Notes #50: Couture Nets a Couple, But Ducks Grab 4-3 Shootout Win

ANAHEIM — The San Jose Sharks hit Honda Center for a make-up game. The Sharks got out to, for once, a quick start, as goals from Logan Couture and Brent Burns gave them a 2-1 first period lead. Couture added another goal, but the Ducks got it into overtime and won it in the shootout.

Period One

Dzingel and Gregor start off with turnovers coming up wall in DZ, Ducks forecheck. Not ideal.

Grant goal: Balcers’s pass to attacking Burns picked off. That can’t happen. Watching that Grant goal again and again: People say Deslauriers can’t play, but he both intercepted Balcers’s pass and passed it through Balcers to Carrick.

PP2 was Ferraro-Dzingel-Balcers-Bonino-Gregor

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) February 23, 2022

Couture goal: Lindholm and Getzlaf fronted Burns off draw, maybe that’s strategy? Probably not because Couture slipped behind everybody, Sharks basically had a three-on-one down-low. Ducks wingers nowhere to be found. Good job by Burns to get shot through.

First Sharks first period goal since Jan. 29 at Florida

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) February 23, 2022

Nine left: Meier does a good job of staying with Drysdale, blocking it.

Four left: Nice pass by Dzingel to find Gregor. What else can be said about the snake-bitten Gregor? He’s a guy who I believe in though: Won’t be a big-time scorer, but I like him as a 15 a year guy eventually.

Wow. Burns pulled that from a time machine, what a shot.

Period Two

Two in: Good stand-up by Burns on PK.

Four in: That’s a tough pass for Meier to try on a two-on-one, a backhanded swipe to Weatherby. You’d much rather have Timo firing it there.

Rakell goal: Looks like it just went off his body, foot? Rakell does get inside on Burns.

No-no Gregor again: Going to put it out there though, I like his game this year. I think he rounds out into a 15-goal-a-year guy, eventually

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) February 23, 2022

Couture goal: Starts with a good read by Burns on entry to carry it forward, break through. He takes what a porous Ducks PK gives him. Then Couture is right place, right time again.

Five left: Gorgeous move by Lindholm to elude Barabanov forecheck behind Stolarz.

Rakell goal: Third line has to be feeling the heat. Second goal off a faceoff lost tonight for them. I think Cogliano reaches for a loose puck high that was going to be tough for him to win. It was a good scoring area, but that was a one on one, a save would’ve been nice too. San Jose Sharks have allowed just 18 tonight. That was clean.

Looks like the Sharks have pulled James Reimer and inserted Evgeni Nabokov pic.twitter.com/U7s2umuFn9

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) February 23, 2022

Period Three

Weatherby with some wall battle wins tonight, but offensive confidence could be higher? Puck distribution still seems too careful?

Looks like Gregor has moved up to second line, Balcers down to fourth. Think they've flip-flopped Ferraro back with Burns, Middleton back with Meloche

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) February 23, 2022

Agree with this call on Simek, but Balcers should’ve got benefit of doubt earlier too when he was boarded by Rakell. Granted, Terry was showing more numbers but I think Rakell hit with more force. Either way, San Jose Sharks need a big kill here.

Six left: Big squeeze by Reimer there, Meloche had lost his stick, maybe got away with interference.

Three left: Fun to watch, Meier vs. Lindholm, shakes him, finds Hertl for good chance in front.

OT

San Jose Sharks send out Burns-Couture-Dzingel to start.

Minute left: Beaut move cutting to the middle by Barabanov. Crafty offensive shift from him.

Hertl fires it down ice just to do so as time expires. Frustration?