The Sharks are all too familiar with blowing
3rd period leads. It's almost become a part of their 2024-25 DNA. An expected
disappointment. On Monday night, they turned the tables on an opponent, coming
back from a 2-0 deficit in the 3rd period, then winning the game in the
shootout. Tyler Toffoli and Fabian Zetterlund bags goals in the skills
competition to help San Jose also snap an 8-game losing streak. The win was the
first for San Jose since January 27th.
The 3rd comeback was accented
by the fact that is came against the Atlantic Division leading Toronto Maple
Leafs at Scotiabank Arena in Ontario.
Much maligned goaltender
Alexandar Georgiev made 25 saves in regulation and the overtime period, then
stopped three of four Maple Leaf shooters in the shootout. Georgiev also had to
fend off late penalties, including one that allowed Toronto to skate on the
man-advantage for the first 2 minutes of the overtime.
The Sharks
continue to play a befuddling game that has them competing early in the game.
San Jose committed a pair of penalties in the opening period but killed those
and played a competitive opening 20 minutes.
One of those penalties
was a holding penalty on Mario Ferraro, which may have been a get out of jail
free card for the Sharks defenseman who could have just as easily been called
for instigating after he went after Phillipe Myers for a hit on Will Smith.
A Tyler Toffoli hooking penalty 8 minutes into the 2nd period setup
the game's first goal. John Tavares converted 22 seconds in to the power play
by tipping a Mitch Marner shot. Tavares simply lurked in the high slot and
waited for Marner to pump the puck toward the goal from the blueline. The puck
clipped Tavares' stick and redirected to the right, eluding Georgiev.
San Jose kept things close until a careless tripping penalty by Luke Kunin with
80 seconds left in the period. Mathew Knies converted on the ensuing power play
by pushing the puck past Georgiev from the doorstep after Auston Matthews put
the puck on net form the right side.
Jack Thompson cut the Maple Leafs
lead in half with his 3rd goal of the season 2:23 into the 3rd period. The
rookie defenseman pounced on a long rebound off the end boards and snapped a
shot past goaltender Anthony Stolarz from outside the right circle.
Tyler Toffoli tied the game at 2-2 at 10:10 after
Alexander Wennberg carried the puck around the back of the net from left to
right, then slid it to Toffoli on the doorstep for the slam dunk goal. Toffoli
slipped between Calle Jarnkrok and the net and Stolarz overplayed Wennberg on
the left side of the net.
The game remained tied as regulation time
but Kunin took a ticky-tack hooking penalty right as time expired. The Sharks
killed the full 2-minutes in the overtime period, but the Maple Leafs
controlled the puck for the next 2 minutes.
Georgiev stopped Marner
and Auston Matthews in the shootout before Michael Nylander beat him. Macklin
Celebrini and Will Smith were stopped by Stolarz, but Toffoli converted to
extend the shootout to an extra round.
The sharks goaltender denied
Tavares in the 4th round before Zetterlund ended the game.
Game
Notes: * The Sharks placed defenseman Henry Thrun on the injured
reserve on Monday. Thrun was injured in the loss to Montreal.
* San
Jose also completed two transactions, waiting forward Walker Dueher and
recalling Jimmy Schuldt from the Barracuda. Duehr played in 8 games for San
Jose, potting a pair of goals. He has been a healthy scratch the last 4 games.
* Ontario native Jack Thompson had his family in the building to see
his 3rd period goal.
* Former Maple Leaf defenseman Timothy Liljegren
was in the starting lineup, along with several Ontario natives, including Ty
Dellandrea, Barclay Goodrow and Jake Walman.
* Macklin Celebrini was
held to no shots on goal in the contest. Will Smith led all Sharks with 6 shot
attempts.
