After a wild opening night loss the Sharks
tightened things up defensively on Saturday night as the Anaheim Ducks came
calling. That focus allowed them to limit the opposition's scoring, but that
defensive focus also translated to a lack of offensive chances that they could
capitalize on. In the end, Anaheim was able to solve the Sharks defensive
posturing and hold on for a 2-0 win in their season debut.
The game
came down to the first tally of the season, as both teams went back and forth
for 60 minutes. The Sharks offensive struggles were punctuated by an overturned
goal early in the contest.
Fabian Zetterlund appeared to give the
Sharks an early lead, but a coach's challenge confirmed that the Sharks forward
was offside before he beat Lukas Dostal with a shot from in tight.
The
Sharks did not play uninteresting hockey the rest of the period, but they
couldn't generate many scoring chances. Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal also did
a good job of denying many second chance opportunities.
Sharks
netminder Vitek Vanecek kept all 10 Anaheim shots out of this net in the
opening period. The highlight of the frame was Klim Kostin response to a Frank
Vatrano cross check in front of the benches. Kostin caught Vatrano with a left
hook that either dropped the Ducks winger, or it setup a master class in
diving.
Penalties throughout the first two periods killed any
offensive momentum the Sharks seemed to generate. They would give up a pair of
power play chances to the Ducks in the opening period and another two minors in
the middle period.
A Mason McTavish roughing penalty with 51 seconds
left in the period carried over to the 3rd period. The Sharks would not
capitalize on the chance but they did generate a big push 7 minutes into the
period. Dostal denied San Jose with several solid saves, then flipped the
momentum when Nico Sturm was sent off for hooking at 8:09.
The San Jose penalty kill denied Anaheim for a 5th
time to keep the game deadlocked.
A seemingly mundane play up the ice
would wind up in the Sharks net after Isac Lundestrom gathered a Brock McGinn
pass from the right side off the ruch before lifting it past Vanecek.
Zetterlund simply stopped skating on the play and allowed Lundestrom to create
a gap that allowed for a selective shot that beat Vanecek.
The Sharks
pulled Vanecek with 2 minutes to play but could do nothing with the extra
attacker. Trevor Zegras sent a punk down the length of the ice for an empty net
goal that sealed San Jose's fate.
Dostal finished the game with 30
saves. Vanecek made 28 of 29 stops to earn the hard luck loss.
Game
Notes: * The Macklin Celebrini era was put on hold after the Sharks
put their marquee draft pick from last summer on the injured reserve with a
lower body injury. sharks head coach Rayn Warsofsky announced that Celebrini is
considered week-to-week. It's unclear what Celebrini injured or when it
occurred.
* Mikael Granlund led San Jose with 5 shots in the game.
Three other skaters added 3 shots each to the Sharks 30 shot total.
*
San Jose turned things around in the faceoff circle, where they won 31 of 57
draws for a 54% conversion. They only converted on 42% in their loss to St
Louis on opening night.
* Vitek Vanecek made his way back to the ice
in an NHL game for the first time since February 10th. The Sharks elected to
allow him to rehabilitate an injury after acquiring him on March 8th.
* The Sharks hit the road for three straight starting in Dallas on Tuesday
night. They will also visit Chicago and Winnipeg before returning home on
October 20th.
