Author: M Walsh

Sharks Buried by Avalanche, Shut Out 6-0

Published on by M WalshLeave a comment

Remember this guy in net that’s former San Jose Shark now Colorado Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood whose doing just fine between the pipes for Colorado delivering a shutout against his former team the Sharks at the Ball Center in Denver on Wed Nov 26, 2025 (AP new photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks were shut out 6-0 by the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday. The win was the tenth in a row for the Avalanche. It was also the 12th loss in a row for the Sharks in Denver. Ross Colton, Nathan MacKinnon, Sam Malinski, Josh Manson, Joel Kiviranta and Artturi Lehkonen scored for the Avalanche. Mackenzie Blackwood made 26 saves for the shut-out win. San Jose’s Alex Nedeljkovic made 21 saves on 23 shots in relief. Yaroslav Askarov made 15 saves on 19 shots before being relieved.

“We were chasing it, right from the drop of the puck. Fast, physical team. They put us on our heels early,” said Sharks Head Coach, Ryan Warsofsky. “We got waxed, they’re a great hockey team,” said Macklin Celebrini. “That’s the best team in the League and that’s where we want to be. So it just kind of shows how much work we’ve got to do and put in to get to that level,” said Sam Dickinson.

Ross Colton gave the Avallanche an early lead, just 3:39 into the game. Colton came out of a neutral-zone scramble with the puck, skated in and snapped the puck past Askarov.

Nathan MacKinnon doubled the lead with a power play goal in the final minute of the period. Cale Makar set up MacKinnon’s slap shot after Gabriel Landeskog won an offensive zone faceoff.

The Sharks took two penalties in the first, and were outshot 15-5 by the Avalanche.

San Jose seemed to push back to start the second period but were quickly overwhelmed by three goals in quick succession. The first came at 3:44, a shot from the blue line by Sam Malinski. That shot was made possible when Artturi Lehkonen and Martin Necas won the puck along the boards.

The next goal came from Josh Manson at 4:51. Manson’s shot came from the blue line and went through traffic in front of Askarov. Assists went to Victor Olofsson and Parker Kelly.

Alex Nedeljkovic replaced Askarov after that goal, only to give up one himself just nine seconds later. Zack Ostapchuk went to the left, pushing Zakhar Bardakov off the puck, but leaving Timothy Liljegren to face a two on one. Joel Kiviranta went around him and scored. Assists went to Ivan Ivan and Bardakov.

The Sharks opted to use their time out after that goal. That pause did not produce any goals but it did stem the bleeding. The Sharks took one penalty and drew three to finish the period. San Jose also outshot Colorado 15-11.

In the third period, Colorado pushed back. They outshot the Sharks 16-4. Each team took one penalty. Still, it was not until 16:15 of the period before the Avalanche scored again. Nathan MacKinnon carried the puck into the zone and then passed it to Artturi Lehkonen in the slot. An assist also went to Martin Necas.

The Sharks next play back in San Jose on Friday at 1:00 PM PT against the Vancouver Canucks.

Sharks Fall 3-2 to Senators, Home Win Streak Ends at four

Published on by M WalshLeave a comment

Ottawa Senators Tim Stutzle (18) scores on the San Jose Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic (33), center Nick Cousins top right, right wing Ryan Reaves (75) in the third period at SAP Center on Sat Nov 22, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks fell 3-2 to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. Dylan Cozens, Fabian Zetterlund and Tim Stützl scored for the Senators. Linus Ullmark made 17 saves for the win. John Klingberg and Barclay Goodrow scored for the Sharks. Alex Nedeljkovich made 24 saves in the loss.

After the game, Sharks defenseman John Klingberg said: “They just kept coming at us from pucks not getting deep, tired people on the ice. Tired minds, makes you make mistakes. I think that’s what happened.”

Sharks forward Barclay Goodrow said: “It definitely wasn’t our best game. I thought we were good in the first and then not very good after that. Too many errors, not enough o-zone time. Break-outs not connected enough and we were spending way too much time in our end.”

Sharks Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky described it in terms of possession: “We couldn’t win a puck, at all, defensively, offensively. And when you don’t win pucks you basically just skate and chase it. And that’s what we did.”

The Sharks started well. Will Smith put the puck in the net just over a minute into the game but the goal was called back for offside.

Ottawa took the lead at 7:50 with a power play goal from Dylan Cozens. From his position between the hash-marks, he tipped a shot from Tim Stützle. An assist also went to Jake Sanderson.

John Klingberg tied it, also on the power play, at 16:16. Klingberg’s shot came from the point with assists to Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith.

The shots were not plentiful in the first period. The Sharks had 6 and the Senators had 5. The Sharks took one penalty and the Senator took three.

Barclay Goodrow deflected Alexander Wennberg’s shot to give the Sharks a 2-1 lead at 7:47 of the second period. An assist also went to Mario Ferraro.

Fabian Zetterlund tied it back up again at 18:38 with a wrist shot from the right circle. An assist went to Tyler Kleven.

The shot count was very different in the second period. The Senators outshot the Sharks 15-7, possibly reflecting the penalty situation. The Sharks took two penalties and the Senators had none apart from the major to Hayden Hodgson for fighting Ryan Reaves.

The game-winner was scored at 13:22 of the third. The goal came on a clumsy play with John Klingberg’s stick hung up on his goalie’s pad and Tim Stützle arriving at just the right time to poke the stalled puck across the line. Assists went to Nick Cousins and Drake Batherson.

The Sharks next play on Sunday at 5:00 PM PT against the visiting Boston Bruins.

Sharks Dragged Down by Kraken, Lose 4-1; For SJ two straight loses

Published on by M WalshLeave a comment

San Jose Sharks Macklin Celebrini’s expression says it all as the Sharks in the second period at 3:03 are getting beat by the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on Sat Nov 15, 2025 (San Jose Sharks still photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks (8-8-3) fell to the Seattle Kraken (9-4-5) 4-1 on Saturday. Jaden Schwartz, Adam Larsson and Eeli Tolvanen scored for Seattle. Philip Grubauer made 19 saves for the win. Alexander Wennberg scored for the Sharks and Alex Nedeljkovic made 20 saves in the loss.

The Sharks looked much faster and better than their last game but still could not score as needed. After the game, Sharks forward Will Smith said: “We were moving, we had a bunch of chances. It was just one of those nights.”

Jaden Schwartz gave the Kraken a lead midway through the first period. Chandler Stephenson carried the puck in and sent it through the crease where it hit Schwartz’s skate and bounced back into the net. Assists went to Stephenson and Jamie Oleksiak.

The Sharks tied the game with a power play goal at 19:42. Alexander Wennberg redirected Macklin Celenrini’s shot from the right side. Assists went to Celebrini and William Eklund.

Matt Murray left the game at the end of the first period, right after the Sharks goal. He appeared to have a lower body injury. The Sharks had 7 shots in the first and the Kraken had 6. The Kraken took the only penalty.

Will Smith almost gave the Sharks a lead midway through the second period, but his goal was waived off for a kicking motion while sliding into the net.

The Kraken’s Adam Larsson did give his team the lead at 16:05. Larsson took the shot from just below the blue line through traffic. Assists went to Mason Marchment and Matty Beniers.

38 seconds later, Eeli Tolvanen scored to make it 3-1 Kraken. His shot came in a two-on-one with Stephenson.

The Sharks outshot the Kraken 14-10 in the second period. The Kraken took two penalties and the Sharks took one.

During their third power play in the third period, the Sharks pulled their goaltender. Jaden Schwartz shot the puck into the empty net to make it 4-1. Ryan Lindgren got an assist on that goal.

The Sharks next play on Tuesday at 7:00 PM PT in San Jose against the visiting Utah Mammoth.

Sharks Shut Out 2-0 by Flames, Askarov Makes 34 saves

Published on by M WalshLeave a comment

San Jose Sharks Adam Guadette (81) is checked the Calgary Flames Kevin Bahl (7) in front of goaltender Dustin Wolf (32) in the first period at the Saddledome in Calgary on Thu Nov 13, 2025 (Canadian Press via AP)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks were shut out by the Calgary Flames 2-0 on Thursday, Blake Coleman and scored for Calgary. Dustin Wolf made 16 saves for the win. Yaroslav Askarov made 34 saves in the loss.

After the game, Sharks forward Tyler Toffoli said, of his goaltender: “He’s playing great. He kept us in the game tonight, the other night as well. Obviously it’s a disappointing performance for the rest of us.”

Sharks Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky said, oof Askarov: “He was unbelievable. It shouldn’t have been a 2-nothing game, that’s for sure. He was the only one that was ready to play.”

The Sharks had a single shot in the first period to the Flames’ 13 shots. On top of that, they lost veteran forward Jeff Skinner to an injury just 1:53 into the game. The Sharks took the only penalty in the first period.

They got their second shot during a power play early in the second period. They made it to 5:46 of the second without giving up a goal.

That is when Blake Coleman scored for the Flames. He stole the puck from Sam Dickinson, skated around the defenseman and shot the puck over Askarov’s glove.

At the halfway point, the Sharks had three shots on goal. They finished the second period with six. The Flames had 14 shots in the second. San Jose had some good shifts at the end of the period but could not put the puck in the net.

Half way through the third period, the Sharks had as many shots as the Flames, with four apiece. They stayed even through the period but the Sharks just could not score.

With five seconds left and the Sharks’ net empty, Samuel Honzek chased down the puck and score. An assist went to Mikael Backlund.

The Sharks next play on Saturday in Seattle against the Kraken at 7:00 PM PT.

Sharks Upset Wild, Win 2-1 in OT

Published on by M WalshLeave a comment

San Jose Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov (30) deflects a shot by the Minnesota Wild’s left wing Marcus Folingo (17) in the first period at the Target Center in St. Paul on Tue Nov 11, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks defeated the Minnesota Wild 2-1 in overtime on Tuesday. Will Smith and Collin Graf scored for San Jose. Yaroslav Askarov made 28 saves for the win. Matt Boldy scored for the Wild and Filip Gustavsson made 16 saves in the loss.

The first period ended scoreless with the Wild out-shooting the Sharks 8-5. Each team took one minor penalty but the penalty kills were perfect.

Matt Boldy scored the first goal of the game on the power play at 5:02 of the second period. Mats Zuccarello set up Boldy with a cross-ice pass from just above the goal line. An assist also went to Zeev Buium.

The Wild outshot the Sharks 15-5 in the second period. The Sharks took three penalties to the Wild’s one.

Will Smith scored a power play goal midway through the third period to tie the game. The goal came off of a four-touch play starting with a drop-pass from Macklin Celebrini to William Eklund and ending with a cross-ice pass from Celebrini to Smith for the shot. Assists went to Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli.

The third period saw the Sharks finally catch up on the shot clock, leading 7-6. The Wild toook the only penalty of the third.

As they had been in much of the game, the Wild looked like the dominant team in overtime. The Sharks spent very little time in control of the puck. Finally, Macklin Celebrini did get the puck and carried it in for a pass through the Wild defense. Collin Graf caught that pass and scored the game winner at 2:41 of overtime. Sam Dickinson also got an assist.

The Sharks next play on Thursday in Calgary against the Flames at 6:00 PM PT.

Sharks Stun Kraken, Win 6-1

Published on by M WalshLeave a comment

Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord (35) allows a San Jose Sharks center Ty Dellandrea (10) goal and is congratulated by teammate right wing Colin Graf (right) at Climate Pledge Arena on Wed Nov 5, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks won 6-1 Wednesday, handing the Seattle Kraken their worst loss of the young season. Macklin Celebrini, Ethan Cardwell, John Klingberg, Will Smith, Ty Dellandrea and Tyler Toffoli scored for the Sharks. Yaroslav Askarov made 28 saves for the win. Ryan Winterton scored for the Kraken, scoring his first in the NHL. Joey Daccord made 15 saves on 20 shots before ceding the net to Matt Murray, who made three saves in relief.

After the game, Macklin Celebrini talked about how the team is being more successful on offense: “We just have great chemistry throughout the lineup. I think guys are gelling really well together, up and down our lineup. We’re getting scoring from everyone.”

Ty Dellandrea talked about the penalty kill, saying that “It’s like anything, confidence-wise with a team or a player, power play or penalty kill. I think we’re trusting each other more, I think we’re a little more detailed.”

Macklin Celebrini opened the scoring just 1:08 into the game. He caught Tyler Toffoli’s centering pass for a wrist shot past Dacorrd on the stick side. Assists went to Toffoli and John Klingberg.

Ryan Winterton tied the game for Seattle with a wrist shot through traffic. Assists went to Ryan Lindgren and Shane Wright.

Ethan Cardwell scored to give the Sharks a 2-1 lead. Cardwell caught a cross-ice pass from Alexander Wennberg and used a snap shot to get by Daccord. Assists went to Wennberg and Jeff Skinner.

The Kraken outshot the Sharks 10-6 in the first period. The Sharks took the only penalty in the first period. Their penalty kill allowed just one shot.

John Klingberg made it a two goal lead with a slap shot on the power play at 11:21 of the second period. Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini got the assists.

The Sharks outshot the Kraken 11-5 in the second period. Each team took two penalties. The Sharks power play had four shots. The Sharks penalty kill allowed no shots.

Will Smith padded the Sharks lead at 1:02 of the third period. He took his shot from the top of the right faceoff circle. It went through two skaters in front of Daccord. Assists went to Mario Ferraro and Celebrini.

Ty Dellandrea scored a short-handed goal at 3:24, following Collin Graf to the net. Graf carried the puck in and took a shot but Daccord stopped it. Graf gathered it back up below the goal line and sent it back to Dellandrea for the snap shot.

The Kraken changed goaltenders after that goal, putting Matt Murray in the net.

Tyler Toffoli came out of the box just 30 seconds later and broke away to score the Sharks’ sixth of the night. An assist went to Shakir Mukhamadullin.

The Kraken outshot the Sharks 14-7 in the third period. The Sharks had to kill three penalties in the third and had just one power play.

The Sharks next play on Friday at 7:00 PM PT in San Jose against the Winnipeg Jets.

Sharks Weather Avalanche to Win 3-2 in OT, Kurashev Scores Twice

Published on by M WalshLeave a comment

San Jose Sharks center Philipp Kurashev (96) takes a shot that goes past Colorado Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (39) for a goal in overtime at SAP Center in San Jose on Sat Nov 1, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks defeated the Colorado Avalanche in overtime in Saturday afternoon 3-2. Macklin Celebrini and Phillip Kurashev scored for San Jose. Yaroslav Askarov made 36 saves for the win. Martin Necas and Nathan MacKinnon scored for Colorado. Mackenzie Blackwood made 20 saves in the loss. The win ended a 12 game losing streak for the Sharks against the Avalanche.

The Sharks looked outmatched in the first two periods, but the game did not get away from them. After the game, Macklin Celebrini said: “I think we were just asleep at the start. I think, I mean I know I wasn’t playing my best by any means. I thought we just did a good job weathering it.”

A big part of weathering the Avalanche fell to Yaroslav Askarov and his 36 saves. Of his own performance in Saturday’s 1:00pm game, he said: “Today felt great. I wish we would have more like morning games.” He laughed.

Just 30 seconds in to the game, Martin Necas took a shot from the left circle that went through traffic and off the far post. Assists went to Cale Makar and Devon Toews.

Sharks defenseman Timothy Liljegren was on the bench when he was struck by a deflected puck and had to leave the game at 17:05 with an upper body injury. He did not return to the game.

At 18:21, Macklin Celebrini tied it. Tyler Toffoli skated into the zone on the right side and passed the puck back to Celebrini as center entered the zone to take a shot right down the middle. Assists went to Toffoli and Shakir Mukhamadullin.

The Sharks were outshot in the first, 15-6, not getting their first shot until after the six-minute mark.

The Sharks took the lead with a goal from Phillip Kurashev at 4:07 of the second period. That goal made it a three-game goal streak for Kurashev. Assists went to Ty Dellandrea and John Klingberg.

Colorado’s second goal came on a disputed play. Nathan MacKinnon had not yet taken the shot when the Sharks net was knocked from its moorings by Askarov. No one pushed Askarov into the post, so that could be why the goal was not waived off. The goal was deemed an Awarded Goal.

The Sharks were outshot again in the second period, 15-5. They had one penalty to kill and no power plays. In the third period, the shots were a little closer, 9-7 Sharks. The Avalanche took two penalties in the third but killed them both off.

Almost halfway through overtime, Phillip Kurashev scored the OT winner off the rush, shooting past Cale Makar’s stick and sending the puck off the far post and in. An assist went to Alexander Wennberg.

The Sharks next play on Sunday at 5:00 PM PT, hosting the Detroit Red Wings in San Jose.

Sharks Beat Wild 6-5 with Celebrini OT goal in Minnesota

Published on by M WalshLeave a comment

San Jose Sharks right wing Ryan Reaves (75) scores a goal in the second period and is congratulated by teammates center Ty Dellandrea (10) and defenseman Vincent Desharnais (5) against the Minnesota Wild at the Target Center in St Paul on Sun Oct 26, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks defeated the Minnesota Wild 6-5 in overtime on Sunday. William Eklund, Michael Misa, Ryan Reaves, Tyler Toffoli and Macklin Celebrini scored for the Sharks. Yaroslav Askarov made 28 saves for the win. Marcus Johansson, Marco Rossi, Ryan Hartman and Zeev Buium scored for the Wild. Jesper Wallstedt made 19 saves in the loss.

The Sharks’ young stars shined in this win. William Eklund scored twice, Michael Misa scored his first NHL goal and Macklin Celebrini scored a stunning game-winner. Despite that, the Sharks once again had trouble holding a lead, starting the third period with a 4-2 lead and ending up tied 5-5.

After the game, Tyler Toffoli spoke to that, saying that the team “gave up too many opportunities, kind of backed off, let them forecheck and do what they wanted to do. So obviously that’s something we’ve got to figure out.”

Sharks Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky said: “We did some good things. We’re growing, learning lessons as we go here. That’s probably the biggest thing we take from tonight.”

William Eklund gave the Sharks a lead with his third goal of the season on the power play at 5:28. Lurking next to the net, Eklund waited for a pass from Macklin Celebrini, then swept the puck around Wallstedt. Assists went to Celebrini and Dmitry Orlov.

Michael Misa scored his first NHL goal at 13:35. Timothy Liljegren took a shot at the left side of the net but it slid across to the other side. Misa was there to nudge it over the line.

The Wild scored at 17:02, a power play goal from Marcus Johansson. Johansson was next to the right hand post when M Rossi’s shot came through the blue paint in front of Askarov. The puck went off of Johansson’s leg into the net. Assists went to Rossi and Brock Faber.

Marco Rossi made it a tie game 32 seconds later. An interception in the neutral zone created a two-on-one for the Wild. Kirill Kaprizov carried the puck in, then passed to Rossi for the shot.

At the end of the period, the shots were 10-8 Sharks. The Sharks took two penalties and the Wild took one.

William Eklund gave the Sharks the lead again at 11:15 of the second period. Philipp Kurashev caught the puck as it came out of a board battle, the passed it back down to Eklund in front of the net for a tap in.

Ryan Reaves made it 4-2 with a goal 19 seconds later, redirecting Barclay Goodrow’s shot from the boards. Goodrow and Ty Dellandrea got the assists.

In the second period, the shots were 9-6 Sharks. Only one penalty was called in the second period, and it went against the Sharks.

The Wild got one back at 4:28 of the third period. Ryan Hartman scored with a wrist shot on the power play. Assists went to Kaprizov and Faber.

Tyler Toffoli restored the two goal lead with a power play goal at 7:52. Celebrini and Eklund tried the same play they scored with before but that did not work. When Celebrini got the puck back, he skated to the net and made a backhand pass to Toffoli. Toffoli’s quick shot went in. Assists went to Celebrini and Eklund.

Zeev Buium made it 5-4 at 8:28 with a wrist shot from the blue line. Assists went to Hartman and Yakov Trenin.

Dmitry Orlov collided with Ryan Hartman at 15:03 and, after a conference, the officials called it a major penalty. The NHL reviewed the call and deemed it no penalty at all.

The Wild tied the game again at 17:42. Joel Eriksson Ek tipped Kaprizov’s shot to make it 5-5. Assists went to Kaprizov and Faber.

Minnesota outshot the Sharks 17-5 in the third period. Each team took one penalty.

The overtime period looked bad for the Sharks. The Sharks were trapped and tired in their zone when William Eklund risked a change to get Celebrini on the ice. Celebrini chased down the puck and skated in all alone to score the game winner.

The Sharks next play on Tuesday back in San Jose against the Los Angeles Kings at 8:00 PM PT.

Sharks Fall 7-6 to Ducks in OT

Published on by M WalshLeave a comment

The Anaheim Ducks Chris Kreider (20) scores on the San Jose Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov (30) in the third period at SAP Arena on Sat Oct 11, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks fell 7-6 in overtime to the Anaheim Ducks Saturday. Cutter Gauthier, Beckett Sennecke, Alex Killorn, Chris Kreider, and Leo Carlsson scored for Anaheim. Petr Mrazek made 17 saves for the win.

Tyler Toffoli, Ryan Reaves, Mario Ferraro, John Klingberg, Adam Gaudette and Jeff Skinner scored for San Jose. Yaroslav Askarov made 36 saves in the loss. San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini finished the game with three assists.

This was the second overtime loss in a row, the second game that the Sharks lost after holding a lead in the third period. After the game, the Sharks’ Celebrini talked about the team’s difficulty playing with the lead: “We want it so bad that maybe we’re over-thinking, maybe we just kind of panic sometimes. I don’t know, it’s frustrating when you’re that close.”

Sharks Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky said: “We need some poise. We’re chucking pucks around in the defensive zone, on break-outs, out of d-zone structure, just chucking it around. They were all over us.”

The Sharks took the lead early and often. At 3:40, Tyler Toffoli scored the first goal of the game, skating into the zone during a delayed penalty to catch a pass from Will Smith on the blue line. Celebrini got the secondary assist.

Ryan Reaves made it 2-0 at 11:12. Reaves carried the puck into the zone and along the boards. He looked like he was going behind the net but instead he found a gap between the goalie and the post and he put the puck there. Assists went to Adam Gaudette and Nick Leddy.

Cutter Gauthier cut the lead in half less than a minute later. A pass that missed its mark carried on into the zone where Gauthier caught up with it and shot it around Klingberg and past Askarov. Assists went to Mason McTavish amd Radko Gudas.

Beckett Sennecke tied the game on the power play at 15:14. Sennecke caught the rebound off McTavish’s shot and put it in with a wrist shot. An assist also went to Olen Zellweger.

At the end of the first, the shots were 14-7 Anaheim. The Ducks had two power plays and the Sharks had none.

Mario Ferraro broke the tie at 5:41 of the second period. Mrazek kicked out a rebound after a Will Smith shot and Ferraro sent it back in with a wrist shot. Assists went to Smith and Celebrini.

Less than a minute later, Alex Killorn tied it back up with a goal on a breakaway. An assist went to Mikael Granlund.

At 10:34, Klingberg scored a power play goal to make it 4-3. Celebrini and Smith got the assists.

Gaudette scored another power play goal at 17:14 to give the Sharks a two-goal lead. Alexander Wennberg and Dmitri Orlov got the assists.

Chris Kreider scored on the power play to trim the Sharks lead at 19:29. He got his stick on the puck as it drifted in the blue paint behind Askarov. Assists went to Leo Carlsson and Troy Terry.

Jeff Skinner scored at 5:34 of the third period with a spin shot. Assists went to Ty Dellandrea and Orlov.

Gauthier scored his second of the game, tipping McTavish’s shot at 10:29.

Kreider tied the game again in the final minute of regulation. He knocked in a rebound that Askarov could not cover. Assists went to Leo Carlsson and Terry.

Carlsson scored the game winner 48 seconds into overtime. Celebrini lost the puck in Carlsson’s feet, giving Carlsson the opportunity to break away. Granlund got the assist.

The Sharks next play on Tuesday in San Jose at 7:00 PM PT against the visiting Carolina Hurricanes.

Sharks Fall to Golden Knights 4-3 in Season Opener

Published on by M WalshLeave a comment

Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden (21) collides with San Jose Sharks goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (33) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks lost their season opener 4-3 to the Vegas Golden Knights Thursday. Brett Howden, Pavel Dorofeyev, Jack Eichel and Reilly Smith scored for the Golden Knights. Akira Schmid made 20 saves for the win. Jeff Skinner, Alexander Wennberg and Phillip Kurashev scored for the Sharks. Alex Nedeljkovic made 27 saves in the loss.

The Sharks scored first, a goal from Jeff Skinner at 5:31. Skinner batted the puck in off of a high rebound that he created with a shot off the goalie’s pad. Assists went to Ty Dellandrea and Shakir Mukhamadullin.

Vegas tied it at 8:09 with a wrist shot from Brett Howden. Howden picked up the puck near the blue line, off of a failed clear by the Sharks. Howden carried the puck in through traffic and across in front of the blue paint before taking his shot. Assists went to Keegan Kolesar and Ben Hutton.

Mukhamadullin took the only penalty of the first period, high-sticking against Jack Eichel. The Sharks killed that off. The shots were 10-9 Vegas after the first period.

Alexander Wennberg gave the Sharks a 2-1 during a five-on-three power play at 6:59 of the second period. Wennberg caught a rebound from William Eklund’s shot. An assist also went to John Klingberg.

Vegas responded with their own power play goal at 14:22. Pavel Dorofeyev caught a pass that came across the ice from Mark Stone. Jack Eichel got the secondary assist.

The second period shot count was 11-6 Vegas. The Golden Knights took three penalties in the period and the Sharks took two.

Phillip Kurashev scored for the Sharks to make it 3-2 at 2:59 of the third. Kurashev tipped a shot from Dmitry Orlov. Mukhamadullin picked up the secondary assist, his second of the night.

William Eklund missed two shots on an empty net. Moments later, Jack Eichel’s shot from the blue line slipped by Nedeljkovic’s right skate and tied the game with 94 seconds left in regulation.

The teams each took one penalty in the third period. The shots were also even at 8-8.

The game winner came off of Reilly Smith’s stick after Nedeljkovic came all the way out of the net to play the puck but did not do execute his plan well. It was particularly disappointing because the Sharks goaltender had just made a great stop on a two-on-none. An assist went to Shea Theodore.

The Sharks had no shots in overtime.

The Sharks next play on Saturday against the visiting Anaheim Ducks at 7:00 PM PT.