Hertl & Meier Respond to Meeting With Boughner, Lead Sharks to 4-1 Win

The San Jose Sharks welcome in the Chicago Blackhawks to SAP Center on Fan Appreciation Night. Jasper Weatherby, Tomas Hertl, and Timo Meier showed the fans some love by giving the Sharks a 3-0 lead, and San Jose pulled out a 4-1 victory.

Period 1

1 in: Bordeleau intercepts Regula rim, then centering pass to Gregor in slot. Regula looked too, it looked like he knew Bordeleau was there.

Weatherby goal: Chmelevski pulls and drags on Marc-Edouard’s cousin Alex Vlasic. Nice job beating one layer of the defense along wall, opens up shot option on Lankinen. Weatherby crashes for the rebound, outmuscles Borgstrom in front.

9 in: Sasha does a good job fighting off Toews high for the exit.

10 in: That’s one, after another Meier turnover, where maybe Bob wants a dump-in instead a NZ stretch pass to Hertl that fails.

8 left: An adventure for Weatherby getting it out there.

6 left: San Jose Sharks don’t help Ferraro out, they all, including Burns, blow zone. Ferraro’s rim though isn’t great either. He does step in front of Chicago slot pass.

How did Hertl miss that?? Barabanov wins battle, made a perfect pass, great touch to Balcers cross slot, Balcers gets it to Hertl in front. Hahn says off the post.

3 left: Kane steals it off a casual Meier in NZ. Barabanov does take it back, but he’s stopped coming up wall. Then it becomes a fire drill.

1 left: Bordeleau shouldn’t just fly by Toews there in high slot? Something to learn from.

Some lottery hockey that we’re watching here. We’ll see if there’s a correction from either side — it’s ugly. SPORTLOGiQ says 2-2 Slot Shots at ES, but NST has it 4-1 High-Danger. It’s Chicago 9-4 shots overall.

Period 2

Sharks blocked 10 shots in the 1st, Blackhawks zero. That's not a positive reflection on San Jose's play

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) April 24, 2022

That’s gotta feel good for Timo and Tommy. After being sat down by Bob yesterday and a rough opening frame (at least for Timo), Meier takes it up high from Regula and Sharks are off to the races. It looks like Meier saucers it over McCabe it looks like. Great touch on pass.

4 in: Good effort by Bordeleau to pick Johnson down slot.

5 in: Like the live to fight another day clear by Bordleau there. You gotta do that sometimes.

7 in: Good patience by Gregor to hold, slow it down, then get it up to Balcers for partial break.

Like Bonino fighting off Regula to front too. Don’t know Regula, but he’s been bad tonight.

Meier goal: He just outphysicals everyone, getting around Vlasic and Kubalik to tap it in. It’s also Meier that steps in front of Vlasic’s backhanded pass to create a 2-on-1. I haven’t really noticed Marc-Edouard, I have noticed Alex, and that isn’t a good thing.

9 left: On PP entry, Reedy’s got to make the pass back to Burns. He holds, which isn’t wrong, draw in PK, but last second, gotta make that play. Then Bordeleau, bleeding into next PP shift, forces a pass into high slot on a covered man, turnover.

Johnson goal: Weatherby has best chance to get it out, he doesn’t. Then Johnson overwhelms Meloche along wall with his speed to win that battle. He comes back around into high slot, Kubalik steps in front of Meloche to set a pick, Toews’s pass goes off Meloche’s skate. Kubalik able to prevent Meloche from defending it better.

Period 3

Meier wins the media-voted #SJSharks Player of the Year

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) April 24, 2022

And right on cue, Regula high sticks Meier.

Ferraro apparently out there for defensive purposes on PP, replacing Merkley. San Jose Sharks are up two goals. Ironically, Ferraro turns it over and gets called for holding. I will say though, even if there are reasons for the switch, I do not think Merkley has done much with his shot as PP QB recently.

5 in: Oh man, how did Bordeleau miss that? Would’ve been his 1st goal. Gregor showed good speed on entry off Vlasic (MEV) pass.

10 in: Bordeleau does have knack of being there at right place, right time, steps in front of a Chicago exit pass.

8 left: Nice Ferraro to Barabanov lead pass.