Sharks Locker Room: ‘Big Bad Vegas’ Sets Standard for San Jose To Follow

Big Bad Vegas.

There’s a reason why San Jose Sharks’ fan favorite Tomas Hertl chose to waive his No-Movement Clause to join the Vegas Golden Knights last Trade Deadline.

They’ve been the class of the Pacific Division since their expansion campaign, challenged in recent years by really just the Edmonton Oilers, one Stanley Cup, another Final appearance, and two Semi-Finals in just seven seasons.

Vegas proved once again to be the standard that San Jose falls well short of, after a dominating 4-2 victory at SAP Center on Tuesday.

“They’re the best team in the league right now,” San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky admitted. “Extremely structured. They do things shift after shift after shift, game after game, that’s extremely consistent.”

San Jose, on the other hand, is a young team that is still searching far-and-wide for consistency.

After back-to-back victories over Eastern Conference powers Tampa Bay Lightning and New Jersey Devils, the Sharks were “like a whole different team almost” against the Golden Knights, according to Warsofsky.

They were dominated in every area of the game, except the power play and goaltending: William Eklund and Timothy Liljegren scored on the man advantage, and Alexandar Georgiev made 38 saves.

“They’ve been kind of a measuring stick in a lot of ways these last couple years,” Warsofsky said.

This is the Sharks’ seventh-straight loss to the Golden Knights, their second consecutive season that they’ve been swept by their once-bitter rivals.

Since San Jose toppled Vegas in the 2019 playoffs, the Sharks’ last post-season appearance, Team Teal has managed just a 4-19-3 record and a -51 Goal Differential against the Golden Knights.

That’s going to change one day. Such is the cyclical nature of sports.

But for now? Vegas’ skill, forecheck, defensive detail, structure, compete, consistency, you name it…that’s the standard for San Jose to get to.

Hopefully, the younger Sharks — like 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, stripped by Selke Trophy candidate Mark Stone here — are taking notes.

Empty net goal for… the former #SJShark Hertl.#VegasBorn 4 #TheFutureIsTeal 2 pic.twitter.com/q7ucc35F0v

— TEAL TOWN USA – A San Jose Sharks Podcast (@TEALTOWNUSA) January 8, 2025

Ryan Warsofsky

Warsofsky, on how the San Jose Sharks could’ve changed momentum against Vegas:

Be ready to start from puck drop. Puck play was soft. We didn’t execute. We were soft to play against in front of our net. Just not physical enough.

Warsofsky says Vegas is "the best team in the league right now":

"That top line with Eichel and Stone, we had no answer for it tonight…Extremely structured. They do things shift after shift after shift, game after game, that's extremely consistent."

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 8, 2025

Warsofsky, on missing the compete and heart that the Sharks played with in their previous two wins:

It was not there. It was like a whole different team almost.

Warsofsky, on Georgiev’s game:

Made some huge saves, first period. Could have got really out of control. A couple tips, he makes some really late saves there, the breakaway on Eichel in the third. Go down the list.

Warsofsky, on the energy that the Celebrini line provided at times: "We shouldn't need to have an 18-year-old be our energy line. We need him and the rest of our guys to be energy lines. We need to play with energy every single time we're on the ice."

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 8, 2025

Warsofsky, on what went right for a struggling power play tonight:

Won some 50-50 pucks. Executed. Were ready to make plays. Puck was moving. We had some attack to it, obviously some shooting to it.

Collin Graf

Graf, on if his 200-foot game is his biggest improvement from last year:

I think that’s one of them. I’d say the biggest thing is just the pace of play, just playing faster.

Graf, on playing Jack Eichel:

He’s really good. I had the chance to skate with him a couple times in the summer. Even when you see it in the skills and stuff, you see it out there, he’s just in control of the puck, in control of the game the whole time.

Alexander Georgiev

Georgiev, on what he’s been working on with San Jose Sharks goaltending coach Thomas Speer:

A little bit more technical right now, we’re focusing on some basic stuff. A lot of movement, just being square to the puck, little taller, more narrow stance, just small things. He’s a great goalie coach.

Timothy Liljegren

Liljegren, on what he’s improved in his game since his healthy scratch:

I just move my legs a little bit more.

Before, I was kind of looking around, not moving my feet, guys closed on me, and I can’t make plays. Biggest thing was moving my legs, staying engaged.