On the first day of the post-Tomas Hertl era, the San Jose Sharks got a glimpse of their future…and it was good?
Well, it was for one night, as the Sharks snapped a nine-game losing streak, topping the Ottawa Senators 2-1.
22-year-old Thomas Bordeleau scored twice and 23-year-old Magnus Chrona earned his first NHL win.
Both prospects, of course, represent the future of the San Jose Sharks.
Can the offensively-minded Bordeleau play a strong-enough two-way game to stick in the NHL? He did tonight.
“Bordy, he played an honest game tonight. I really liked his game,” Quinn said. “Mental effort and physical effort. Listen, you going to make mistakes, but you can just see him, I thought, in all three zones, playing with the right intentions.”
Can the unheralded Chrona surprise and establish himself as an NHL’er? He looked the part, stopping 33 of 34 shots.
“Something I dreamt of my entire life,” Chrona, who was backstopping the University of Denver this time last year, said.
This win wasn’t just about the kids either, it was about the adults in the room.
When captain Logan Couture and alternate captain Hertl couldn’t return to action with the post-break Sharks because of injuries, Quinn named Luke Kunin and Mikael Granlund alternate captains. The choice of Granlund was especially noteworthy, being that he had just joined the team in the off-season.
The 31-year-old center, who’s signed for next season, led the way with a pair of assists and a game-winning shot block.
“Ton of respect for him as a player and a person. Our organization is in good hands when you got people like him leading,” Quinn said.
David Quinn
Quinn, on Granlund’s game-winning shot block:
That’s Granny. He’s been doing that his whole career. He’s the ultimate team player. We’re fortunate to have him. I’ve said it since the day we got him. This guy’s got a lot of hockey left in him and he’s a very, very important part of this organization. Ton of respect for him as a player and a person. Our organization is in good hands when you got people like him leading.
Quinn, on what Bordeleau did besides scoring:
I liked all the other things he did. Bordy, he played an honest game tonight. I really liked his game. Mental effort and physical effort. Listen, you going to make mistakes, but you can just see him, I thought, in all three zones, playing with the right intentions.
He’s always gonna have the ability to score. When you’re chasing it, thinking about offense, usually you struggle
I’m really happy for him. I’m proud of him for tonight’s effort.
Quinn, on Klim Kostin’s San Jose Sharks’ debut:
He was good, I liked him. He didn’t play a lot of minutes. I talked a little bit before the game But I liked what I saw.
Chrona, on having former DU teammate Devin Cooley back him up tonight:
Yeah. It’s a little throwback. We were goalie partners my first year in school. When I saw him before the game, it was a lot of memories coming back. It was fun.
He was there for my first college win. Just a full circle, I guess.
Chrona, on how being left in the game on Thursday and playing a strong third period in a bad loss helped him tonight:
Quinny mentioned it. Kaapo [Kahkonen] also mentioned it, coming into the third. It doesn’t matter what happened, it’s always, what’s going to happen? And what you can take from it to finish off that game on a positive note. So that helped a lot. Obviously, they scored one goal, but it was kind of a bounce. It was huge.
Mikael Granlund
Granlund, on his painful game-winning shot block:
Honestly, I’m just happy we’re leading. (laughs) Being in those situations, rather than trying to tie the game, honestly, this season we haven’t had too many of those situations.
That’s hockey, you block shots, do all that stuff. I’m happy to be in those situations.
Thomas Bordeleau
Bordeleau, on if he told Fabian Zetterlund that the first goal was his:
I felt it. I wasn’t gonna go tell him right away. (laughs) It was fun. Obviously lucky again, like my first goal two days ago.
Bordeleau, on what he can learn from Granlund:
So much. Everything, basically. He’s been through it all. He’s done it. He’s a huge part of this team.
Everything I can learn from him, I’ll try too, as much as I can.
More must-reads: