The San Jose Sharks faced off against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday (Nov. 7). They ended up walking away with their first win of the season with a final score of 2-1. They played a far-from-perfect game, but it was certainly one of the better outings that we’ve seen from the Sharks this season. Now that they have a win on the board, let’s take a look at what made it possible.
Best Period of the Season
The Sharks played what was undoubtedly the best period of hockey we’ve seen from them this season in the first period. They started off quickly with Anthony Duclair finding the back of the net on a two-on-one with Kevin Labanc who assisted on the play. They were playing with a level of energy that we’ve yet to see from the team in teal this season. It seemed like nearly everyone was throwing the body, creating scoring opportunities and although they gave up quite a few shots, 13 in the first period, they were able to keep the puck out of the net.
Their penalty kill was tested quite a few times as well, but they were able to hold their own as Duclair’s tripping, Burroughs’ interference, and the first half of Jan Rutta’s high-sticking penalty were all killed off in the first period. It was far from a perfect period of hockey, but the Sharks were doing more right than wrong for the first time this season. They ended the first period with a 1-0 lead despite being outshot 13-4, however, the Sharks had quite a few shot attempts that missed the net.
Sharks Were Tough to Play Against
When a team is projected to be near the bottom of the standings, they often take pride in being a tough team to play against. The Sharks haven’t done that so far this season, but they showed that they’re capable of doing so against the Flyers. Givani Smith dropped the gloves with Nicolas Deslauriers shortly after Duclair’s goal which set the tone for the rest of the game. In the first period, both teams had five hits on the scoresheet and most of them were massive ones.
The biggest moment for me though was Luke Kunin going after Travis Konecny after he ran into Mackenzie Blackwood. Earlier this season, we saw zero response when Kaapo Kahkonen was injured against the Vancouver Canucks. Having Kunin stand up for Blackwood is a major step forward, as it shows the Sharks are starting to play as a team rather than as individuals. David Quinn has repeatedly stressed how important that is for any level of success in the NHL, and it seems the message is finally getting through.
New Look First Line Creating Chances
Quinn finally put the combination of Tomas Hertl, William Eklund and Fabian Zetterlund together, and it resulted in some of the most fun-to-watch hockey we’ve seen in the Bay Area this season. They were constantly creating chances, Hertl in particular seemed more like himself than we’d seen previously this season. He hadn’t played badly all things considered, but prior to this game he hadn’t played like the star player he typically is for the Sharks. Last night, he was all over the ice making plays offensively, defensively, and even physically.
Eklund’s wicked one-timer came through on the power play, giving the Sharks a brief two-goal lead in the second period. Although that wasn’t with his regular linemates, it was still a critical moment for the young player’s momentum.
Anthony Duclair’s Best Performance as a Shark
By the second intermission, Duclair had two points, a goal, and an assist. Considering the Sharks were expecting him to be a big-time producer this season, his start had been massively disappointing. His performance picked up against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday (Nov. 4), and on Tuesday he picked up where he had previously left off. He’s starting to heat up at the perfect time for the Sharks, surely Mike Grier and Quinn are hoping he’s able to perform at the level we’ve seen recently on a consistent basis.
Related: Sharks’ Journey to Win No. 1: How to Beat the Flyers
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The Sharks played an entertaining game against the Flyers. In the end, they still didn’t play a full 60 minutes as they fought for survival for most of the third period. Luckily for them, it was enough to walk away with their first win of the season. They still have a lot of work to do if they’re going to get wins consistently, but for today Sharks fans, enjoy the first win of the season.
