Sharks Storm Back to Defeat Utah For First Win of Season

In one of the best comebacks of the early NHL season, the San Jose Sharks overcame a three-goal deficit with less than five minutes remaining for a 5-4 overtime win over the Utah Hockey Club on Monday (Oct. 28). The win was vital for the Sharks giving their early-season reeling, sparking excitement for the team and taking an enormous weight off their shoulders. The result took a full effort from both the players and the coaches, and although the game was far from perfect, it demonstrates how San Jose has improved from last season, however slight those upgrades may be.

Ryan Warsofsky’s Aggressive Move Sparks Comeback

Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky secured his first NHL win with the comeback, and he has one of his own decisions to thank for it. Trailing 4-1 with 4:39 remaining, he pulled goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood for an extra skater. Removing the goalie with so much time left was a risk, and could have sent the game fully off the rails for the Sharks had they allowed any empty-net goals. But it worked perfectly — Fabian Zetterlund, Mikael Granlund and Tyler Toffoli scored three straight six-on-five goals in less than two minutes to tie the game.

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The maneuver obviously had benefits in-game, but the positive results could cascade to the rest of the season as well. Warsofsky created scoring opportunities for each of the team’s three best active offensive forwards, bolstering their confidence and creating positive momentum. Furthermore, Jake Walman assisted on all three goals, and while they didn’t come on a power play, his work in a man-advantage situation should give him more opportunities as the defenseman on the first power-play unit.

Late in the game with his team trailing, Warsofsky knew he needed to light some kind of fire and made a bold choice. He was rewarded for it, and it could be exactly what he needs to turn around a difficult start to his head coaching tenure.

Alexander Wennberg’s Hard Work Pays Off

The goal-scorers get all the attention during a comeback, but they can’t succeed without their teammates doing little things that make huge impacts. Each of the final three goals of regulation started with Alexander Wennberg winning a faceoff, and he recorded an assist on Toffoli’s. Had the Sharks not consistently gained possession of the puck thanks to Wennberg’s efforts, they might not have scored a single goal and could have lost by more than just three. After winning a crucial overtime faceoff to start a power play, he got the ultimate reward by scoring the game-winner.

With four points through 10 games, Wennberg isn’t posting eye-popping numbers, but he’s establishing himself as an essential and versatile forward. At 30 years old, he provides the veteran presence the Sharks hoped for when they signed him. He leads the team in faceoff wins and plays significant minutes on both the power play and the penalty kill. As the Sharks rebuild, they need their more experienced players to set a tone and lead by example, doing whatever it takes to win games. Against Utah and throughout the season, Wennberg has done just that, and he’ll continue to do so as long as he keeps taking the ice.

Sharks Improving Around the Margins

Despite the win, the Sharks are still in last place in the NHL, and the fact they trailed 4-1 in the first place is problematic in and of itself. However, a wider look at the last two seasons of San Jose hockey shows where they were and where they are now.

The Sharks now have four points on the season. One year ago today, the Sharks had one point. After winning the shot count against Utah, the Sharks have outshot their opponent twice through 10 games this season. The 2023-24 Sharks didn’t outshoot an opponent until game 20. This season’s Sharks got their first win in their 10th game. Not only did last season’s Sharks take 12 games to get there, but their 10th game was a 10-1 loss, contributing to a minus-35 goal differential compared to this season’s minus-20 through 10 games.

In small but meaningful ways, the Sharks are getting better. How many times last season did they trail by a few goals late and fail to make any impact with an extra skater? How many times last season did they let a game like this one turn into a loss by six or seven? That they made last night’s contest close is an improvement, especially early in the season, and that they won it is an enormous stride.

Like last season, the Sharks faced a brutal first nine games to start their campaign. Rather than sink to even further depths as they did almost exactly one year ago, the players and coaching staff faced down their struggles and responded with one of the most improbable wins of the season.