Sharks Locker Room: That’s How Winnin’ Is Done!

It’s been about this all season, on the ice, for the rebuilding San Jose Sharks.

It was especially clear tonight, in the aftermath of a 7-2 loss to the New York Islanders, San Jose’s ninth-straight defeat.

It’s all about the young Sharks players, their education and development.

So what do we have to look forward to, 20 games left in the season? It’s funny enough, tough moments like this that can branch out either way in the future, for better or for worse.

Sebastian Aho
6-2 #Isles pic.twitter.com/yxtVPM1f6p

— JD Young (@MyFryHole) March 8, 2024

Watch Thomas Bordeleau (17) here, get beat by Sebastian Aho (25).

This isn’t to roast Bordeleau, who also scored a goal tonight, along with Mike Hoffman.

Instead, this is the kind of moment, can Bordeleau get much better at this at the NHL level? It’s been a criticism of the 22-year-old prospect’s game, a reason why he’s been in the AHL for most of the season. Can he play fast, not just offensively, but defensively?

“Puck watching. Biggest disease in hockey. Causes an awful lot of problems. He got back and then stood up and watched,” San Jose Sharks head coach David Quinn said, before adding, “He wasn’t the only one, that happened to a lot of guys tonight.”

23-year-old Magnus Chrona, 26 saves on 33 shots, also had to watch a lot of pucks go past him.

Down 6-2 to start the third period, there was a good argument to relieve the young goalie with veteran Kaapo Kahkonen.

There were also two good reasons not to, one obvious, one not so obvious.

Of course, pending UFA Kahkonen is a likely Trade Deadline target, so sitting him for trade-related reasons is sensible. Quinn insisted, however, during morning skate and post-game that’s not why he sat Kahkonen.

But Quinn’s stated reason for leaving Chrona to the wolves was also sensible.

“I wanted to see how Magnus was going to handle the tough situation, that’s part of development,” he said. “Are you going to mail it in or are you going to hang in there and nut up and finish the job?”

For what it’s worth, Chrona played a fairly solid final frame, allowing one goal on eight shots, an own goal deflected off defenseman Jan Rutta.

“I thought he did a pretty good job,” Quinn said of Chrona’s bounceback. “I wanted to see if he was willing to stand in there and compete under difficult circumstances. I think it’s something that tells you a lot about people.”

This season has been full of hard knocks for the 15-40-7 San Jose Sharks.

But to quote somebody who’s been knocked down a lot?

“It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep movin’ forward,” Rocky Balboa once told his son. “That’s how winnin’ is done!”

That feels so far away, but one day, Sharks fans.

Mario Ferraro

Ferraro, on the Anthony Duclair trade:

His energy is great. The way he plays on the ice kind of replicates how he is off the ice, high energy, he’s a selfless guy. He’s always pumping other guys up and making them feel good about themselves when they have success out there on the ice. It’s something I really, really noticed and love about Dukie. His personality and his energy is infectious and I think Tampa is really going to benefit from that.

Ferraro says he learned about Duclair trade right before game

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 8, 2024

Ferraro, on the San Jose Sharks being sellers at the Trade Deadline for his entire career, and how excited he is for the day that they’re buyers:

I’m always positive. I’m always excited for another opportunity because you never know how long those opportunities are gonna last. I try not to take anything for granted and I’m always positive. Just the thought of that excites me, right?

Thomas Bordeleau

Bordeleau says Duclair meant a lot to him: "I think it's the first time I've had a guy that was that involved in helping me like starting my pro career. I only have good words to say about him. And whatever team he goes to, they're lucky."

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 8, 2024

Bordeleau, on if he kept in touch with Duclair in season, even though they were on different teams:

Yeah, whenever we could. Obviously, we have different schedules and stuff. But whenever we could hang out and just do stuff together, it was nice. We don’t live too far from each other.

David Quinn

Quinn, on Bordeleau’s role on the sixth Islanders goal:

Puck watching. Biggest disease in hockey. Causes an awful lot of problems. He got back and then stood up and watched. He wasn’t the only one, that happened to a lot of guys tonight.

Quinn, on if he left Kaapo Kahkonen on the bench, instead of relieving Magnus Chrona, because of trade-related reasons:

No, I wanted to see how Magnus was going to handle the tough situation, that’s part of development. That was the reason I did that, and I thought he did a pretty good job.

Quinn, on what he was looking for from Chrona in the third period, down 6-2:

Competing. Are you going to mail it in or are you going to hang in there and nut up and finish the job? We were looking for that out of all of our players. I didn’t want to let him off the hook. I wanted to see if he was willing to stand in there and compete under difficult circumstances. I think it’s something that tells you a lot about people.