Sharks Freeze Eisbären 3-1 in Berlin

BERLIN — The San Jose Sharks visit the Eisbaren Berlin at Mercedes-Benz Arena in their preseason finale. Eisbaren got off to the surprise lead, but Tomas Hertl and Steven Lorentz goals prevented the upset. Luke Kunin iced it later.

Correction: Mercedes-Benz Arena. I'm not doing well with the different time zones lol

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 4, 2022

European fan favorites Hertl and Meier get a nice round of applause (Karlsson did too) pic.twitter.com/ma5RpVDnNW

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 4, 2022

Period 1

It’s honestly hard to judge tonight because the level of competition isn’t, no disrespect, the best measuring stick. Even if say the Sharks lose. But what this game, I think, is useful for is a final tune-up for the games that count on Friday and Saturday, so I’ll try to watch this as a systems and schemes and lines thing.

So it's more than a 5-on-3 thing: Kunin starts out on PP1 with Karlsson, Hertl, Meier, Couture. PP2 is Ferraro, Benning, Labanc, Lindblom, Bonino. Will say Labanc brings balance to the 11/13/23 construction we saw in practice a couple days ago

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 4, 2022

6 in: Looks like the San Jose Sharks are running a 2-1-2 forecheck? F2 reads the F1, will back off if F1 is exerting impactful pressure.

Couture-Lorentz-Vlasic-Ferraro to start PK. Now Kunin-Hertl-Benning-Simek. Interesting, no Karlsson. It was Corey Masisak’s theory that they’ll save Karlsson by giving his PK time to their plethora of defensive defensemen. He might be right. Karlsson does come out for end of PK, but that’s as we transition to 5-on-5 play.

I had the theory that they’d just run Karlsson until the wheels come off, but it’s sensible, with their personnel, to save Karlsson from PK, no matter how much he wants to play it.

Now Couture-Kunin-Vlasic-Ferraro to start PK. Then Hertl-Bonino (thought we might see Nieto, who was in the box last time), and Simek-Benning. So the rest Karlsson thing has legs, I think?

Period 2

Now Bonino-Nieto to start PK to start period, but once again, Vlasic-Ferraro headline PK defense.

Kunin on PP1 again. Still double drop on entry, Kunin is most likely net front and high slot.

And looks like Eisbaren also splitting net…#GoKingsGo prospect Juho Markkanen now in goal. I was excited for a second, I saw J. Markkanen and thought Jussi was still playing!

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 4, 2022

Love it! Eisbaren crowd goes bonkers when Giovanni Fiore scores pic.twitter.com/nS4fyQfOzs

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 4, 2022

Hertl goal: Tommy restores some order with a pretty give and go with Meier.

Actually, on Lorentz goal, you see a 1-2-2 forecheck in a tie game. I have seen two forecheckers too from them, but must be different situations. Boughner ran a 2-1-2 in general.

Period 3

Bob, I think, was pretty static with his forward combos on PK, like there was an order. Now I see Svechnikov out there. I wonder if Quinn is still just trying different combos out, or if more of jumble be the norm this year for PK’ing forwards? Anyway, D looks stable, Vlasic-Ferraro, Simek-Benning. This D stability also helps with keeping rest in order, instead of mixing your D pairs.

Kunin goal: That should wrap up a San Jose Sharks’ victory.

Teams taking a group photo after game, fans love it pic.twitter.com/XGVouq4BQt

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 4, 2022