The Sharks drop their first road game of the season to the Utah Mammoth by a score of 6-3, remaining the only winless team in the NHL in 2025-26.
The Sharks did not get the start they were looking for, with the Mammoth scoring twice via Nick Schmaltz, once on the Utah power play and the other at even strength. San Jose responded early in the second period on a easy tap-in power play goal by Tyler Toffoli for his second goal of the season, assisted by Dmitry Orlov and Will Smith, followed by Jeff Skinner’s third goal of the season to tie the game at two. I initially thought the equalizer was Macklin Celebrini’s first of the season, but it was an instance where Skinner sent one towards the net and scored on a lucky redirection off of a Mammoth defender. However, Celebrini would be credited with the primary assist on Jeff Skinner’s third goal in teal, while Vincent Desharnais earned the secondary assist on this goal. Later in the second period, a misplay by Yaroslav Askarov with the puck behind the Sharks net led to Liam O’Brien scoring to retake the lead for the Mammoth.
With just about a minute into the third period, Nick Schmaltz scored his third goal of the game to complete the hat trick and restore Utah’s two-goal lead. Things further unraveled from there, as the Mammoth scored twice more in the final period via Michael Carcone and Clayton Keller. Also during the third period, Logan Cooley and Macklin Celebrini were wrapped up in a wrestling match, and that spiraled into a massive scuffle that assessed several penalties, consisting of a few minors to to Logan Cooley and Macklin Celebrini, along with ten-minute misconducts to Vincent Desharnais and Dmitri Simashev. Lastly, the Sharks cut their deficit to three later in the third period when Macklin Celebrini scored his first goal of the season, assisted by Jeff Skinner and Alexander Wennberg.
Yaroslav Askarov compiled 28 saves on 34 shots against. So far this season, it seems like Askarov may be doing too much and putting too much pressure on himself in his first full season in the NHL. I hope he turns his struggles around soon, and I know he will eventually. Michael Misa was scratched from tonight's game due to load management purposes. In other news, earlier today the Sharks made a minor trade, acquiring defenseman Kyle Masters from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for forward Oskar Olausson. At the time of this trade, Kyle Masters was playing in the ECHL, while Oskar Olausson's stint in the Sharks organization was very brief to say the least.
As of the second period, it appeared as if the Sharks had a lot of positive momentum and had what it took to win their first game of the season. However, after they gave up the lead soon after tying it at two, all momentum went down the drain from there. On top of that, it doesn’t help the Sharks that their blue line is dealing with some injuries as well. On the flip side, I am still feeling hopeful that Team Teal can earn its first win of the season sooner than later. San Jose returns home tomorrow to host the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7 pm PT. This next game will be my second Sharks game I will be attending this season, so I plan to put together a personal experience post from tomorrow’s game on here in the next few days.
Sources: ESPN, NHL App, Locked on Sharks, Curtis Pashelka via X
Discover your next favorite outfit at the CPF Store! With our wide selection of stylish and comfortable clothing, you can express your unique style while feeling amazing. Shop now and elevate your wardrobe with the latest trends and timeless classics. Don't miss out - embrace fashion that speaks to you at the CPF Store by clicking the link here: CPF Store
No comments:
Post a Comment