt forward Scott Reedy to the Dallas Stars for forward Jacob Peterson. Reedy has 13 points in 38 AHL games with the Barracuda this season, while Peterson has 26 points in 44 games with the Texas Stars this season and appeared in one NHL game with the Stars as well. I don't have any strong feelings about this minor trade, but I consider it an upgrade for the Sharks. 

Lastly, the significant transaction made by the Sharks on trade deadline day was that they called up one of their top prospects, William Eklund, from the Barracuda. Eklund will make his season debut Saturday afternoon against the Capitals, and I'm glad that he will be getting more of an opportunity with the big- league club in the final 20 games of the season. 

Overall, I'd give the Sharks a C+ for their moves leading up to this year's trade deadline. Can't wait to see what the rest of the season and the playoffs have in store for the NHL. 

Sources: Sjsharks.com, NHL Discussion via Instagram, Corey Masisak via Twitter 

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 62 Recap: Blues 6, Sharks 3 (3/2/23)

 The Sharks had a great first period, but defensive woes and a four-goal second period for the Blues were the difference-makers as they lose to St. Louis 6-3. 

The Sharks have built a 2-0 lead early in the first period on goals from Alexander Barabanov and Logan Couture. Assists on the first goal by Barabanov went to Andreas Johnsson and Mario Ferraro, while the assists on the second goal by Couture went to Barabanov and Erik Karlsson. 

The Blues then evened things up in the second period on goals from Colton Parayko and Jordan Kyrou. It unraveled further as the Blues grabbed their first lead of the night via Logan Brown for St. Louis’ third unanswered goal. In the final minute of the middle frame, the Blues added a commanding fourth consecutive goal, this time from Brayden Schenn, to extend their lead to two. The Sharks defense has completely crumbled in the second period, doing a ton of standing around and puck-watching. 

The Sharks got back in it in the third on a pretty shorthanded play that had Matt Benning set up Steven Lorentz to score the Sharks’ third shorthanded goal of the year to get within one. However, it wasn’t that way for long, as the Blues followed that up with two more to pad their lead: one from Tyler Pitlick and an empty-netter from Kaepernick Kapanen to finish things off. 

James Reimer made 17 saves and was left out to dry in many occasions in what could be his last start in teal ahead of tomorrow’s trade deadline. In addition, on a more positive note, this marks Erik Karlsson’s 900th NHL game, which is another significant feat in an absolutely remarkable season for EK65. 

In other news, the Sharks signed Derrick Pouliot to a one-year NHL contract for the remainder of this season. Pouliot has 18 points in 26 games with the Barracuda this season when he was available and is expected to get called up to the Sharks soon after the trade deadline has come and gone and a roster spot has cleared for him. 

Besides the first period, this game was pretty much a complete disaster for the Sharks. After the Blues scored four unanswered in the second period, knowing this Sharks team, there was practically no way they would climb themselves out of this hole completely. Team Teal concludes its current homestand on Saturday afternoon against the Washington Capitals at 3 pm PT. 

On the other hand, since the trade deadline is tomorrow afternoon, I anticipate that the Sharks will make a few more trades before tomorrow afternoon, so expect a trade deadline day recap sometime tomorrow before the Sharks play their next game on Saturday. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App, Corey Masisak via Twitter 

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Sharks Acquire Vladislav Namestnikov from Lightning

 With about two days left before the trade deadline, the Sharks have made a trade this afternoon, acquiring forward Vladislav Namestnikov from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for forward Mikey Eyssimont. The Lightning will be retaining 50 percent of Namestnikov's salary in the deal.

Namestnikov has played in 57 games with the Lightning this year, tallying six goals and nine assists for 15 points. In total, Namestnikov has 113 goals and 138 assists for 251 points in 610 games with the Lightning, Rangers, Red Wings, Stars, Senators, and Avalanche. He becomes an unrestricted free agent at season's end. 

Eyssimont was claimed by the Sharks on waivers from the Winnipeg Jets on January 6 and has registered three goals and five assists for eight points in 20 games with the Sharks this season. He has been a solid depth forward ever since his addition to the Sharks roster in early January. 

Overall, this is a somewhat puzzling but okay move between the Sharks and Lightning, and I have no strong feelings about this one either. In addition, I wouldn't be shocked one bit if Namestnikov doesn't end up playing a game for the Sharks and gets flipped to a different team before Friday morning. We'll have to wait and see if the latter occurs between now and Friday. 

Sources: Sjsharks.com, NHL Discussion via Instagram 

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Sharks 2022-23 Game 61 Recap: Canadiens 3, Sharks 1 (2/28/23)

 Team Teal got off to a good start in this one but would ultimately fall to the Montreal Canadiens 3-1.

The Sharks opened the scoring early in the first period on Jacob MacDonald’s first goal as a Shark. Later in the first, Tomas Hertl made an impressive shot block on a chance by Rem Pitlick in front of the net. 

San Jose played well in this one for the most part, but their lack of offense when it mattered most is what cost them. The Habs scored two goals in a roughly two-minute span between the eight- and ten-minute marks in the third via Kaiden Guhle and Jesse Ylonen to take their first lead of the night. Montreal then finished this one off with five seconds to go with an empty-netter from Christian Dvorak. 

Kaapo Kahkonen completed the night with 29 saves on 31 shots against. Fabian Zetterlund and Andreas Johnsson made their Sharks debuts Tuesday night after they were acquired from the Devils in the Timo Meier trade on Sunday. In addition, Radim Simek is back in the Sharks’ lineup, while Kevin Labanc was out due to the birth of his son Erik earlier today. 

In other news, the Sharks made a minor trade earlier today, acquiring the rights to defenseman Henry Thrun from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a 2024 third-round pick. Thrun is currently playing for Harvard and would become an unrestricted free agent if he doesn't sign a new contract with the Sharks by August 15. As for the second most significant piece headed to the Devils in the Timo Meier trade on Sunday, Scott Harrington has now been claimed by the Ducks after the Devils placed him on waivers following the trade. 

This has been yet another instance of glorified tanking by the Sharks. Since the playoffs are out of the picture this year, Team Teal would be better off continuing to play this way the rest of the season to better their chances of winning the Connor Bedard sweepstakes, but I'll take any result that this team can get at this point. Next up, the Sharks host a struggling St. Louis Blues team on Thursday at 7:30 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

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