The Sharks’ late comeback efforts weren’t enough, as the Kings held off Team Teal with a 2-1 victory Thursday night.
The Kings jumped out to an early and quick 2-0 lead on goals from Adrian Kempe and Akil Thomas, with the latter of these two being Thomas’ first NHL goal. Although the second period was scoreless, Luke Kunin and Andreas Englund engaged in a bit of a tilt, resulting in both players receiving five-minute majors for fighting along with two-minute minors each for slashing. The 2-0 Kings lead held until just under two minutes remaining in regulation, when Klim Kostin got the Sharks on the board with his eighth goal of the season and fifth as a Shark. Mikael Granlund and William Eklund each collected assists on what would be the Sharks’ lone goal of this game.
Mackenzie Blackwood performed well in net for the Sharks, but couldn’t get his team the win, recording 25 saves on 27 shots against. In other news, earlier today, the Sharks signed college free agent forward Collin Graf to a three-year, entry-level deal. Graf’s entry-level deal with the Sharks kicks in starting for the remainder of this season. This season with Quinnipiac University, Graf recorded 22 goals and 27 assists for 49 points, leading his school in points and goals, and ranking second on his team in assists. He was also named a Hobey Baker Memorial Award top 10 finalist for the second consecutive year. During the 2022-23 season, Graf led Quinnipiac in all scoring aspects with 21 goals, 38 assists, and 59 points, helping his team win the NCAA National Championship last year. In addition, he was named the ECAC Player of the Year and Gladiator Best Defensive Forward this year. In total, Graf finished his collegiate career with 54 goals and 76 assists for 130 points in 112 games, playing one year at Union College before transferring to Quinnipiac. This may not seem like a huge signing at the moment, but we may be looking at this pickup as a potential steal by the end of his entry-level contract in a few years.
The Sharks host the St. Louis Blues in their next game on Saturday at 3 pm PT.
Sources: Sharks Audio Network, Sharks + SAP Center App, NHL App
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