Sharks Locker Room: Praise for Eklund & Georgiev, Mukhamadullin Fallout

ANAHEIM, Calif. — If Alexandar Georgiev wants to stay with the San Jose Sharks, he made a statement on Tuesday night.

“It’s probably the best I’ve seen him,” head coach Ryan Warsofsky said of the pending UFA, who stopped 34-of-37 shots in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks. “He was really good tonight.”

The Sharks should’ve been run out of the building after the first period, giving up quality chance after chance, including two breakaways in the first five minutes. San Jose was down 3-1 after 20 minutes, but it was off two tips and an unmarked Sam Colangelo with the rebound putback. The Sharks could’ve easily been down 5-0 after the first five minutes, the way they started, but Georgiev stood strong.

And then, the much-maligned goalie got better.

“Especially that 5-on-3 penalty kill [in the third period], made some big saves,” Warsofsky said. “I thought in overtime, he was really locked in.”

This is what good goaltending can do for you, keep the team in games that they have no business being in, until they can turn it on. Natural Stat Trick painted that picture, with Anaheim running circles around San Jose with a 7-1 High-Danger Chances advantage at 5-on-5 in the first period, and the Sharks pushing back with a 13-6 edge (and the tying goals) the rest of the way.

Statistically, Georgiev has been one of the worst goalies in the NHL this season, from counting stats, his .876 Save % is second-worst in the league (25-plus games), to advanced stats, his -5.47 Goals Save Above Expected (per Stathletes) is 84th of 97 goalies this season.

But he’s clearly talented, which we saw in a solid run as starter-in-waiting with the New York Rangers to leading the NHL in wins from 2022 to 2024 with the Colorado Avalanche.

Tonight is a reminder that Georgiev has starting-caliber talent, which goaltending expert Kevin Woodley of InGoal Magazine asserted to the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast in late February:

“I believe Alexander Georgiev can be a really good goaltender,” Woodley said at the 1:29:30 mark.

So can Georgiev be a solid tandem partner with the Sharks’ starter-in-waiting Yaroslav Askarov next season?

He’s got the talent to do so, no doubt. Don’t let one bad year fool you, especially with a position as fickle as goaltending.

Ryan Warsofsky

Warsofsky had no Mukhamadullin update.

"It was confusing," Warsofsky said, holding back, when asked how it could be a 4-on-4 after his player got jumped and hurt.

Toffoli: "He's playing like 25, 26 minutes a night. Hopefully, he's not gonna miss any time."

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) April 2, 2025

Warsofsky, on Georgiev’s performance:

It’s probably the best I’ve seen him, especially that 5-on-3 penalty kill, made some big saves. I thought in overtime, he was really locked in, I thought he was really good tonight.

Warsofsky, on Eklund’s game:

He was putting his nose over pucks a little bit more, getting to the inside, obviously makes a good play on the goal, but was doing some other things that we’ve talked to him about lately. So definitely step in the right direction.

Warsofsky, on “The Sleepover Line”:

Thought they were good. Took them a little time to get going. I thought they had some good chances in that second period. I think when they were in the offensive zone, they’re dangerous. We’re gonna have to really lock in defensively against Edmonton, that’s for sure.

William Eklund

Eklund, on what the San Jose Sharks started doing from the second period on:

More aggressive, started taking it to them, they didn’t want to skate with us. I think we were the better team. But unfortunately, we couldn’t win.

Eklund, on the message in the locker room after the first intermission:

Just go out and compete. It’s not over. That’s what we said. 3-1 can easily turn into 3-3. And we did a great job with that.

Tyler Toffoli

Toffoli, on San Jose Sharks not converting on 5-on-3 again:

I missed a wide-open net. That should have been a goal. So I think that’s a good look.

Vatrano takes exception of Terry getting hit and takes Mukhamadullin down after Shakir hits Terry with a cross check and falls down. Teams play 4 on 4, Mukhamadullin in exceptional pain heads to the room. #TheFutureIsTeal down #FlyTogether 3-1. pic.twitter.com/EV5rQ6jsd3

— TEAL TOWN USA – A San Jose Sharks Podcast (@TEALTOWNUSA) April 2, 2025

Toffoli, on what he saw when Frank Vatrano injured Shakir Mukhamadullin:

Saw him get jumped and fall in the boards. Hopefully, he’s alright. I haven’t really seen him. We’ll see what’s going on with him.