Sharks ‘Lose’ Bedard Bowl, Eklund Scores 1st NHL Goal

The San Jose Sharks welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets in for the Bedard Bowl. Alexander Barabanov gave the Sharks the lead, then William Eklund, Logan Couture, Kevin Labanc, and Nikolai Knyzhov scored, but San Jose dropped a 6-5 OT tilt.

Period 1

Barabanov goal: After a 1-for-30 power play skid, San Jose Sharks have cashed in on three of their last four power plays.

Karlsson is probably the loudest #SJSharks player. Just heard him say firmly to Kahkonen w/ puck, "Leave it." Meaning leave it behind net for him. Don't often hear players as clearly as I sometimes hear EK65.

Also not very loud here tonight, to be expected w/ match-up & weather

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 15, 2023

9 left: Sturm just powered through Blankenburg there. Boys to men there.

Gaudreau goal: Looks like Lindblom lets Gaudreau go and Johnny Hockey has free rein down the left lane? Maybe Lindblom thought Karlsson would get him, but Karlsson had a Blue Jacket driving the net.

Got this from @MercPurdy. I remember covering a Sharks-Oilers game late in the 2014-2015 season and seeing four Edmonton fans at the Club Level bar with McDavid nameplates taped to the back of their jerseys.

Of course, EDM won the lottery.

The power of positive thinking. pic.twitter.com/FA9VRX9xKG

— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) March 15, 2023

Since Barabanov goal, #CBJ has outshot #SJSharks 13-0

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 15, 2023

Period 2

Johnson goal: Sneaks through, power play, but Kahkonen will probably want that back. Well, at least the San Jose Sharks aren’t actively cheering against their team yet.

3 in: Oh man, Sturm had an empty net when Tarasov misplayed it. Looked like Sturm hurried it on wraparound, he had a little more time for a better angle. Don’t get better chances than that.

Jenner goal: That one looks like it was on Vlasic. Watching Gaudreau, Jenner sneaks behind him. Zetterlund was first forward back, but he had his man, Benning was also on Gaudreau.

It's now officially 20 minutes of game action since #SJSharks last shot. In this "period" of time, #CBJ has collected 21 shots

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 15, 2023

Eklund goal: Hertl does fantastic work to protect the puck from Peeke, then finds Pouliot at top. Eklund good read, goes straight to net, Blankenburg occupied by Svechnikov, there’s no Columbus forward helping down low, so Eklund has free reign.

Huge applause when they announce it's Eklund's 1st goal. That's genuinely nice to hear

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 15, 2023

Congrats @Williameklund72! @hockeyshots on it with these fabulous pics! pic.twitter.com/HUFod0MwIL

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 15, 2023

7 left: San Jose Sharks with a pulse now, finally double-digit shots. Pouliot with a smart pinch there, Blue Jackets on verge of exiting, but his stick keeps it in for Barabanov chance.

6 left: Why you forecheck with all your energy. Eklund pursues Berni to end, Berni beats him with an easy reverse to Bemstrom, but in part because Eklund didn’t let up on Berni, Sturm fresh off bench able to disrupt Bemstrom to Peeke connection, gets a dangerous slot pass out of it. Details build on details.

Jenner goal: Bemstrom screens Kahkonen, he can’t see the Jenner bid. Before that, ugly hockey, San Jose Sharks had the puck a lot but couldn’t connect on one pass to get it out.

2 left: As he has done so much this year though, you can rely on Sturm to give an honest effort. He doesn’t let Roslovic out along wall. Everybody’s trying, but Sturm’s energy pops in a game like this when many Sharks are lacking their fastball.

Couture goal: Tarasov just whiffs on a Couture hope shot from the blueline with 0.7 left. The Avalanche-Lightning, this ain’t!

Well, the fans are into it, and for #SJSharks, I'll give everybody here that.

And they got to maybe see something significant! Hopefully that Eklund goal will become a franchise milestone

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 15, 2023

Period 3

San Jose Sharks have been loose to start 3rd, well, they’ve been loose the whole game. Kahkonen made a couple big stops to keep it a one-goal game.

Foudy goal: Olivier makes Karlsson look bad, looks like Karlsson maybe thinking attack him at blueline, but he re-thought it. But he got caught a step behind. Then it looks like Knyzhov took Barabanov’s man, instead of wide man Foudy.

Good for Labanc! First goal since Jan. 10. He also just got some power play time. Beat Blankenburg one-on-one then Tarasov

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 15, 2023

8 in: Good effort by Eklund on backcheck.

Knyzhov goal: What a moment for him!

Wow! What a feel-good #SJSharks night. First Eklund's first-ever NHL goal, than Knyzhov, 663 days between NHL games, scores one. His first goal since 4/12/21

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 15, 2023

6 left: Woof, not a good D-to-D pass from Benning. Intercepted, 2-on-1 the other way.

5 left: Labanc has now got a couple shifts with Hertl.

3 left: Pouliot getting some shifts with Karlsson for a while now. We might see a different line-up on Thursday.

2 left: Big rebound left by Kahkonen, but Johnsson spins and gets it out. Icing, but the two dap.

Some pushing at end, Svechnikov and another Jacket, Benning comes flying in, good for him to support.

OT

Eklund-Hertl-Karlsson to start

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 15, 2023

That’s Knyzhov on the 3-on-3 forecheck! Good defensive shift actually, follows Johnson to high in D-zone, separates him from puck. 200-foot shift!