A warm welcome back to Joe Thornton, as his number 19 will forever be retired, and the Sharks hosted the Sabres but the outcome was disappointing
Joe Thornton During his Jersey Retirement Ceremony at SAP Center in San Jose on Sat Nov 23, 2024 (Getty Images//Erza Shaw)
By: Fernando Abarca
SAN JOSE, CA –– It was a long afternoon for the Sharks as the celebrations began early. The team honored the life and legacy of Joe Thornton, who spent over 15 years of his 24-year NHL career in the Bay Area, as well as time in Boston, Toronto, and Florida. He gave his all to the sport of hockey.
During the celebration, former Sharks alumni, including Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski, were present to witness the second number retired in the Sharks organization’s history in the NHL.
It was a time to remember, rewind, and relive some of the greatest moments in hockey history in the Bay Area: those Stanley Cup runs, the Cup Final, and the Conference Finals that brought tears of joy and sadness. Joe Thornton is more than just a hockey player; he was loved for his character off the ice, his morals, and the way he treated everyone in the hockey community.
Jumbo was the last man to compete against Wayne Gretzky.
Speaking of the game, the San Jose Sharks (6-12-5) did not have a good road trip, suffering two losses in overtime against Dallas and St. Louis.
1ST PERIOD.
San Jose struck first with a clever play by W. Eklund and Jake Walman. Eklund sent the puck behind the goal to Zetterlund, who passed it back to Eklund. Walman then retrieved the puck and fired a powerful shot that was deflected by Buffalo’s goalie to Fabian in front of the net, who scored the first goal, dedicating it to Jumbo, making it 1-0.
Buffalo opened the scoring eleven minutes into the 1st period when Mario Ferraro passed to Timothy Liljegren, who deflected the puck into Buffalo’s zone. Bowen Byram retrieved the puck, but Liljegren lost possession, allowing Peyton Krebs to recover and tie the game for Buffalo.
Luke Kunin dropped the gloves against Sam Lafferty; neither player received major penalties, only roughing and cross-checking, and play continued at 5-on-5.
2nd PERIOD.
The game tied up in the second, and in the 1st period, it seemed San Jose was setting the tone, and Buffalo was just trying to keep up with it, and it was. Celebrini and Toffoli had chances to put more scoring up for the Sharks but were not able to finish those chances. The Sharks remained up for the whole period.
Luke Kunin, coming out from the Penalty box, gave the lead, netting the 2nd goal for the Sharks, assisted by Tyler Toffoli and Alexander Wennberg.
Sharks showed intensity throughout the period, preventing Buffalo from equalizing.
3rd PERIOD.
Happiness did not last long for the Sharks as the lead turned into an upcoming added loss to the standings, not a surprise against a team that is well positioned in the Atlantic division.
A total nightmare for the Sharks, three goals on the Sharks’ goal ruined what was going to be the cherry on top.
Buffalo’s tying goal, Dylan Cozens fighting in front of the net as Blackwood was unable to do anything or see the puck tied up the game.
Four minutes later, Alex Tuch, with a shorthanded goal, nailed the third one for the visitors.
Once again, an empty netter that went against the Sharks minutes into the end of the 3rd period, the Sabres closed the game with three wins in a row. Rasmus Dahlin, from a distance, sent the puck to the Sharks’ neglected zone. Celebrini tried everything he could to prevent the puck from entering, but the attempt was not enough. A frustrated Macklin Celebrini slammed his stick against the post and broke it.
The Sharks are back at home once again vs. the Los Angeles Kings on Monday at 7:30 pm.
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