The San Jose Sharks started their season with a scrappy home opener against the Vegas Golden Knights. Within the first five minutes of the game, we saw a fight and a few scrums. In the end, the Sharks walked away with a 4-1 loss. There were some key takeaways for the Sharks and some things that David Quinn certainly needs to address moving forward.
Sharks Need to be Tough to Play Against
It’s not a secret that the Sharks aren’t expected to be in the playoff picture this season. With that being said, they need to be a team that’s at least difficult to play against. Early in the first period, they certainly did just that. Kyle Burroughs dropped the gloves against Keegan Kolesar less than five minutes into the game and shortly after Givani Smith went after Nicolas Hague after a hit that Smith seemingly felt wasn’t necessary. Filip Zadina’s first goal as a Shark came at a very important time as he was able to swing the momentum from Vegas’ favor back toward the middle while tying the game at the same time. Considering how the Sharks struggled when behind last season, it was certainly something that they like to see.
In the second period, even Tomas Hertl and Anthony Duclair started throwing the body after they were put on the same line. Their first shift together saw them both throw big hits one after the other. Although they started that period strong, it seemed that Vegas was getting the momentum later on in the period which led to two quick goals from Nicolas Hague and Nicolas Roy. The most mentioned words in the post-game media availability were “38 minutes.” Quinn, Hertl, and Zadina all mentioned that they kept it close for 38 minutes, and then things fell apart.
It’s also worth noting, that although Henry Thrun had an assist on Zadina’s goal, the rookies were largely invisible during the game. William Eklund had a couple nice defensive plays, however, he seemed to turn the puck over shortly after. Meanwhile, Thomas Bordeleau didn’t seem to do much of note until the third period when he created a decent scoring chance with roughly nine minutes remaining. Although the team started off with energy and snarl, it quickly faded into a mess of broken plays and turnovers in their own zone. Even if their first period wasn’t great, they showed heart and determination which they need to do consistently.
The Power Play Needs Work
The power play units that Quinn created for the opener certainly need some work. During their first man-advantage, both the first and second units got some decent opportunities. However, when Ivan Barbashev went to the box for cross-checking, it seemed like Vegas outplayed the Sharks despite being short-handed. Michael Amadio ended up scoring shortly after the penalty expired and gave the Golden Knights an early lead. The five-forward first unit made a lot of unforced errors, turning the puck over in their own end and giving Vegas strong scoring opportunities. The second unit scrambled to try to make up for that when they got on the ice but made many of the same mistakes.
The penalty kill on the other hand seemed to be fairly strong. Especially in the second period, they seemed to suppress shots and prevent any high-danger shot attempts. Although, they had very limited ice time so it’s difficult to truly make a decision about how effective the penalty kill will be moving forward.
Kahkonen – A Tale of Two Halves
Kaapo Kahkonen’s numbers simply don’t reflect how well he played early in the game. The first goal he gave up was as a result of Vegas sustaining pressure from the aforementioned ineffective power play units. It was one of those situations where a goal seemed inevitable unless the goaltender got some help, which he didn’t. As the game went on though, he began to struggle, giving up two goals late in the second period, both of which seemed to be goals he’d want back.
The most important thing is that the first period showed how good Kahkonen can be for the Sharks this season. Unfortunately, a big part of goaltending is confidence and if the team doesn’t play better in front of him moving forward, it’s difficult to see him performing at a high level consistently. It seemed like he was worn out before the end of the second period, and although he didn’t face an abnormal number of shots, he did have to make some pretty difficult saves early on.
Related: Sharks’ Roster Decision Made Easy by Bordeleau & Eklund
The Sharks held their own against the reigning Stanley Cup champions early on, however, they certainly had moments that showed why they’re projected to finish near the bottom of the Pacific Division. Those moments became more prevalent late in the second period, as the team started to struggle more and more. It’s clear that this is another season of building for the Sharks and as a result, most games, specifically against the teams near the top of the league, aren’t going to be pretty. The key to success for this season will be improvement, especially for the young players. Given what we saw from them during this game, there’s certainly a lot of room to improve.
