Sharks 2023-24 Game 51 Recap: Ducks 3, Sharks 2 (OT) (1/31/24)

 San Jose heads into the All-Star break by blowing a late lead and allowing the Anaheim Ducks to win 3-2 in overtime. 

 The Ducks scored the first goal of this game just over two minutes into the first period via Isac Lundestrom. After that first goal, it has been all Sharks from there, with Anthony Duclair scoring on the power play a few minutes later to even it at one. Shakir Mukhamadullin registered an assist on the equalizer for his first NHL point, while Mike Hoffman recorded the secondary assist. Late in the second period, the Sharks gained the lead after Marc-Eduoard Vlasic scored his fifth goal of the season, setting a career-best three straight games with a goal. Kyle Burroughs and William Eklund assisted on the go-ahead goal by Vlasic. Eklund was recently moved to the center position in the Sharks lineup, and this has done wonders for Slippery Pete’s game and Team Teal’s level of play. 

Alexander Barabanov exited the game in the second period with an apparent injury. The Sharks allowed this game to slip away from them, with the Ducks tying the game at two via Troy Terry to send it to OT, where an odd-man rush by Anaheim set up Frank Vatrano to score the game-winner, giving the Sharks their first defeat in the OT period this season. 

Kaapo Kahkonen received the nod in net in Anaheim tonight, recording 31 saves on 34 shots against. On the other hand, Tomas Hertl was out for a second straight game but is hopeful he will be able to play in the All-Star Game in Toronto on Saturday. Ty Emberson was out as well due to an upper-body injury, and Shakir Mukhamadullin was named to the Pacific Division roster for the AHL All-Star Classic in San Jose this weekend.

Despite the less-than-ideal end result, there are plenty of positive aspects going well for the Sharks as of late heading into the All-Star break and their approximate one week off. They’ve certainly endured some rough patches and had some bright spots, but this Sharks team is definitely on the right track to improving and getting back to being the perennial playoff contender we all know and love. At the All-Star break and through their first 51 games of the campaign, the Sharks have a 14-32-5 record, good for 33 points, 8th in the Pacific Division, and 31st in the entire NHL. They resume action on Valentine’s Day in Winnipeg against the Jets at 4:30 pm PT. 

Sources: Sharks Audio Network, NHL App, Curtis Pashelka via X 

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Sharks 2023-24 Game 50 Recap: Sharks 2, Kraken 0 (1/30/24)

 The Sharks earned their fourth win in five games by shutting out the Seattle Kraken 2-0, marking the first time Team Teal has shut out an opponent in a game this season. 

Both teams didn’t perform particularly well during the first two periods of this game, but luckily it remained scoreless through then. The only goals scored in this game came in the third period, with Marc-Eduoard Vlasic breaking the ice for his third goal in the past five games and Jan Rutta scoring an empty-netter. William Eklund assisted on both goals in this contest, while Ty Emberson assisted on the first of these two goals by Vlasic. 

Mackenzie Blackwoood picked up his first shutout as a Shark, stopping all 32 shots he faced en route to the win over the Kraken. In addition, Tomas Hertl did not play in tonight’s game due to a minor injury, while Jacob MacDonald was activated from the IR and Mario Ferraro was transferred to the IR in place of MacDonald. 

It’s amazing to see this Sharks team back in the win column and Pickles finding his scoring touch once again. I am starting to believe more and more that this team can work more of its magic and create something special for the rest of the season and in the future. They have one more game tomorrow before the All-Star break and their mandated approximate one week off, traveling down to Orange County to face the Anaheim Ducks at 7:30 pm PT. 

Sources: Sharks Audio Network, Curtis Pashelka via X, NHL App 

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Sharks 2023-24 Game 49 Recap: Sabres 5, Sharks 2 (1/27/24)

 The Sharks’ three-game win streak has snapped, as they fall 5-2 to the Buffalo Sabres this afternoon. 

The Sharks got off to a great start in the opening period, scoring the first two goals from Marc-Eduoard Vlasic and Jan Rutta. William Eklund registered assists on both Sharks goals in the first period, while Ty Emberson recorded the other assist on the first goal by Vlasic after he was activated off of the IR prior to this game. This was Vlasic’s third goal of the season, while Rutta is on a career-long four-game point streak  (2 goals, 3 assists). However, the Sabres stormed back late in the first period on goals from J.J. Peterka and Jordan Greenway to even it up at two. 

Buffalo claimed its first lead of the day early in the second period after Alex Tuch scored to make it 3-2. The Sabres were in complete control from there, scoring the next and last two goals via J.J. Peterka’s second goal of the game and a Dylan Cozens empty-netter. In addition, a big scrum ensued in the third period, initiated when Kyle Okposo ran over Nikita Okhotiuk and Kyle Burroughs went after Okposo. This scuffle resulted in Okposo getting four minutes for interference and roughing, Burroughs, Luke Kunin, and Jeff Skinner each getting two minutes for roughing, and a Sharks power play. 

Kaapo Kahkonen recorded a total of 31 saves on 35 shots against in the loss to the Sabres. In addition, Henry Thrun was placed on the IR and won’t be available until after the All-Star break, while Shakir Mukhamadullin was recently called up from the Barracuda and made his NHL debut today against the Sabres. 

The Sharks were rolling to begin this game, but lost their momentum and fell back to earth for the remainder of this contest. Unfortunate, but not shocking either, considering how this season has gone for Team Teal so far. Next up, the Sharks host the Seattle Kraken in their next-to-last game before the NHL All-Star break on Tuesday at 7:30 pm PT. 

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

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My Thoughts on the Sharks’ New Cali Fin Alternate Jerseys

 The Sharks have officially unveiled their new third jerseys Thursday evening. Nicknamed “Cali Fin,” these latest alternate jerseys have taken a bit of a different approach while carrying over aspects from the current Evolve jerseys and alternate jerseys from years past. 

The Cali Fin becomes the first non-Reverse Retro jersey in Sharks franchise history to feature a primary logo that isn’t the Shark head. Like previous Sharks alternate jerseys, this new one is primarily black with a teal and/or white contrast. Other unique characteristics of Cali Fin besides the logo on the center of the jersey include re-colorized Northern California shoulder patches from the 2015 Sharks Stadium Series jersey, white and teal contrasting stripes on the sleeves and waist, multiple teal stripes below the primary stripes that fade towards the bottom of the jersey, and shark teeth graphics inside the sweater on the back collar. The uniforms surrounding the new Cali Fin sweaters include black helmets, black pants with jersey-matching striping, black gloves, and black socks. Team Teal will debut their newest Cali Fin alternate uniforms on February 17 when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets, and San Jose will wear these alternate uniforms during every home game in the months of February and March for a total of 11 games this season. These jerseys are now available to purchase at the Sharks Pro Shop, along with the NHL Shop and Fanatics websites.

As for my thoughts, the Cali Fin isn't as great and impressive as the Sharks' previous two alternate sweaters in the Stealth from 2018-22 and the black third jersey from 2008-17, but it looks amazing and I love it. I enjoy the consistency in the Sharks' alternate threads and especially dig the Northern California shoulder patches. I understand why the team would want to head in a somewhat different direction for these new alternates in terms of the center logo and other elements, and they executed this design pretty well. The leaks, teasers, and renderings that I've seen online over the past week hinted that this new third jersey would look very similar to the official finished product, and I had a strong feeling that it would turn out the way it did. I would love to get my hands on a Sharks Cali Fin jersey and other Cali Fin-themed merch in the near future, but I won't be rushing to buy them anytime soon. When I do eventually get my hands on a Sharks Cali Fin alternate sweater, I want either Logan Couture's or William Eklund's name and number on the back of it. I am very eager to see the players rep these new alternate threads on the ice during games and hope the Cali Fin brings good fortune to the Sharks this season and for years to come. 

Source: Sjsharks.com

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Sharks 2023-24 Game 48 Recap: Sharks 3, Rangers 2 (OT) (1/23/24)

 The Sharks earned their third win in a row and first win this season when trailing after two periods, taking down the New York Rangers 3-2 in overtime.

 What an improbable and impressive comeback win by this Sharks team, who has been on a roll ever since Logan Couture and Nico Sturm returned to the lineup. This game began with the Rangers scoring first in the opening period via Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin scoring in the second period to put the Blueshirts up 2-0 through two periods of play. The Sharks rallied back early in the third period, with Nico Sturm and Ryan Carpenter finding the back of the net to tie the game at two. Jan Rutta and Filip Zadina earned the assists on the equalizer by Carpenter. This contest needed overtime to decide it, but the Sharks weren’t done yet. Alexander Barabanov and Jan Rutta set up Tomas Hertl to score the overtime game-winner to complete the comeback over the Rangers.

Mackenzie Blackwood received the nod in net in the second game of this back-to-back set for Team Teal, recording 29 saves on 31 shots against in the OT victory. In other news, Mario Ferraro will be out for an extended amount of time due to a lower-body injury stemmed from landing awkwardly into the boards last night against the Kings in LA. Calen Addison was back in the Sharks lineup in place of Ferraro, and Scott Sabourin was re-assigned to the Barracuda. 

Not many folks saw this comeback win occurring, especially considering how the first two periods went for Team Teal, but this team remains resilient, and San Jose's forward lines continue to click in their past few games. What this Sharks team has put together over its past three games is simply incredible, and this hot streak and emotional high need to persist for as long as possible. Team Teal will try to make it four straight wins when they host the Buffalo Sabres in their next game on Saturday at 1 pm PT. 

Sources: Sharks Audio Network, ESPN, NHL App, Curtis Pashelka via X 

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Sharks 2023-24 Game 47 Recap: Sharks 4, Kings 3 (SO) (1/22/24)

 Sharks get a huge win in the skills competition in LA over the rival Kings 4-3 and remain undefeated with Logan Couture in their lineup this season. 

The Sharks found the back of the net first in the second period, with Fabian Zetterlund scoring his 14th goal of the season from Mike Hoffman and Tomas Hertl followed by William Eklund’s eighth goal of the season and first goal in 18 games from Nico Sturm and Jan Rutta. Team Teal took a 2-0 lead at this point late in the second, but they took their feet off the accelerator for a bit before Trevor Moore scored to put the Kings on the board before the end of the second period. In addition, Mario Ferraro crashed awkwardly into the boards in the second period and was in a ton of pain and discomfort. Ferraro headed straight for the Sharks’ bench right after the collision, skated out with the team before the start of the third, and headed back to the dressing room, unable to return. 

The Kings evened it up at two about a minute and a half into the third period via Quinton Byfield. San Jose went back ahead by one about five minutes later on Justin Bailey's third goal of the season, with the lone assist going to Ryan Carpenter. With just under two minutes remaining in regulation, an errant shot of the puck by Kaapo Kahkonen over the glass and into the crowd resulted in a delay-of-game penalty against him that set up Drew Doughty to score the game-tying goal for Los Angeles to force bonus hockey. This game eventually got to a shootout, in which Logan Couture and Fabian Zetterlund scored to give the Sharks their second straight victory over their So Cal rivals (Kings and Ducks specifically). 

Kaapo Kahkonen had a great performance in net and was a primary reason for the Sharks' big win over the Kings tonight, recording 44 saves on 47 shots against. 

There may have been moments in this game where the Sharks slipped up a bit and let the kings have some momentum, but Team Teal never trailed, played well, and made up for their mistakes. Although the injury to Mario Ferraro may be somewhat concerning, Kaapo Kahkonen and the Sharks' offense stepped up big time when they needed to. The Sharks are looking to continue their positive momentum when they travel home to host the New York Rangers tomorrow night at 7:30 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App 

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Sharks 2023-24 Game 46 Recap: Sharks 5, Ducks 3 (1/20/24)

 A multi-goal second period and the return of two key forwards helped fuel the Sharks to a 5-3 win at home over the Anaheim Ducks. 

The Sharks had the first goal of the game in the opening period for a bit via Filip Zadina, but it was challenged by the Ducks for offsides and overturned after Ryan Carpenter entered the zone before the puck did prior to Zadina scoring. 

Both teams got going late in the second period, starting with Marc-Eduoard Vlasic scoring his second goal of the season on a great feed from Logan Couture in his season debut. Mackenzie Blackwood also picked up an assist on the Vlasic goal. Moments later, Jackson LaCombe scored to even things up for the Ducks after his goal barely got past Mackenzie Blackwood right as he was scurrying back to the crease to attempt to make a save. The Sharks would go on to score the next two goals late in the middle frame via Kyle Burroughs from Tomas Hertl, which was Burroughs' first in teal, and Fabian Zetterlund from Ryan Carpenter. This Sharks two-goal lead would only last for 24 seconds, as Adam Henrique would score an ugly goal in a scenario where Blackwood and a few Sharks defenders were all in vulnerable positions to get the Ducks within one before the end of the period. 

The Sharks would continue to trade goals late in the final period, beginning with Jan Rutta scoring his first goal as a Shark to give the Sharks a 4-2 lead, with Fabian Zetterlund and Mike Hoffman recording the assists. This was followed up by a goal from Mason McTavish to put the Ducks back within one. The Sharks sealed the deal with seven seconds remaining on an empty-netter from Tomas Hertl for his team-leading 14th goal of the season, with the lone assist going to Nico Sturm in his long-awaited return from the injured reserve. 

Mackenzie Blackwood totaled 31 saves on 34 shots against in the win over the Ducks. In addition, Logan Couture revealed that from training camp until recently, he was dealing with Osteitis Pubis, a condition that causes "inflammation in the joint between your left and right pubic bones," along with "pain and swelling in your groin or lower abdomen" according to the Cleveland Clinic. He also stated that "Some days were terrible' and he "couldn't get out of bed" as a result of this condition. In place of Couture and Sturm, Mikael Granlund and Ty Emberson were transferred to the injured reserve. 

The return of Captain Clutch and Nico Sturm got at least some of the Sharks' mojo back. On top of that, the 49ers overcame the Packers in a close game in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs, so these wins felt amazing. Next up, the Sharks travel down south to face their heated rivals in the LA Kings in their next game on Monday at 7:30 pm PT. 

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

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Sharks to Retire Joe Thornton's No. 19 Next Season

 This was inevitable, but the Sharks have confirmed what we all knew was coming: they will be retiring Joe Thornton's number 19 and raising it to the rafters sometime in the 2024-25 season. 

The date and opponent have yet to be determined, but Joe Thornton was bound to be the next Sharks legend to have his number retired after Patrick Marleau, and this was only fitting. 

Thornton ranks first in Sharks franchise history in assists with 804, points per game with 0.96, power play points with 402, and plus-minus with +161. He is also second in points with 1,055 and and even-strength points with 645, third in games played with 1,104, and fourth in goals with 251 and game-winning goals with 40. In addition, Jumbo Joe played the best years of his playing career in a Sharks uniform and is bound to be enshrined into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the coming years. 

Lastly, it would make the most sense for the Sharks to hold Joe Thornton's jersey retirement ceremony when they host one of the other teams he has previously played for, specifically the Bruins, Maple Leafs, or Panthers. Can't wait to hear more details about Joe Thornton's jersey retirement ceremony and bring them to you when more is announced! 

Sources: sjsharks.com, San Jose Sharks PR 

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Sharks 2023-24 Game 45 Recap: Blackhawks 2, Sharks 1 (SO) (1/16/24)

 It was a low-scoring affair between the two worst teams in the league, but the Chicago Blackhawks earned the extra point in a 2-1 shootout victory over the Sharks. 

The Blackhawks got on the board first in the opening period via Cole Guttman on the power play. This score held until early in the third period, but the second period featured two fights, the first one between Kyle Burroughs and Cole Guttman after Burroughs laid Lukas Reichel pretty hard into the boards, and the second one between Scott Sabourin and Jarred Tinordi after Luke Kunin hit the post with a shot. Early in the third period, the Sharks evened it up at one on Ryan Carpenter’s second goal of the season, with assists from Justin Bailey and Mike Hoffman. Mikael Granlund, one of the Sharks’ better forwards this season, took a hard hit from Mackenzie Entwhistle early in the third period and was favoring his right shoulder, having to leave the game and is expected to be out for a significant amount of time. 

The 1-1 tie would ultimately force overtime and a shootout, with Boris Katchouk scoring in the ninth round to decide this one for Chicago. 

Mackenzie Blackwood was back in net for the Sharks, recording 24 saves on 25 shots against. In addition, Calen Addison and Anthony Duclair were healthy scratches in the Sharks’ current road trip finale in The Windy City. 

Although they were without Connor Bedard, and the Sharks had outshot them 38-25, I had a feeling the Blackhawks would win this one, especially since the Blackhawks have earned most of their wins at home and the Sharks don’t perform very well on the road this season. In addition, today is my friend’s birthday, and that particular friend is a Blackhawks fan, so I figured that would play a factor in the result of this game. The Sharks return home for their next game on Saturday against the Anaheim Ducks at 7 pm PT. 

Sources: Sharks Audio Network, Curtis Pashelka via X, NHL App 

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Sharks 2023-24 Game 44 Recap: Sabres 3, Sharks 0 (1/15/24)

 The Sharks made it to Buffalo late last night for today’s game despite a heavy snowstorm hitting Western New York, but an unsurprising lack of scoring chances and missed opportunities for the Sharks resulted in them getting shut out 3-0 by the Sabres. 

Both the Sharks and Sabres were even through one period of play, especially in terms of the scoreboard and shot count. However, the Sabres jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second period on goals from Casey Mittelstadt and Alex Tuch. The Sabres added one more late in the third period on an empty-netter by Jordan Greenway to top this one off. 

Kaapo Kahkonen had a solid performance in net for Team Teal but received no support from his offense, recording 33 saves on 35 shots against. In addition, Logan Couture will remain out for at least the remainder of the Sharks’ current road trip, and Scott Sabourin and Kyle Burroughs were inserted into the lineup against the Sabres in place of Calen Addison and Mike Hoffman. 

Due to travel complications, playing earlier than they would normally, and common recurring themes surrounding this Sharks team during games, this end result shouldn’t come as a shocker to anyone. Team Teal is back in action tomorrow to conclude their current road trip in Chicago against the Blackhawks at 5:30 pm PT. 

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

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Sharks 2023-24 Game 43 Recap: Senators 5, Sharks 4 (1/13/24)

 The Sharks played fairly well, and both teams scored in every period, but late-game heroics by the Ottawa Senators puts them over the top with a 5-4 victory over Team Teal.

The Senators jumped out to a two-goal lead in the first period on goals from Claude Giroux and Thomas Chabot before Anthony Duclair scored to narrow the Sharks' deficit to one, with Alexander Barabanov and Mario Ferraro getting the assists on Duclair's eighth goal of the season. The Sharks came out firing to start the second period, scoring two goals from Marc-Eduoard Vlasic to gain their first lead of the day. These were Vlasic's first goal of the year and first goal in 60 games, with assists from Anthony Duclair and Mikael Granlund, and Kevin Labanc's second goal of the season and first goal in 12 games, with assists from Mario Ferraro and Mike Hoffman. However, the Sharks' lead would last for only less than a minute, as Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson scored to put the Senators back on top. Late in the third period, Filip Zadina would tie it at four for the Sharks, with assists going to Tomas Hertl and Mario Ferraro, but Vladimir Tarasenko would bury the game-winner with 3.3 seconds remaining for Ottawa to take the battle between last-place teams in each conference. 

Despite his stat line in this game, Mackenzie Blackwood was a major factor in keeping this game close for the Sharks, recording a total of 36 saves on 41 shots against. 

I had a feeling ahead of this game that the Sharks had a decent shot at winning this game, especially since the Senators hadn't won a game in the 2024 calendar year up until this point, but although the Sharks  played well enough to win, the last-second go-ahead goal by Tarasenko destroyed any chance of the Sharks winning this game. Next up, the Sharks face the Buffalo Sabres on Monday at 9 am PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App 

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Sharks 2023-24 Game 42 Recap: Sharks 3, Canadiens 2 (1/11/24)

 The Sharks’ season-longest 12-game losing streak is finally over, as San Jose took down the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in Montreal. 

The Sharks got off to a great start in this one, scoring early in the first period on a goal that went to Luke Kunin and extending their lead to two on Fabian Zetterlund’s 12th goal of the year from Tomas Hertl and Filip Zadina. Moments after the Sharks gained a two-goal lead, Brendan Gallagher scored to put the Canadiens on the board and cut the Sharks’ lead to one. 

The Sharks’ lead went back up by two late in the second period, as Nikita Okhotiuk scored his first goal in teal, with assists going to Mikael Granlund and William Eklund. The Canadiens would score one more late in the third via Josh Anderson, but it was too little too late, as the Sharks would hold on to finally snap their longest skid of the season. 

Mackenzie Blackwood recorded 33 saves on 35 shots against in the victory. In addition, Kevin Labanc and Marc-Eduoard Vlasic were inserted into the Sharks lineup in place of Scott Sabourin and Ty Emberson. 

Based on the way the Sharks have been performing during their past 12 games, they needed this win badly for their confidence. I had a gut feeling that they would get the job done either tonight or in their next game on Saturday, and the Sharks played with a greater sense of urgency and desperation to where it finally paid off. Hope this team can string together some more wins after this one, and this victory over the Habs doesn’t end up an anomaly, especially with Logan Couture and Nico Sturm expected to rejoin the Sharks lineup from injury pretty soon. Next up, the Sharks will travel to Ottawa to face the Senators on Saturday at 1 pm PT. 

Sources: Curtis Pashelka via X, NHL App 

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Sharks 2023-24 Game 41 Recap: Maple Leafs 7, Sharks 1 (1/9/24)

 The Sharks fared worse in their second straight game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, getting blown out 7-1 to extend their losing streak to a season-record 12 games. 

The Maple Leafs scored two quick goals in the first period via Morgan Reilly and Auston Matthews, followed by another two quick goals in the second period from Mitch Marner and Pontus Holmberg to push the Leafs’ lead to four. Later in the second period, Henry Thrun scored his first NHL goal on the power play in his 24th NHL game by redirecting a pass from Mikael Granlund to get the Sharks on the board, with Anthony Duclair recording the secondary assist in the Sharks’ only positive aspect of their game tonight. Toronto would then tack on three more goals in the third period from Jake McCabe, Mitch Marner, and Nick Robertson to completely run away with this one. The last two of these three third-period goals were fueled by a double-minor penalty for high-sticking on Scott Sabourin in his Sharks debut. 

Kaapo Kahkonen made 16 saves on 20 shots against before he was pulled early in the second period. Mackenzie Blackwood fared a bit better, recording 22 saves on 25 shots against in relief for Kahkonen. 

Besides Henry Thrun’s first NHL goal, the Sharks’ second consecutive game against the Leafs in Toronto was an absolute stinker. Team Teal is exactly halfway through its 2023-24 campaign and currently stands at 9-29-3, good for 21 points and dead last in the entire NHL. On the flip side, the Sharks face teams who aren’t in playoff positions in their next five games, so they should have a chance to end their second lengthy losing streak of the season soon once and for all. Their next stop on their current road trip is in Montreal on Thursday against the Canadiens at 4 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App 

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Sharks 2023-24 Game 40 Recap: Maple Leafs 4, Sharks 1 (1/6/24)

 The Sharks have now compiled their second 11-game losing streak of the season, as they fall 4-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

 The Leafs were practically in control for the entirety of this game, striking first late in the opening period via Mitch Marner on the power play. Toronto extended its lead to two late in the second period via Calle Jarnkrok, while William Nylander scored near the midway point of the third to put the Leafs up by three. Soon after, the Sharks would score their only goal of the game via Mikael Granlund from Fabian Zetterlund and Ty Emberson. With about three-and-a-half minutes remaining, William Nylander scored his second goal of the game to regain the Leafs’ three-goal lead and put this one to bed. 

Mackenzie Blackwood had a decent performance in net and the only aspect keeping the Sharks afloat at home against the Leafs, but his offense let him down once more, finishing with 29 saves on 33 shots against. In other news, Jack Studnicka was reassigned to the Barracuda, and Logan Couture is reportedly expected to return to the Sharks lineup and make his season debut sometime during their next road trip through Eastern Canada. In addition, the IIHF World Juniors in Sweden recently wrapped up, with Sharks prospects Will Smith, Eric Pohlkamp, and Team USA taking down Filip Bystedt, Mattias Havelid, and Team Sweden 6-2 to win the gold medal.

Team Teal continues to struggle to generate scoring chances and find the back of the net, while also running into a hot goaltender in former Shark Martin Jones. These two teams will face off again on Tuesday, this time north of the border in Toronto, with puck drop at 4 pm PT. 

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

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Sharks 2023-24 Game 39 Recap: Jets 2, Sharks 1 (1/4/24)

 It was another low-scoring goaltending duel in this edition of hockey’s West Side Story, but the Winnipeg Jets came out on top 2-1, extending the Sharks’ losing streak to ten games. 

The Sharks got on the board first midway through the second period via Alexander Barabanov, who scores his third goal of the season and in consecutive games, with assists going to William Eklund and Ty Emberson. The Jets responded with a goal from Morgan Barron to even it up at one soon after, while Gabe Vilardi scored the game-winner for Winnipeg on the power play early in the third period to go up 2-1. 

Mackenzie Blackwood was back in net for the Sharks and had a great performance tonight, but was simply one-upped by Connor Hellebuyck in the goaltending duel, finishing with 28 saves on 30 shots against. Earlier today, Matt Benning underwent successful hip surgery and will miss the remainder of the season. In addition, Tomas Hertl was selected to represent the Sharks in this year’s NHL All-Star Game and festivities next month in Toronto. This selection was made in the first round of voting by the NHL, which selects one player from every team before fans can vote players into the All-Star Game, and will be Hertl’s second appearance in the All-Star Game. 

The Sharks conclude their first homestand of the 2024 calendar year on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs at 4 pm PT. 

Sources: Sharks Audio Network, NHL App, San Jose Sharks PR, Curtis Pashelka via X 

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Sharks 2023-24 Game 38 Recap: Red Wings 5, Sharks 3 (1/2/24)

 This game was mostly neck-and-neck, but the Red Wings got revenge from the first time these two teams met this season, prevailing 5-3 and extending the Sharks’ losing skid to nine games. 

The Red Wings struck first in the opening period of this one on a goal from Daniel Sprong. Later in the opening period, the Sharks evened it up after Fabian Zetterlund poked it in past Alex Lyon for his eleventh goal of the season, with assists going to Mikael Granlund and Mike Hoffman. This goal was reviewed afterwards and ultimately stood. Speaking of Hoffman, he had a great breakaway scoring chance following the equalizer late in the first, but he was denied by the skate blade of Alex Lyon in impressive fashion. 

The Red Wings regained the lead in the second period via J.T. Compher, a goal which Kaapo Kahkonen got a piece of but wished he had back. Team Teal had another answer late in the second period, tying it up at two after Justin Bailey redirected a shot from Mario Ferraro for his second goal of the season. 

Near the midway point of the third period, Alexander Barabanov scored his second goal of the season to give the Sharks their first lead of the night, with assists from Calen Addison and Ty Emberson. This also snaps a ten-game goal drought and marks the 100th NHL point for Barabanov. However, the Sharks’ lead in this game would only last for 91 seconds, as Detroit would pot the next two goals via Dylan Larkin and an empty-netter from Michael Rasmussen to finish this one off for good. 

Kaapo Kahkonen recorded 26 saves on 30 shots against the Red Wings tonight, but his offense once again failed to step up and bail him out. 

At times throughout this game, it seemed like the Sharks had a chance to end their current lengthy losing streak, but their inability to play a full 60 minutes for much of this season remained prevalent tonight. Things going forward aren’t going to get any easier for this Sharks team, with their next game hosting the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday at 7:30 pm PT. 

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

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