Category: San Jose Sharks

The thrill of victory as the San Jose Sharks Evander Kane (9) scores the game winning goal in overtime and is congratulated by teammates Erik Karlsson (center) and Logan Couture (39) at SAP Center in San Jose on Mon Mar 8, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Matthew Harrington

The San Jose Sharks rallied from a 2-1 deficit entering the third period to beat the St. Louis Blues 3-2 in overtime Monday night. Evander Kane scored the game-winner 41 seconds into extra time after Devan Dubnyk’s aggressive work in net, Logan Couture scored the game-tying goal and Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored his first of the year in the win. Ryan Donato assisted on both goals for the Sharks (9-11-3) who wrapped up a 7-game homestand going 2-4-1. Brayden Schenn and Niko Mikkola scored for the Blues (14-8-4).

O’Reilly had the game on his stick, but Dubnyk challenged him before he could even put the puck on net in overtime. Erik Karlsson was able to pick up the loose puck and race down the right wing before feeding Kane on the left wing crossing into the Blues zone. From there, Kane had a clear lane to the net before, sniping the puck past Ville Husso for his ninth goal of the year.

San Jose tied the game 7:58 into the third on the power play after Rudolfs Balcers worked the puck to Ryan Donato in the corner. Donato worked his way into the net-front, trying to backhand the puck past Husso. The rebound bounced to Couture, who managed to have it flick off the boot of his skate and into the net for his division-leading 13th goal of the year.

“I thought we competed harder in that third,” said Couture. ” The first two periods we weren’t getting offense going. We had 10 or 11 shots after the second. We earned some power plays, were able to get a power play goal and then that big goal by (Evander Kane) in overtime.”

San Jose was trailing entering the period after a pair of seeing-eye goals by St. Louis sandwiched around Vlasic’s marker. Niko Mikkola scored his first career NHL goal after his shot deflected into the net off a skater in Dubnyk’s line of sight 4:16 into the game.

Vlasic converted on a Donato feed exactly seven minutes into the second, his first goal since December of 2019. Then Schenn gave the Blues a 2-1 edge on the power play after David Perron’s shot knicked him crossing the goal mouth.

“We thought that in the first period we fought pretty hard,” said Sharks coach Bob Boughner. “We thought we were maybe a little ahead on the chances. We felt good. In the second, we were building some momentum with two or three shifts in a row then we just took penalty after penalty and it ruined our flow.”

The Sharks ran into penalty trouble throughout the night, with Kevin Labanc picking up two of the four minors for the Sharks. He found himself slipping further and further down the lineup, ultimately sitting out the entirety of the third period and overtime.

“I think the message was sent with me sitting him for the period,” said Boughner. “I talked to him earlier in the game about working away from the puck. I showed him a couple clips on the bench on the ipad.

He just wasn’t engaged enough. I didn’t believe that he could help us tonight with what I saw. Someone else is going to get that opportunity. We have to have that kind of accountability in our game. For me that starts with ice time.”

While Labanc didn’t have an impact in the final 21 minutes of play, Dubnyk stood tall in net for the Sharks. He saved 24 of 26 St. Louis shots along with snuffing out the last Blues rush that arguably should have earned him an assist on the game-winning goal.

His performance sets up an intriguing match-up question when the Sharks start a four-game road trip Friday night in Anaheim. The Sharks will play back-to-back games against the Ducks, then face Vegas in the desert on Monday and Wednesday.

Both goalies will probably split the first two games, but questions remain if Boughner will split the remaining games against Vegas or give both to whoever is hot.

Notes: Tomas Hertl is expected to resume skating on Tuesday, he could be available to return after missing the last six games due to Covid-19…Timo Meier’s status is less clear. He sat out Monday’s game, his second straight scratch with an injury….Kurtis Gabriel was spotted jawing with St. Louis tough guy Kyle Clifford in warm-ups. The two dropped gloves in the first period. Gabriel now leads the team with two fighting majors…Coach Bob Boughner celebrated his 50th birthday Monday night with a nice gift from the team, two points…John Leonard found himself on the top line with Labanc’s demotions and didn’t look entirely out of place, playing with more confidence with the puck.

The scores says it big after the Colorado Avalanche opened up the game with two goals the San Jose Sharks scored six unanswered goals at SAP Center in San Jose for the win on Mon Mar 1, 2021 (photo from @SanJoseSharks)

By Matthew Harrington

The sting from Saturday’s 7-6 shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues seemed like it was still fresh for the San Jose Sharks Monday at the SAP Center. Facing a test of their mettle against Stanley Cup contenders the Colorado Avalanche, the Sharks fell behind 2-0 and looked punchless against a faster, more skilled opponent.

Instead, San Jose (8-9-2) rallied for it’s most impressive win of the season, scoring six unanswered goals in the second and third periods combined to beat the Avs 6-2 Martin Jones made 33 saves against a potent Colorado offense, Timo Meier had his first career three-assist night and a pair of Sharks defensemen not named Brent Burns lit the lamp.

Six different Sharks scored and 11 players picked up a point for San Jose. Samuel Girard and Gabriel Landeskog scored for Colorado (11-7-1) in the defeat.

Girard opened the scoring late in the first, scoring on a wrist shot with 1:28 left in the period for a 1-0 lead, and Landeskog potted his fifth of the year on the power play 4:21 into the second to put Colorado firmly in control for what was shaping up to be a long night for the Sharks. It was a player that coach Bob Boughner called on the carpet specifically after morning skate, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who helped start the rally.

Vlasic, who generally looked like he’d received his coach’s message with inspired play all around, activated in the offensive end. He found a seam in the slot for another defenseman known more for his defensive work than offensive panache, Radim Simek. Simek slipped a wrist shot through Philipp Grubauer’s five-hole to cut the lead two at 1 6:13 into the period. For the Sharks, it was the first goal scored by a defenseman other than Brent Burns this season. Rudolfs Balcers also assisted on the goal.

Kevin Labanc tied the game with 3:12 left in the period to stay hot and score the first of two goals for the top line Monday night. Evander Kane and Logan Couture assisted on the goal.

“They’ve got a little bit of everything,” said Boughner about his top line Monday. “(Kevin Labanc) has really worked hard on his two-way game. I think you can see he has a nose for the puck, he’s working hard. He’s never forechecked like he’s forechecking now. (Evander) Kane and (Logan Couture) have chemistry where they don’t throw pucks away. They’re both big, strong guys. It works.”

Balcers picked up his second point on the night, firing a shot that Grubauer saved but Nazem Kadri put into his own net while being pressured by Timo Meier 4:18 into the final period which ultimately became the game-winner.

After looking dangerous and motivated in his first game back from a groin injury Saturday, Erik Karlsson built on his last performance by lighting the lamp for the first time this year on the power play 7:53 into the third. He slipped a wrister under Grubauer, with Kane picking up his second point of the night with an assist with San Jose on the power play.

“It seems like he’s got a good reset,” said Boughner. “He’s doing those little things with the puck that we’re used to seeing him do. You’re seeing him exploding out of traffic. He has that separation speed back in his game. I just thought he’s been a real confident player.”

Meier sprung rookie John Leonard on the breakaway 2:18 later, with Leonard burying the puck past Grubauer for his third goal of the season. It was the third-straight goal Meier assisted on. Kane potted the empty net goal for his third point of the night and eighth goal of the year.

For the Sharks to sweep the series against Colorado, they’ll need a near-identical effort, but Monday proves that despite some early-season struggles the Sharks have the talent to hang with the top teams in the division when at their best. They’ll be challenged to replicate the results from Monday when they host Colorado again Wednesday night in San Jose to continue the long homestand.

Notes: Tomas Hertl missed his second game after going on the Covid-19 protocol list last Wednesday…Without Hertl the Sharks went 22-29 at the face-off dot…Alexander True made his season debut, playing 6:29 with two shots on goal and two penalties…Simek’s goal was his first in almost a year, last scoring March 3rd, 2020 against Toronto…It was Karlsson’s first goal since February 10th of last season…The Avalanche were without last season’s Calder Trophy winner Cale Makar, he missed Monday’s game with an upper body injury…Timo Meier has three games with three points or more this season…Kevin Labanc has six points over his last four games.