Sharks Fall 3-1 in Florida, Still Winless After six games

Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) is floored by his goal on San Jose Sharks goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (29) at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise on Tue Oct 24, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks fell 3-1 to the Florida Panthers in Sunrise on Tuesday. Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart and Kevin Stenlund scored for Florida and Anthony Stolarz made 27 saves for the win. Fabian Zetterlund scored for San Jose and Mackenzie Blackwood made 32 saves in the loss.

After the game, Sharks forward William Eklund talked about his linemate, Tuesday’s lone goal-scorer, Fabian Zetterlund: “He’s always first in the corner, always first on the puck, always hitting guys, you know, creating chances for us, so I think he’s played really great today.”

Sharks Head Coach David Quinn talked about the good he saw in the Sharks’ game: “I thought our third period was our best period,.. I thought as the game went on we started finding our footing and did a better job on break outs and establishing some forecheck, just too little too late.” The bad, Quinn described as: “I just though we kept giving the puck away, I didn’t think we were committed in our battles, and against a team like that you’re gonna spend a lot of time in your end and give up chances and that’s kinda what happened. But as the game went on, that happened less and less.”

The first goal of the game came at 8:30 of the second period. Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson went to the penalty box for holding Tomas Hertl. With just five seconds left in the power play, Zetterlund scored with a wrist shot off a reverse pass from Eklund behind the net. Assists went to Eklund and Thomas Bordeleau.

The lead lasted less than two minutes, when Carter Verhaeghe scored a very similar goal, off a pass from below the goal line. The shot went into traffic, and may have gone off of a Sharks skate. Assists went to Matthew Tkatchuk and Eetu Loustarinen.

The Panthers scored again on a power play late in the period. It was a chaotic power play with a second penalty called in the first minute, delayed more than ten seconds. The teams played 5-on-3 for about four seconds before the Panthers were called for hooking. It was during the 4-on-3 that Sam Reinhart scored off a bouncing rebound. The assists went to Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Evan Rodrigues.

Though unable to score, the Sharks and their goalie delayed the Panthers’ third goal until the final seconds of the game, when Kevin Stenlund scored into and empty net to make it 3-1.

The Sharks were again out-shot, 35-28. Their face-off numbers were excellent, winning 62% of the draws. They killed three of four Florida power plays and scored on one of three power plays.

Veteran Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic was a scratch Tuesday, and defenseman Jan Rutta missed the second part of the first period with an undisclosed injury. Rutta returned for the second and third periods.

The Sharks next play on Thursday in Tampa at 4:00 PM PT against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Sharks lose 6-3 to Hurricanes

Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

By Mary Anne

The San Jose Sharks continued their four-game homestand with game No. 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night. The Sharks lost 6-3 to the Hurricanes at SAP Center. San Jose fell to 0-2-1, while Carolina improved to 3-1-0.

Sharks goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood made 36 saves in a losing effort, while Hurricanes goaltender Antti Raanta made 12 saves before exiting the game. Frederik Andersen made one save in relief of Raanta.

The Sharks drew first blood. Fabian Zetterlund helped the Sharks to an early 1-0 lead with a wrist shot 3:14 into the opening period. Tomas Hertl collected the lone assist on Zetterlund’s goal.

The Hurricanes tied the game 1-1. Seth Jarvis fired a wrist shot on the power play for a power play goal 4:06 into the first period. Michael Bunting and Teuvo Teravainen collected the assists on Jarvis’ game-tying goal.

The game was tied 1-1 after 20 minutes. The Hurricanes outshot the Sharks 18-5.

The Hurricanes took a 2-1 lead. Jaccob Slavin scored an unassisted goal, a short-handed one off a wrist shot, at 8:52 of the second.

The Hurricanes’ lead was short-lived. The Sharks tied the game 2-2 just 19 seconds later. Filip Zadina fired a wrist shot on the power play for a power play goal at 9:11 of the second period. Fabian Zetterlund collected the lone assist on Zadina’s game-tying goal.

The Sharks regained the lead 3-2. William Eklund fired a wrist shot on the power play for a power play goal at 16:06 of the second period. Henry Thrun and Tomas Hertl collected the assists on Eklund’s go-ahead goal.

The Sharks led 3-2 through 40 minutes. Carolina outshot San Jose 31-11.

The Hurricanes tied the game 3-3. Stefan Noesen fired a wrist shot on the power play for a power play goal at 9:08 of the third period. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Brady Skjei collected the assists on Noesen’s game-tying goal.

The Hurricanes regained the lead 4-3. Seth Jarvis scored an unassisted goal on a slap shot on the power play at 11:51 of the third period. Brent Burns, a former San Jose Shark, collected the lone assist on Jarvis’ go-ahead goal.

The Hurricanes extended their lead 5-3. Martin Necas fired a wrap-around shot for a 5-3 lead at 14:53 of the third period. Michael Bunting and Brady Skjei collected the assists on Necas’ goal.

The Hurricanes expanded their lead 6-3. Brett Pesce fired a wrist shot for a 6-3 lead at 15:08 of the third period. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Stefan Noesen collected the assists on Pesce’s goal.

The Hurricanes won 6-3. Carolina outshot San Jose 42-16.

Notes
With his 28th save of the game, Mackenzie Blackwood has now made the most saves by any Sharks goalie in his first two games with the team (79). Kaapo Kahkonen made 78 on March 24-31, 2022 (36, 42).

The Sharks’ November Breakaway Pass offers nine games for $89, including the Sharks and Golden State Warriors’ Bay Area Unite Night and SJSharksGaming Night. For more information, click here.

Up Next
The Sharks will wrap up their homestand against the Boston Bruins on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. Pacific.

San Jose Sharks podcast with Charanbir Mahal (INDTVUSA): Despite Sharks hard efforts the loss to Avalanche a tough one to swallow

San Jose Sharks goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (29) tries to stop the puck shot by the Colorado Avalanche’s right winger Mikko Rantanen (96) at SAP Center on Sat Oct 14, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the SJ Sharks podcast with Charanbir Mahal:

#1 Despite the hard efforts by San Jose Sharks goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood with his 51 saves the Colorado Avalanche pulled off a one goal shootout overtime 2-1 victory at SAP Center last Saturday.

#2 Charanbir, the Aves Cale Makar scored the tying goal of the game forcing the overtime 1-1. The Avalanche had to be relieved that the game didn’t get away thanks to Makar’s goal.

#3 The Makar goal couldn’t have come at a better time for the Avalanche with just a minute left in the regulation got a wrister shot that got past Blackwood. If not for that the Sharks would have won a remarkably played game by a 1-0 score.

#4 It’s amazing how the turn of events with the Makar goal can turn things around after the Sharks had carried the lead for all but the last minute of the game?

#5 The Sharks host the Carolina Hurricanes tonight. The Hurricanes went deep in the post season before being eliminated by the Florida Panthers and being disqualified from getting in the finals. The Hurricane are 2-1-1 coming into tonight’s game against the Sharks will this be another nail biter?

Charanbir Mahal is a anchor for INDTVUSA is a San Jose Sharks contributor for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sharks Fall to Kings 4-3 in OT, Preseason in SLC

Los Angeles Kings left wing Pierre-Luc Dubois (80) and San Jose Sharks Kyle Burroughs, top, fight during the third period in pre season action Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks fell to the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 in overtime at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday. Pierre-Luc Dubois, Anze Kopitar and Trevor Moore scored for the Kings during regulation. Adrian Kempe scored the OT winner.

Pheonix Copley made 24 saves for the win. Alexander Barabanov, Mike Hoffman and Thomas Bordeleau scored for the Sharks and Mackenzie Blackwood made 33 saves in the loss.

Kings center Pierre-Luc Dubois opened the scoring at 8:27 of the first period. Kevin Fiala and Vladislav Gavrikov got the assists.

Late in the period, Carl Grundstrom was called for tripping. In the ensuing power play, Sharks winger Alexander Barabanov tied it up at 17:39. Mikael Granlund and Anthony Duclair earned the assists.

The shots were close in the first period, at 12-10 Kings. The Sharks killed their only penalty in the period and scored on one of two power plays.

Anze Kopitar gave the Kings their second lead of the game at 8:16 of the second period. Drew Doughty got an assist on the goal.

Sharks winger Mike Hoffman tied it back up at 14:45 of the period, with assists going to Tomas Hertl and goalie Mackenzie Blackwood.

The Sharks killed both of two penalties they took in the period. They had one unsuccessful power play in the final minutes of the second frame. The shots were 12-9 Sharks.

Trevor Moore gave the Kings a third lead just 3:28 into the third period. Viktor Arvidsson and Phillip Danault got the assists.

Sharks center Thomas Bordeleau tied the game for the third time at 14:15 of the period. William Eklund got the assist.

The penalties exploded in the third period, with two sets of matching double-minors, four misconducts, an interference and two unsporstmanlike conducts distributed among six players. The shot count for the period heavily favored Los Angeles, 15-5.

Adrian Kempe’s overtime winner was the only shot of the period and came just 17 seconds into the extra frame. Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty got assists.

This was the final 2023 preseason game for the Sharks. The Sharks’ next game will be October 12 at home against the visiting Vegas Golden Knights. Puck drop at 7:30 PM PT.

San Jose Sharks podcast with Troy Ewers: Sharks put hopes on Hoffman, Duclair and Blackwood for 23-24 season

Winnipeg Jets’ Cole Perfetti (91) turns after scoring a goal against New Jersey Devils goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (29) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023, in Newark, N.J. MacKenzie who plays goalie for San Jose is preparing for the pre season (AP News photo)

On the San Jose Sharks podcast with Troy Ewers:

#1 Troy there’s no doubt that the SJ Sharks have a lot stacked against them from making the playoffs this season. They struggled even when they had Erik Karlsson now they can expect to struggle even more without him.

#2 Last season the Sharks had goaltenders James Reimer and Kaapo Kahkonen and they had a rough seasons.

#3 The Sharks in their save percentage had .881 and that was 2% less than the rest of the league where the average was .899 and they need to bring that up

#4 For Kahkonen he needs to be able to stop the shot and have the kind of season he had in the early part of last year. MacKenzie Blackwood needs to execute the kind of performance that got him to the NHL in the first place.

#5 The loss of Timo Meier last season hurts the team and the Sharks are looking at Anthony Duclair and Mike Hoffman to help out in some crucial scoring.

Troy Ewers is a San Jose Sharks reporter for http://www.sportsradioservice.com