Vanecek Makes 40 Saves, But Sharks Lose 3-2 in Shootout

The San Jose Sharks welcome the Anaheim Ducks into SAP Center for their penultimate preseason game.

Klim Kostin and Henry Thrun scored, but the Sharks lost 3-2 in the shootout.

Period 1

3 in: Smith with a couple unspectacular but safe plays to start, doesn’t force offense, just puts it in off boards in deep. I don’t mind that, something he needs to learn at this level.

7 in: Smith a good interception in high slot as Ducks try to break out, that’s the second time he’s done that in preseason, just been in the weeds, wonder if there’s something there. Quick stick? But then a little time and space high, can’t connect on next pass, a soft pass into slot. You like the one play, eventually he has to make the next play. A little bit of an almost-there player right now, meaning a great play is almost there, but not quite. Being hard on him, just his third preseason game, but right now, that does look the mark of someone who could use AHL seasoning. Will say, not looking for him to dominate yet, just for improvement from his second game (which was an improvement from his first game). So plenty of game yet.

9 in: Kostin makes a nice one-on-one DZ play to take puck from attacking Duck, but then in corner, he just tosses it to another corner and no one is there. Turnover. I wonder where the disconnect is on that play, was someone supposed to be there or did he flub?

7 left: Grundstrom active on forecheck on LaCombe, turns him over. Love to see that, San Jose Sharks need a lot more of that this year. When people say one-on-one plays, you always think with the puck, but having some disturbers on the forecheck, to win you the puck, that means so much.

1 left: Givani Smith with a pretty backhand pass into slot for Ferraro. Maybe Sharks’ best chance of the period?

An unconvincing start for the San Jose Sharks. Not much forecheck, so defense on heels. D bending not breaking, not an ton of Grade-A chances or anything, but that’s not what you want. It’s just preseason, but it’s also the second-to-last preseason game.

Period 2

Opening shift, Smith reaches in NZ, Fabbri teaches, that becomes a 2-on-1 for Ducks. McTavish bails San Jose Sharks out by taking a penalty.

Kostin goal: Smith’s first (preseason) NHL point! His shot goes off back boards, Kostin swoops in to put it in.

3 in: Givani Smith makes a good puck play, then a bad one. Bad one, it was just ripped from him high in the DZ. That’s a big thing for him, more positive puck plays than negative ones. For whatever intimidation he does bring, puck play and forecheck were insufficient last year. Can he raise it to passable, playable? Then the intimidation matters, he becomes a net positive.

Will Smith follows with a patient find of Danil Gushchin cross slot. Big Dostal save.

4 in: Terrific exit pass from Smith to Gushchin, just leads to a dump-in and change for tired line, but that’s a combination of patience and touch and vision that is more special than his last scoring chance pass to Gushchin. Smith took an extra beat, drew a Ducks forechecker to him. That’s an NHL play, and makes space for your teammates, getting rid of the puck with enough patience to open ice for your teammates.

7 in: Whoa, surprising backhand post by Cardwell. Good feed by Ferraro up ice. That’s a nice play by Cardwell, speed then good shot.

Vatrano goal: Tough beat, puck skipped over Rutta’s blade along NZ wall, 3-on-1 the other way. Also, Zetterlund got tangled up with Vatrano off the draw, Zetterlund parachuted on the play, looking to change, Vatrano kept skating. Looks bad on defensemen, but you can’t let Vatrano have a free skate from one end to another. I imagine Zetterlund thought Rutta had it.

10 in: Nice job by Smith to draw a penalty, trying to skate through Ducks’ sandwich.

8 left: Good keep by Gushchin as Ducks thought they had easy PK exit. Love to see that desperation effort.

6 left: Another whoa, Givani Smith just did a reverse with the puck on Cutter Gauthier behind the Ducks net. Great shift for him, led to Ducks penalty. Bottle that up for him, someone told him that he was playing for his NHL life this fall, and he’s responding.

4 left: That’s the stuff of San Jose Sharks fans’ dreams. Quick Smith power play pass to Eklund in slot, one-timer. Far more engaged Sharks in this period.

You forgot the hashtag #TheFutureIsTeal https://t.co/CWYjGwUXap

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 5, 2024

Period 3

2 in: Good job by Cardwell on FC, harassing Dumoulin, tracking him.

Gauthier goal: But young play by Cardwell there, Gauthier beats him up the ice, basically one on one. Looks like Cardwell, trying to be mindful of puck elsewhere, didn’t just put his head down to skate with or outphysical Gauthier, both obvious challenges anyway for the smaller Cardwell. It’s good for Cardwell to be aware of what’s going on with puck elsewhere, but he’s also got to know when to just put his head down and motor.

Eklund first choice on PK, along with Wennberg. Eklund has been getting a lot of PK reps this camp.

Warsofsky praised Cardwell’s PK last game, his quickness and motor are assets there.

By the way, Vanecek making a good case to be opening night starter. Think they’ll give it to Blackwood, based off a solid camp and last year, but Vitek has kept the Sharks in this game. Outside of the second period and the power play, San Jose Sharks have not generated much.

Thrun goal: Nice job by Eklund to advance puck up in NZ with tough little pass to I think Toffoli, then it was Eklund that fetched the loose puck again on FC, serving it up to Thrun for point shot.

1 left: Kostin, overall, has been one of the San Jose Sharks’ most effective players tonight, and I’d be shocked if he doesn’t make the team. But that spin, hard pass up the middle to a covered man, turnover, doesn’t make sense to me with like 20 seconds on the clock. If you’re down, yeah, try to make a play, but tied, safe off the wall, get to OT. That’s the stuff that keeps an obvious NHL force from his full potential.

OT

Thrun flashing some offensive chops in OT!