Sheng Peng
When you’re not scoring, you got to find other ways to help your team.
Jonathan Dahlen, zero points in his last three games with Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier, and just five goals in his last 44 games, did just that Tuesday night in the San Jose Sharks’ 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“I thought he played hard. He won some battles. He was more physical than I remember, than he’s been lately,” Sharks head coach Bob Boughner said. “He’s a guy trying to stay up there.”
For his part, Dahlen, met the press today with a fresh cut right above his left eye lid.
“I was engaged, I was in a lot of battles, I got a stick in the eye,” he said with a chuckle. “That’s the way I want to play.”
I’ve found with Dahlen this season, his mood with us often tells you how he thinks he’s playing. He was in good spirits today.
“There’s been ups and downs. But I’m happy with my mental game. I’ve bounced back a lot of times this year,” he said. “And I found my game again.”
Dahlen has missed games because of healthy scratches, COVID, a concussion, and two other unidentified upper-body injuries.
So what was the rookie doing right on Tuesday?
Vladislav Gavrikov (44) sticks away the stretch pass to Jonathan Dahlen (76), but the 5-foot-11 winger doesn’t give up on the puck. He stick checks, with deceptive strength, the 6-foot-3 blueliner, managing to tap the puck deep into the Blue Jackets zone.
Speaking of strength, there’s been a lot of talk that Dahlen might have gotten worn down by the 82-game NHL season. The 24-year-old had been playing 52-game campaigns in Allsvenskan in his previous two years.
He got real about his workout goals this summer.
“As an average skater, I need to be in as good a shape as possible to be strong on the puck and win a lot of battles because I can’t outskate a lot of guys in this league,” Dahlen admitted, before quipping, “Maybe transform some of these pounds to muscle.”
Jonathan Dahlen, on the forecheck, takes advantage of an Oliver Bjorkstrand (28) bobble, tying up the Blue Jacket until Tomas Hertl (48) can swoop in and claim the loose puck. Dahlen then attacks the net and presents his stick. It doesn’t work out, but it’s certainly the right idea.
In the neutral zone, Dahlen stops Cole Sillinger (34) in his tracks. On the forecheck, Dahlen against pesters Sillinger. Columbus is able to exit.
Ryan Merkley (6) stretches the puck to a stationary Jonathan Dahlen at center ice. Dahlen is able to finesse the hard pass into Timo Meier’s (28) wheelhouse. This results in multiple net front chances and a cut above the eye for the young winger.
That’s some good two-way hockey.
“I’m overall pretty happy. Coming over in August, I didn’t know if I could play in North America, NHL. Or AHL,” the Swede said. “I’ve been able to do all those small things and stuff throughout the season. I’m not happy with my plus-minus [-23], but I’m still happy with the way I’ve played defensively too.”
The pending RFA has a lot to prove to the San Jose Sharks, but points or no points, this is the type of game that Dahlen is proud to have on his resume. It’s also very promising: If Dahlen can prove to be valuable when he’s not scoring, he might have a long NHL career yet. The offense will come if he keeps all the small things up.