The San Jose Sharks have picked up back-to-back wins over Southern California teams, defeating the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 in a shootout on Tuesday evening (Jan. 22). Although Los Angeles earned the bulk of the offensive opportunities in the game, the Sharks took advantage of their chances and held off the Kings just enough to come out with the victory. Although the Kings have struggled at home this season, they are still one of the better teams in the NHL, and the Sharks’ win is a good sign for many facets of their game and an indication that they may be gaining a bit of momentum.
Kaapo Kahkonen Excels, With One Exception
On a night in which the Sharks allowed 20 more shots on goal than they generated, they needed stellar goaltending to have a hope of winning, and they got it. Kaapo Kahkonen made 44 saves, including a few spectacular ones on point-blank looks. Throughout the game, the Sharks suffered from a lack of defensive awareness and got caught puck-watching, but Kahkonen bailed them out most of the time. He played with confidence and intelligence, using both to frustrate the Kings for the majority of the contest and showing why he has one of the best high-danger save percentages in the league.
Kahkonen really only made one mistake the entire game, but it was a big one. With less than three minutes remaining in the third period and the Sharks leading by one, he played the puck from a standing position and looked to clear the zone. While he probably should have sent a lob toward center ice, he instead tried to send a pass off the boards and put the puck out of play, giving the Kings a power play on which they capitalized to tie the game.
Thankfully for Kahkonen, the tie score gave him a redemption opportunity and he came through, holding steady in net to make critical saves in both overtime and the shootout.
William Eklund Finds Life on New Line
With forward William Eklund experiencing a dip in production recently, head coach David Quinn decided that it was time for him to move to the third line alongside Nico Sturm and Luke Kunin, anticipating that the shakeup would give him a jolt. Against the Kings, the strategy worked to perfection.
During a scoreless first period, Eklund generated some of San Jose’s best scoring chances and helped keep the team afloat offensively. Then, in the second period, he took advantage of a good hustle play and pass by Sturm to fire a perfectly placed shot in transition for his first goal in 18 games.
At just 21 years old, Eklund’s game is still growing, and he might not always be able to deliver results consistently on the same line every night. He needs to be challenged and engaged to stay locked in, and Tuesday’s game was a perfect example of how to do so.
Kyle Burroughs Provides Crucial Physicality
One of the most important players for the Sharks in the win didn’t register a single point or a save. Defenseman Kyle Burroughs played a crucial role, laying out a game-high six hits and regularly stopping Kings rushes by bumping skaters such as Kevin Fiala off the puck. But his biggest moment came in the third period when he forced an Alex Laferriere turnover which led to a San Jose rush and a breakaway goal for Justin Bailey. He didn’t touch the puck, so he couldn’t get an assist, but he made the play happen.
Given the defensive struggles they had, the Sharks needed at least one blueliner to step up, particularly when Mario Ferraro left the game with an apparent lower-body injury. Burroughs answered the call and gave the kind of effort the Sharks were hoping for when they signed him to a three-year contract last offseason.
Sharks Finally Get a Shootout Win
The Sharks earned their victory by way of the shootout, a phrase that has not been uttered much over the last two seasons. This was their first shootout win of the season in five opportunities, and they’ve won just two of their 12 shootouts in the last two seasons.
Logan Couture’s return proved crucial, as it has on several occasions in each of his two games back. Fabian Zetterlund continued his hot stretch by providing the winner, and Kahkonen made two good saves to cap off his excellent performance.
The Sharks’ shootout difficulties have been indicative of the state of the team as a whole. Now that they’ve picked up a win there, they hope that the rest of their game can turn a corner as well.
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