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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