Game Notes #26: Sharks Can’t Get Over Golden Knights’ Hump, Lose 2-1

Period 1

LAS VEGAS, Nev. —

20 percent capacity: Few #SJSharks fans, I see a Burns jersey and a teal sweater, that's about it pic.twitter.com/2KAjD4IJ4w

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 16, 2021

3 minutes in, not fond of that exchange between Karlsson & Knyzhov & Hertl. First look, Karlsson has to be in a better position to help Knyzhov.

4 minutes in, real nice puck battle win on forecheck by Labanc, separates puck from Martinez. Goes nowhere though.

5 minutes in, active Meier stick results in breakaway for himself. Good defense up top by Timo, but Fleury better.

First Vegas shot of game: Vlasic looks up skyward after that pass right to Golden Knights stick.

Even at 20% capacity, nothing #VegasBorn crowd likes more than Kane going to box

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 16, 2021

Dubnyk doesn’t even flinch on that Pacioretty shot. Good screen by Tuch.

Going into tonight, Kane had just one minor in last 12 games. That fritters away an actually solid San Jose Sharks start.

San Jose has been really effective on the forecheck so far today: 9 minutes left, Gambrell line does good work, but everyone has the whole game on the forecheck.

4 minutes left: Hertl shows good pop with his legs in puck battle win over McNabb. He just gets in front of the slower McNabb, big body does the rest.

3 minutes left: Burns just moved Glass off puck with relative ease. The youngster still needs to add strength, obviously.

#SJSharks were the much better team in the opening frame, but find themselves down a goal. Per @NatStatTrick: SJS 25-13 Corsi, 13-6 Scoring Chances, 6-2 High-Danger at 5v5. That's about what I saw too: SJS was strong on the forecheck.

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 16, 2021

Period 2

Couture goes into room after awkward collision with William Karlsson

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 16, 2021

Couture is back on the bench

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 16, 2021

Difference-making save by Fleury: Vegas surging, but Couture able to spring Kane for a breakaway, 5 minutes in.

6 minutes in, end of long shift, but Gambrell’s got to get that out. Full head of steam with puck, only Tuch in front of him. Tuch is a forecheck force, but San Jose Sharks lucky that shift didn’t turn into anything worse.

#VegasBorn starting to take control of this game: Not sure what #SJSharks answer is, when Fleury is giving them nothing too

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 16, 2021

Next shift, at least Handemark separates Tuch from puck. Handemark is strong.

9 minutes in, Nieto good low-high pass to Knyzhov and Knyzhov filters it through, deflection save for Fleury.

10 minutes left, Vlasic has to make a better exit pass than that. Gabriel nowhere close. He’s got to hang onto puck a little bit longer, I think.

9 minutes left, don’t like that defensive shift from Burns. Be more careful with puck, you got time.

Couture post: That line has restored some order in game for San Jose Sharks. They are usually dangerous. But Vegas still coming hard.

4 minutes left, Meier has shown good energy tonight, but save for early breakaway, been denied by tough Vegas defense.

I haven’t liked Karlsson tonight. On the way to back-to-back so-so games.

About 2 minutes left, that’s an example of Donato needing to simplify: Has puck along center ice wall, just get it in.

Last minute there, something wrong with ice? Puck hops a lot on Sharks, ton of possession plus brilliant Karlsson pass to Hertl, but puck skipping a lot.

#VegasBorn dominated that period, Dubnyk keeping Sharks in it. Per @NatStatTrick, VGK 31-9 Corsi, 17-6 Scoring Chances, 7-3 High-Danger at 5v5. But #SJSharks still just down one

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 16, 2021

Period 3

That was coming: Karlsson stretch pass broken up by Hague, feeds Vegas rush. Home run instead of single? Don’t love Knyzhov’s angle on Pacioretty, and most importantly, Meier loses Stone. Stone is way too open, for some reason, Karlsson and Meier take Glass.

That looked on-side for Couture, 4 minutes in.

San Jose Sharks still getting chances, but Fleury. That was Nieto, now with Meier and Hertl.

Hertl clearly frustrated. I liked his start, but it's been a tough game overall for him

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 16, 2021

Now Fleury just showing off: Kane has another breakaway, but Fleury dives out for successful pokecheck.

That's a terrible interference call. Should be just embellishment for Marchessault

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 16, 2021

What a move from Meier. Makes up for his gaffe on Stone. 5 minutes left.