Photo Credit to the San Jose Sharks. Kevin Labanc warming up before the game against rival Kings at the SAP Center in San Jose on Sun Sep 25, 2022 (@SJSharks photo)
By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)
SAN JOSE–On a warm Sunday in San Jose both the fans and the players would help to raise the temperature inside of SAP center as the San Jose Sharks beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 in overtime in the first preseason game for each team.
It wouldn’t take too long before the Sharks would find the back of the net as Luke Kunin would score 6:56 into the first period from Thomas Hertl and Timo Meier.
Jasper Weatherby would start off the penalty fest that would be this game with a roughing penalty at the 17:48 mark. By the end of the game the Sharks would finish at 0/7 on the power play while the Kings would finish at 0/8.
Tying the game up would be Kings forward Carl Grunstrom at the 59 second mark of the third period assisted by Brandt Clarke and Brenden Lemeiux
It felt like the Kings had fead off of the second period momentum they had generated as the Sharks only mustered two shots early in the third period.
Giving the Sharks the lead back Meier would score on a nice deflection off a shot from Matt Benning also assisted by Hertl at the 9:50 mark of the third period.
Continuing their solid play Blake Lizotte would score at the 17:25 mark of the third to tie it assisted by Grundstrom on a two on one play were Kahkonen would have no chance.
Playing the hero Logan Couture would find twine at the 1:27 mark of overtime assisted by Erik Karlsson and Kevin Lebanc sending the crowd into a frenzy.
As the penalties suggest it would be a physical game with the Sharks totaling 31 hits and the Kings ending up with Kaapo Kahkonen would finish with a solid 43 saves on the night while on the other side of things Jonathan Quick would make 17 saves and Matt Vilata made 11 saves.
Kahkonen would comment after the game on all the penalties taken, “Obviously there was a lot of penalties in this game so the rhythm was a little off for both teams I guess but we found a way to win so thatβs always nice.”
The Sharks next game is against the Anaheim Ducks on Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. at Sap Center in San Jose.
Sports Radio Service 