Mukhamadullin Leaves Game With Injury, Sharks Lose 4-3 Shootout to Ducks

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The San Jose Sharks take on the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center.

Shakir Mukhamadullin and Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Alex Wennberg scored, but the Sharks lost in a shootout.

Period 1

1 in: Carlsson and Liljegren lose Gauthier, breakaway, Georgiev stop.

A more honest mistake, Vlasic shot gets blocked, McTavish pounces on it, partial breakaway, Georgiev stop.

Zegras goal: Jesus. Off the draw, Mukhamadullin doesn’t control Zegras’s stick, tip.

3 in: San Jose Sharks asleep at the wheel, Ducks up 8-1 shots, have more good chances than the aforementioned. Could be 5-0.

Mukhamadullin goal: Sharks needed that. Maybe deflected off a Duck? Doesn’t matter. Quality Sharks possession started by gorgeous area lob by Liljegren to Lund, pushed back the defense.

Celebrini penalty: Tough shift for Smith, forces a pass to Toffoli in NZ, the veteran wasn’t ready for it, then can’t get the puck off the wall and out of DZ. Sharks need to defend down low and Celebrini gets whistled. Warsofsky has noted Smith’s been struggling a bit, reminder that despite his recent resurgence, still got a lot to work on this summer.

Carlsson goal: Looks like Mukhamadullin can’t control Carlsson’s stick. Fair to say Shak needs to add a little more jam, think he can get inside more on Carlsson.

9 in: Easy for me to say up here, but Smith makes a beaut pass to Toffoli, granted Toffoli was in tight with few options, but always like him to shoot it there, be an example. Instead, he tries to go back to Smith, doesn’t connect. Sharks did get puck back on forecheck and Smith did get a weak shot on Dostal.

10 in: I think the Sharks waste too much giving up the puck when they got a potential 5-on-3. Unless you got a Grade-A in front of you, always a fan of maximizing your two-man advantage time.

9 left: Sharks do get the shot they want 5-on-3, Smith to Toffoli one-timer, but Dostal comes across for the big save.

Consecutive games, San Jose Sharks have frittered away lengthy 5-on-3 power plays. Second unit power play looked like Mukhamadullin-Thompson-Smith-Graf-Lund.

4 left: Like that from Eklund, Wennberg NZ steal, entry, bad-angle shot but huge rebound up the middle. Just bounces to a Duck. Not every play has to be highlight-reel.

3 left: There’s a play there, Celebrini attacking through NZ, Lundestrom chasing him, Smith standing there as Lundestrom skates by, he’s thinking offense I guess, how to support the puck, but he’s also got to soft pick the man chasing Celebrini. Not too much, don’t get called, but just a little to help your linemate. Even just a stick check of backchecker, put a stick out there, you don’t have to step in front of him.

Colangelo goal: Not to pin it on Lund, but when puck was back in NZ, want to see Lund go through Vatrano along wall, finish the check, make it hard for Vatrano to advance up the ice. Re-watching though, looks like the slippery Vatrano evaded him in NZ. But then, Vatrano at point, Lund’s close-out needs to be more on his toes. And as Remenda points out, no one boxes out Colangelo in front. Carlsson’s man? Everybody chasing puck in front, disappointing team defense.

Natural Stat Trick tells a damning story: It’s 14-13 Ducks shots, seems close, but Mukhamadullin goal and Sharks power plays make game seem close. Ducks 24-13 shot attempts, 14-7 scoring chances, 7-1 high-danger at 5-on-5.

Period 2

3 in: Ostapchuk stick check is strong, gets Terry a couple times there. Misses a backhand pass to Smith though on entry.

4 in: Good net front work by Wennberg line, probably Sharks’ best line so far. A couple in-tight chances.

5 in: Just not crisp, off won DZ draw, Celebrini pass behind the net evades Ferraro, McTavish jumps on it for wraparound. Georgiev stop.

6 in: Credit where credit is due, I haven’t liked Vlasic’s game tonight, don’t feel like he’s as much on his toes as you’d like, but he just made an incredible bounce stretch pass, past Duck, to Celebrini. That’s a sneaky high-end blueline to blueline play, that’s how you break the NZ forecheck.

7 in: Eklund works Zellweger one on one, cuts toward net. Love.

Wennberg and Graf show second effort there, lose puck, but I like them not giving up on it.

10 in: Very nice forechecking shift put together by Wennberg line, really alert, then Dellandrea line follows, culminating with Mukhamadullin rolling around the zone, holding off his man, and cutting toward Dostal for the stuff chance. Credit to San Jose Sharks, a far better second period.

5 left: Fancy Celebrini line shift, maybe a little too fancy, but does yield a good Smith shot from slot, started by, you guessed it, a long Vlasic stretch pass that beats a Duck, to Toffoli.

4 left: There’s an example, Celebrini drives puck up wall like a little tank, that’s good, but instead of a forcing a pass to the middle, intercepted, sometimes get it in deep, let your linemates go to work retrieving. Not every pass has to be tape to tape.

2 left: Gotta re-watch shift, but looks like Ostapchuk was on his toes defensively, handed his stick to Ferraro who broke his, got a new stick then killed play.

Followed by Mukhamadullin killing play, gets it to Dellandrea, hands it to Grundstrom, post. That kind of season for Grundstrom.

Proper response period by Sharks, no goals though: Per NST, 30-11 shot attempts, 17-7 scoring chances, 10-4 high-danger at 5-on-5.

Period 3

Mukhamadullin deserves a call there, but Vatrano takes Mukhaamdullin hard into boards, injuring him. I honestly don’t mind Vatrano standing up for his guy, but when you hurt a guy, how is that even up? It’s not about an extra penalty in big picture, thinking about Mukhamadullin’s health there in the end, and not saying the book should be thrown at Vatrano, I’m sure he didn’t intend to hurt Mukhamadullin in that way, but he’s got to get the extra when you see a guy hurt over some BS.

Vatrano takes exception of Terry getting hit and takes Mukhamadullin down after Shakir hits Terry with a cross check and falls down. Teams play 4 on 4, Mukhamadullin in exceptional pain heads to the room. #TheFutureIsTeal down #FlyTogether 3-1. pic.twitter.com/EV5rQ6jsd3

— TEAL TOWN USA – A San Jose Sharks Podcast (@TEALTOWNUSA) April 2, 2025

Vlasic goal: A lot going on there, but honestly, I think Dostal sells the Graf collision. Graf was just outside the paint, I think. Then Vlasic beats Dostal straight-up, a couple Ducks were trying to mind Graf instead of the offensive attack.

8 in: McTavish bullies Thompson there one-on-one, a little too close for comfort for Georgiev.

9 in: Early observation of Lund, not necessarily that play, but he’s gotta play inside more, think inside. Tools are there, gotta get stronger and quicker.

Goodrow penalty: Goodrow didn’t like it, but Sharks now down two men. That looked like a trip.

8 left: Georgiev spectacular on the 5-on-3. He’s been really good tonight, despite the score.

7 left: Another move from corner, then drive to the net by Eklund, like.

Wennberg goal: Incredible shift from that line! This is one of Eklund’s better games that I’ve ever seen.

2 left: If Toffoli hit on Carlsson had a little more English because of what Vatrano did to Mukhamadullin, good. That honestly was a late Toffoli hit. Killorn angry, no calls.

OT

Celebrini-Smith-Liljegren to start.

1 left: Great desperation sweep check by Wennberg as OT closes, gets puck out. He’s been excellent tonight.