The Sharks aren't likely to win many games
this season, but their 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night may
go down as one of the fun ones. The Sharks scored a pair of 3rd period goals to
break a 2-2 tie, then held after a wild final 4 minutes of the contest. Kaapo
Kahkonen made 32 saves to earn his 2nd win of the season. The Sharks played
what was arguably their best team game of the season. It was a chippy affair,
which brought the team together for a much needed 2 points.
In what
has become an extreme rarity for the Sharks this season, then never trailed in
the game. That coming against the game that destroyed them 10-1 on November 2nd
made it even more rewarding.
Sam Lafferty appeared to score at 3:33
when he redirected a pass from the doorstep, but San Jose challenged the score
for goaltender interference. That turned out to be the right call as Lafferty
clipped Kahkonen
The Sharks would actually score the game's 1st goal,
when rookie defenseman Ty Emberson converted his 1st career NHL goal at 9:58.
The youngster fired a shot in on goal from the right point, weaving the shot
through traffic to beat Canucks goaltender Casey DeSmith.
San Jose's
lead would last 5 minutes. Kyle Burroughs was called for a holding penalty at
14:35, then Filip Hronek tapped home a loose puck from the doorstep on the
ensuing power play. The goal was the 20th power play goal allowed by the Sharks
this season in 72 chances.
Fabian Zetterlund helped San Jose reclaim
the lead at 14:05 of the 2nd period when he fired a shot past DeSmith from
inside the right circle. Tomas Hertl skated the puck around the back of the net
from left to right, then feathered a pass to Zetterlund for the one time chance
that found its way between DeSmith and the right post.
Hertl was
called for a high stick when his errant twig brushed Canucks captain Quinn
Hughes. The embellishment by Hughes helped referees Carter Sandlak and Trevor
Hanson send the Sharks to the penalty box for the third time of the night.
It would be a costly trip for San Jose when Brock Boeser punched home
a loose puck in from of the net with 21 seconds remaining in the period.
Things got chippy right before the horn to end the period when Dakota
Joshua and Hertl started to mix it up. Both were assessed roughing minors,
which carried over to the 3rd period.
Skating 4-on-4, Mikael Granlund
showed flashes of his former self by stick-handling through traffic and putting
a backhand shot past De Smith for his 1st goal as a Shark just 22 seconds into
the final frame.
With the slim 3-2 lead, the Sharks then enjoyed their
first power play of the game when Tyler Myers was sent off for high sticking
William Eklund at the 1:00 minute mark. That helped San Jose to a 2-goal lead
when Mike Hoffman deposited a rebound from the doorstep on the ensuing power
play.
The Canucks were awarded a power play at 5:40 after Elias
Pettersson launchd himself into Calen Addison with a hit along the side boards.
Matt Benning earned a roughing and cross checking minors during the scrum that
ensued, while Addison was assessed a 10 minute misconduct. Sam Lafferty drew a
roughing minor, along with Mark Friedman who was given a misconduct.
San Jose killed the Canucks power play to maintain their lead.
Boeser scored his 2nd goal of the game with 3:11 to
play after the Canucks pulled DeSmith. The Canucks forward was lurking on the
right side when a JT Miller shot caromed over to him. Boeser lifted a shot as
Kahkonen tried to cover the left side of the net.
Vancouver was forced
to pull DeSmith again late in the game, then they turned the Sharks defensive
zone into a shooting gallery. Kahkonen turned aside all 15 shots he would face
in teh period, most coming in the final 4 minutes of the game.
Nico
Sturm and Mike Hoffman missed on empty net chances, but San Jose held on for
their 4th win of the season over the team that embarrassed them on SAP Center
ice 24 days earlier.
Game Notes: * Filip Zadina skated
5 shifts on Friday night in the 3-2 shootout loss to the Canadiens, then missed
the rest of the game due to injury. He was an injury scratch on Saturday night.
* Kevin Labanc was back in the lineup after suffering an injury on
Wednesday after being slew-footed.
* In addition to Ty Emberson
scoring his 1st NHL goal in the contest, it was the first goal by a Sharks
defenseman this season.
* To say this wasn't a fun one would be an
understatement. The two teams combined for 38 minutes of penalties.
*
The Sharks will host the Washington Capitals on Monday night and then they head
out for a 6-game road trip.