The San Jose Sharks visit Scotiabank Saddledome to take on the Calgary Flames.
Fabian Zetterlund scored, but the Sharks lost 5-1.
Period 1
7 in: Gushchin tracks him down a Flame, I think Klapka, trying to exit, doesn’t allow an easy exit.
San Jose Sharks look like they’ve shown up tonight, good compete. Like that aforementioned Gushchin play is a good example of that extra effort that you make when you’re competing. That’s how even a small player can be hard to play against, be a pest.
Addison back on PP1. Bordeleau had a Grade-A, but the Granlund pass wasn’t quite in his wheelhouse, he couldn’t shoot it quick. Bordeleau hasn’t scored in a while.
Thompson-Gushchin-Kunin-Graf-Kostin are PP2.
Klapka goal: Eklund needs to get that out. Coronato with pressure from behind though, and Klapka as F3 closes off the top.
7 left: What a Cooley kick save on Kadri! That’s one to remember.
Coleman goal: Ferraro late on Coleman, he was running around, trying to front puck from flank. PK had just ended, Sharks were scrambling.
Well, down 2-0 already. Despite spectacular Cooley work. Here’s adversity: Can the Sharks not panic or play afraid down two goals? That’s been a problem all season, not letting the score dictate how the team plays.
1 left: Thompson does a nice job keeping the puck in there.
Looks like San Jose Sharks not really getting inside: Per SPORTLOGiQ, at Even Strength, Flames 6-0 Slot Shots, 3-0 High-Danger. Sharks have some possession, that’s not too lopsided, but chances are perimeter.
Period 2
1 in: Graf overskates on forecheck behind the net, but sticks with it along the wall, stopped Huberdeau. Bordeleau with a couple chances too.
Kylington goal: Granlund line not great with the puck on that shift, chasing offense a bit, which I understand.
Rooney goal: Carpenter turnover, would like a better effort by Gushchin on Coronato, all out to knock the player down, then Studnicka to close on the point. Sharks get down and lose the plot again, they need this season to end.
Remenda talks about the straight-ahead game by Zetterlund, and makes me think, Zadina could use that.
Weegar goal: Mangiapane erases Burroughs on forecheck.
Cooley pulled, Romanov coming in again. Sharks so ready for this season to end. Let’s see if anybody shows some fight in the last 30 minutes. Of course, there’s a line, a balance, you don’t want hero ball either. That’s often what happens.
Couple neat NBC stats: Thrun is just third Sharks rookie defenseman to play over 50 games in a season and average over 20 minutes a night, joining Brad Stuart and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Nico Sturm should end up with the second-best Faceoff % in franchise history, after Scott Nichol.
7 left: Smith looking to make a play on entry, little cute pass, turnover. Something to be said about just getting it deep and going to work.
4 left: Another decent Sturm line shift. Graf with a Grade-A. Sturm and Granlund lines are the only trios with any offense tonight.
Bordeleau has had jump tonight, he’s now moved to the second line.
Period 3
Bret is right about everything he says, but the Sharks also need outside help. The “multi-tasking” that he refers to, for the defense, that’s a guy who can defend and move the puck with near-equal dexterity. That’s so hard to find, so valuable. You hope that’s Mukhamadullin one day. It’s not Thrun yet. But someone who can kill a play and make a play? That seems so far away.
I would say, more than anything, the Sharks’ problems this year stem from an inability to kill a play. That reverberates everywhere else on the ice, you can’t kill a play, you’re in a bad place to initiate the breakout. Your breakout is usually not smooth, you can’t enter with possession or forecheck. Your OZ possession time is then affected. And the vicious circle keeps turning.
The Sharks, naturally, are dead-last in both OZ possession for and DZ possession time against. Like I said, it’s a vicious circle.
But maybe I’d start there, both up front and on defense, find players who can kill plays.
1 left: Nice move to end game, get Graf on PP1, hopefully get him his first goal.
Zetterlund goal: Granlund gets to 60 points.
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