MINNEAPOLIS — The San Jose Sharks visit Grand Casino Arena to take on the Minnesota Wild.
Will Smith and Collin Graf scored, and the Sharks won 2-1.
Period 1
Klingberg NZ turnover to start, but Wennberg in good position, steals it back.
Klingberg penalty: Not a good start for Klingberg. Gets caught on wrong side of Hunt. Gives in to hook though Ferraro was there to back up. He’s gotta get his head in the game.
5 in: Hinostroza , Tarasenko have back-to-back chances, Askarov! San Jose Sharks looking sleepy.
Celebrini met in DZ right when he receives puck by I think Eriksson Ek, about 4:45 in. Can’t build up speed. This is how teams will want to play Macklin.
8 in: Patented Eklund against-the-grain pass below the goal line to Kurashev, Wild penalty. Sharks needed a lifeline, here it is.
Celebrini just turned dime on Boldy in NZ, chasing puck, left Boldy in another area. That’s a patented move of his, incredible. But Celebrini hasn’t been sharp with his puck movement on this PP, Sharks not able to mount much of an attack.
9 left: Forechecking Foligno trucks Mukhamadullin. Shakir seemed surprised by that.
8 left: Maybe best 5-on-5 shift of the game so far for Sharks? Skinner does good work keeping puck alive in OZ. Dellandrea gets a shot on. Not much of a shift, really lol.
6 left: But one good shift leads to another. Wennberg finds Klingberg walking down slot for a great chance. Suddenly, a heartbeat.
Good little play by Smith, puck bounces to him middle of DZ, doesn’t rush it though Wild close, holds, then advances the puck. Warsofsky talks about fighting the panic, which young players are often victim to, they don’t know how much time and space they have.
4 left: Graf and Skinner in 2-1-2 forecheck. Dickinson has a strong defensive shift, skating and reach on full display, disrupting multiple plays.
2 left: Mukhamadullin does good job handling Eriksson Ek, battling with him on this shift.
20 seconds left, DZ faceoff, San Jose Sharks make a smart coaching move, replace Kurashev with Celebrini on wing, try to free up their best player for some late offense. Wennberg centers and Eklund stays on line. Doesn’t amount to anything, but it’s a thoughtful tactic.
Period 2
Nifty move by Kurashev to evade Kaprizov check along wall.
1 in: That’s a shift that the San Jose Sharks won’t want to repeat. Orlov accidentally low bridges Mukhamadullin. Askarov puckhandling adventure. Also, a Celebrini turnover on entry…he lacks a little pep in his step so far, wonder if the Florida game taxed him a bit.
3 in: Dellandrea line has a rush, Skinner chance? Second and third lines have been Sharks’ best tonight so far.
Goodrow penalty: Foligno has been a menace for Mukhamadullin. Shakir had an exit path along wall, but puck doesn’t get out. Goodrow defending Spurgeon, takes a penalty down low. But actually, Goodrow was having a good shift, he gave Jiricek a master class in one-on-one battle before. Mukhamadullin has to get that out.
4 in: Graf takes it from Boldy and Kaprizov high on PK. Graf like an octopus out there on PK.
Boldy goal: Brilliant Zuccarello pass, flank to flank through multiple sticks, Askarov no chance.
6 in: Wild smother Celebrini along wall. Three Wild on him on wall about 6:40 in.
10 in: Celebrini on entry, four Wild basically stand up, but Eriksson Ek gets called for unnecessary interference. Like Panthers game, I think word is out on Celebrini, they’re playing him like a superstar, giving him that extra shot. Again, another lifeline for the Sharks.
Klingberg penalty: It was a tough D-to-D pass for Klingberg, but another penalty for him, not sure he had to take it that far away from Askarov. Tough game. I’ve been a supporter of his, but I think you can consider giving him a break. Slot in Leddy and Liljegren for he and Mukhamadullin. I’m OK with Orlov and Ferraro being your only everyday defensemen on the Sharks. Ferraro, just on pure effort and reliable energy, will probably never get scratched, and I think deservingly so.
8 left: Great kill by Dellandrea. Loose puck, he gets position on Kaprizov, takes it with ease, skates it out, then almost creates a chance out of nothing 1v3 in front of Gustavsson.
6 left: Celebrini thinks he has a second of daylight, but right when he hits his stride with puck coming out of DZ, Boldy on top of him.
4 left: That was almost two minutes of defending for Celebrini line. He missed another chance to get it out.
Celebrini was just out there for 2:26 defensively. He missed a couple chances to get it out. Uncharacteristic low-energy game for him tonight, and Wild have defended him tough too.
Wennberg penalty: San Jose Sharks lucky to be down one.
1 left: Eklund has been terrific in his return though, efficient and confident.
Askarov is winning games and periods for the San Jose Sharks. Wild 15-5 shots.
Period 3
2 in: Don’t like that Dickinson NZ read though. Chases the pinch, becomes a Wild 2-on-1.
4 in: Filthy entry by Eklund, then Kurashev has a Grade-A. Eklund has been San Jose Sharks’ best player besides Askarov.
9 in: Yup, looks like Toffoli and Graf have been flip-flopped lines.
Smith goal: But these guys just need one good (power play) shift. Eklund to Toffoli to Celebrini to Smith tic-tac-toe. What a Celebrini pass through Spurgeon.
6 left: Lovely give-and-go between Celebrini and Smith, Celebrini just misses.
2 left: Really good Klingberg pass helps spring 2-0n-1 for Wennberg.
OT
Wennberg-Eklund-Orlov to start. Agree with this one haha. Wennberg and Eklund have been among Sharks’ best players tonight.
