Game Notes #21: Golden Knights Edge Sharks 5-4 in OT

Period 1

Old man media take: Hard to see numbers on #SJSharks Reverse Retro jerseys from press box

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 6, 2021

Minute in, Gambrell ready to tee up on one-timer in slot, but Marchessault stick checks him. Hate him if you want, but that’s a Winning Play™ from Marchessault.

Smith goal: Between Knyzhov and Erik Karlsson, just 1 guy has to go to the far post, not both. Ugly defense.

This is going well: Both Ferraro and Couture chase puck, leaving Stephenson on his own.

7 minutes in, brilliant Karlsson high-low pass to the front, but San Jose Sharks can’t stuff in their point-blank chance. There’s the difference, Vegas capitalizing on their golden chances, San Jose isn’t. Then Karlsson makes forechecker Smith look silly. At least tonight should be entertaining on that score, EK65 on the ball.

One piece of good news, #SJSharks fans — Erik Karlsson is officially fun to watch again pic.twitter.com/fHrlvVTnKC

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 6, 2021

Looks like Balcers-Gambrell-Donato-Marleau-Burns on PP2.

8 minutes left, Balcers goes offsides a step away from a great chance. Just ugly hockey.

Couture maybe going off? Pacioretty cold-shoulders him. An irate Couture jumps him. Not seeing how that's not interference on Pacioretty

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 6, 2021

Pacioretty will probably say it was accidental. And maybe so. But it’s also not a stretch to say that Vegas is very confident in here, very willing to throw their own weight around, even when they shouldn’t. And they don’t seem afraid of retribution, be it physical or on the scoreboard.

3 minutes left, Ferraro looks hurt after a stick pick from Martinez in slot. Will have to re-watch. He looks OK.

More than a minute left, Donato nice battle win, beating Stephenson to 50-50 puck on PP. Then Donato earns a quality chance. But no dice.

Per SPORTLOGiQ, Karlsson led all players on both teams in OZ Possession Time (00:22), All Situations. For me, a barometer of where he’s at, how confident he is with his skating, that he can hold puck for more extended periods of time.

Period 2

Jones's 5th pull in 15 starts. I mean, that's a really good batting average

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 6, 2021

5 minutes in, behind net, Knyzhov does nice job to pull in forechecker Smith, then give it to Karlsson. Small play, but nice sign of puck poise and maturity.

After Burns’s goal, Gabriel just creamed Martinez behind Dansk.

8 minutes in, Donato draws a penalty on Theodore. Donato has done some good things offensively recently, he feels close to breaking his slump.

All eyes watching Karlsson with puck, Nieto and Kellman get behind defense. Looks like Carrier, who was filling in for pinching defenseman up top, caught watching Karlsson.

That was Karlsson's first primary assist since Jan. 22, also to Matt Nieto

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 6, 2021

3 minutes left, nice work by Kellman to force turnover. Gabriel breakaway bid goes wide. As I wrote after first Avs game on Mar. 1, thought we might see him emerge. Urgent need at 4C, Chmelevski raw, True with some promise but just OK vs. Colorado. Boughner has called Kellman a gamer, been highly complimentary of his game. Obviously not a ton of NHL talent, but he’s considered reliable. Was surprised, actually, that Kellman got just one game before getting sent down.

Good saves by Dubnyk and tough PK by Vlasic to close period. If San Jose Sharks pull it out, these two kills to finish frame will loom large. Nothing too challenging for Dubnyk, but timing of save matters too, as Sharks fans have learned all too well over last three years.

Overall, like we’ve said about a lot of Sharks periods this year. They’re close, doing good stuff, but they need a hero.

Per SPORTLOGiQ: San Jose Sharks doing more right than wrong, All Situations, they’re up 9-5 Slot Shots on Net, 3-1 Scoring Chances Off the Rush.

Period 3

That was dramatic, you could hear Gabriel and Reaves drop sticks and gloves a-clatter onto ice in empty arena.

Credit to Gabriel for going and Reaves for giving. Good tilt. Burns was loud on the bench banging his stick. Honestly, Vegas needed to get going too, moribund second for them.

Reaves and Gabriel still jawing, but then Tuch speaks loudest with a back-breaking one-time goal. That can't happen. But afterwards, Gabriel and Reaves still yelling at each, Gabriel stands up. I hear someone say "All that shit you talked"

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 6, 2021

I complimented him earlier, but Kellman can’t give Tuch that much space. Broken play, but Tuch reacted much faster.

Honestly better than the game, it's been 5 minutes and running pic.twitter.com/MVQ2npHmlv

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 6, 2021

Think Kane got away with one on the Couture goal? Regardless, good response from Sharks. Another primary assist for Karlsson, nice job to lure Stephenson up top to him, frees up center lane for Couture to walk down.

10 minutes in, Balcers with almost a nice play, looks like he took it off Pietrangelo along wall, he fed it into slot but just missed. Good effort though.

Reaves being helped off, Gabriel the only Shark tapping the stick that I saw. Will say only a couple Golden Knights tapped sticks too, this wasn’t that type of situation necessarily. Not sure what happened, Reaves coming hard for Gabriel, replay shows Gabriel skate catching Reaves.

Quietly, Burns has been real handful for Vegas tonight. Draws penalty there. Critical spot for San Jose Sharks, no exaggeration to call this their most important PP of year. Season obviously fast slipping away from them.

Donato was inserted ahead of Meier on PP1

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 6, 2021

Did Donato hit the post?

Add another absolutely bizarre play to #SJSharks–#VegasBorn pantheon. Tie game

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 6, 2021

OT

Good stick by Karlsson on Smith, first shift.

Burns let Pacioretty get behind him, too puck-focused.