Game Notes #22: Golden Knights Snuff Out Sharks 4-0

Period 1

Shame Blichfeld is out. He would’ve been most likely guy to draw in with Meier out, would have been big opportunity.

Minute in, up top, Erik Karlsson shakes Stone.

3 minutes in, interesting sequence, Karlsson breaking out, forechecker Stone meets him. Karlsson turns back. Reload, Pacioretty forechecks Karlsson, EK65 shakes him. Just interesting chess match between two greats, Stone and Karlsson.

5 minutes in, Balcers with a hard backhand breakout pass up middle, misses target. Vegas counterattacks. Some obvious talent, but he needs to slow down game a little, I think, play more patient. A softer pass there, for example. No VGK forechecker was close to his target.

8 minutes in, Labanc with San Jose Sharks’ first real chance. Kane dump-in to Fleury, Labanc beats Holden to rebound. Good hustle, reminiscent of his goal last night.

6 minutes left, Kellman with best chance of game. Vegas has controlled tempo, but Sharks have held them to perimeter. Gabriel does nice job to recover from puck bobble to get it to him.

But then, Burns lunges for a puck that he shouldn’t go for at center ice. Vegas 2-on-1 the other way, Stone. Labanc looks slower getting back too.

At other end, Fleury makes a million-dollar save after a fantastic Karlsson to Labanc set-up.

3 minutes left, Simek does good job staying with fast, physical Carrier. Carrier isn’t an offensive dynamo, but it’s a good barometer that Simek has found his legs and strength after troubling training camp with knee.

1 minute left, Balcers shows some great speed to knife through the neutral zone, gain entry. Then good offensive work by that line, punctuated by Leonard chance in front of Fleury. Love Leonard’s patience in front of Fleury all alone, but Flower beats him.

Golden Knights clearly controlled opening frame, but Natural Stat Trick’s VGK 7-2 High-Danger at 5-on-5 seems high? For what it’s worth, per SPORTLOGiQ, they have it VGK 6-4 Slot Shots, SJS 3-2 Scoring Chances Off Rush, which feels more right to me. Either way, San Jose Sharks have to play better.

Period 2

3 minutes in, 4 Golden Knights crowd Karlsson before blueline, Karlsson somehow doesn’t lose puck. Have to watch replay.

Great shot by Tuch, but a save would be nice. Tuch just skates through Ferraro, who might’ve had puck along wall in NZ. That’s how good Vegas is though, they can bury a talent like Tuch on the third line.

I don’t even think San Jose Sharks have played that badly tonight, just a far superior opponent.

9 minutes left, some great Karlsson passes are being wasted tonight. Karlsson picks up in NZ, scans, goes against the grain where 2 Sharks forwards have lane to themselves. But puck bobble. As you can tell, I’m a big proponent of his game tonight, he’s been good again.

Speaking of depth, Stone goes down, you can insert Tuch up on a top line. Looks like Burns’s desperation clear is knocked down, Tuch puts it away. Tough night for the Ferraro-Burns pairing.

Minute left, Vlasic leading center lane of 3-on-2, tosses a too soft, casual-looking pass over, turnover. Maybe Holden got to it?

30 seconds left, Karlsson meets the Tuch train, bad turnover from EK65. On other side, Tuch is just feeling it tonight.

Vegas came on late in the period, per SPORTLOGiQ, 10-5 Slot Shots on Net in just the middle frame.

Period 3

New D pairings for #SJSharks: Simek with Burns, Vlasic with Ferraro

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 7, 2021

5 minutes in, Gregor gets it on wall, flat-footed, but just gives it up, his clear gets swallowed by Vegas. Those are the details that count.

7 minutes in, San Jose Sharks OZ win, Burns creeps in, then drop passes it to no one. Rough night for him.

8 minutes left, Gabriel is trying to stir something up, but no reason for the Golden Knights to engage.

At least a good-looking power play, courtesy of Karlsson, Couture, Kane, Labanc, and Donato.

Peter DeBoer should send Doug Wilson an Edible Arrangements. Pete’s obviously landed in a good place.