Notes #1: Sharks Enjoy Hard-Fought Victory Over Jets 4-3

Period One

Two in: Vlasic’s feet coming out of DZ with puck look slow. A step or two, he can try for offense. Instead, he just dumps it back to Jets. Safe play, but the lost step makes a difference.

Couture off San Jose Sharks bench doesn’t get started quick, Wheeler blows by him for good chance. Hill cleans up.

Before goal, Vlasic had puck clean with time, looks like he sails a pass past Simek. Then Balcers wins out puck in corner, nice, but Copp gets a stick on his pass to Vlasic. Same old story, Winnipeg controls play, Dubois gets it, looks like he overpowers Simek in front.

Six in: Well, at least Karlsson looks spry. And Meier looks fast and engaged.

Nine in: Ferraro takes the puck from Scheifele, that’s good-looking.

Ten in: Eklund finds Simek in slot, might been in Simek’s feet though, but good patience.

Nine left: Karlsson turnover in NZ, two-on-one the other way for Jets.

Seven left: Eklund escapes a bone-rattling Dillon hit, made Dilly look bad. Though it does force an Eklund giveaway.

Six left: Karlsson charges middle of ice on Dubois attack, left in the dust. Matador defense, cedes center lane too easily.

Four left: Coming off, Dahlen has to pick up his feet. Meier needs help too, Meier gives it to him, but Dahlen alligator arms it, turnover.

Nieto-Couture to start on PK with Ferraro-Burns, followed by Bonino-Cogliano, Now Middleton-Karlsson jump on — looks like they're going to try to gibe Karlsson full weight of minutes again

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 17, 2021

Not a good D-to-D pass from Ferraro to Burns, Ehlers has a breakaway, but Burns and Ferraro hustle back to make up ground, prevent a good chance. Ehlers thinks he got chopped by Burns from behind, and maybe, but hey, it worked.

Per @SPORTLOGiQ, #SJSharks burnt off rush in opening frame: #GoJetsGo had 4-0 Scoring Chances Off-the-Rush, 4-1 Odd-Man Rushes edge. Also 20-8 Controlled Entries advantage.

That Odd-Man Rushes figure can't go on if SJS wants to play its way out of cellar

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 17, 2021

Period Two

First shift, Scheifele somehow gets left alone in front of Hill. Hill stays strong, but this is looking like same old Sharks. On re-watch, Burns was awaiting a pass from Couture and Ferraro, and granted, there were two Sharks on one Jet there (Connor). One of those two have to come up with it.

Nice soft pick by Couture on Wheeler on Cogliano shortie. Crafty.

Look at Couture set a subtle, crafty pick on Wheeler (26) charging hard to catch Cogliano. Give ANOTHER assist there to the captain https://t.co/oHG06skJHV

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 17, 2021

Five in: Pederson does good job on PK to take out Scheifele in corner, not worry about puck. Heads up.

Eight in: Eklund has had a tough time negotiating into zone on PP entries. One led eventually to shortie against. Then an offside there. He needs to take a breath here.

Nine left: Vlasic gets puck coming back into Hill, takes a moment, makes a play. Bounce pass off boards past a Jet to waiting Shark. Need more of that from him. He can’t just be giving it up at first sign of trouble.

Eight left: Jets are sniffing out the basic San Jose Sharks drop pass on PP. But then, nice exchange by Karlsson and Eklund on entry there. Then next time down the ice, Weatherby rings it up – wow. Looks clean, what a way to start your career. Good work by Labanc to get it to Karlsson in slot – passed through a Jet and Karlsson held for a beat to allow Weatherby a little more time to fire.

Five left: Harkins almost breaks himself taking a run at Eklund. The Gecko is at it again. But then, Eklund tries a cute between the legs backhand pass off wall on breakout, interception. Hill erases it, but that has to be cleaned up.

Three left: Nice entry, control of play by Karlsson. Except that one glaring defensive error – the Dubois one, not the two-on-one – promising game from him. I don’t mind the two-on-one so much, he’s clearly trying to make something great happen there. Shit happens. But the soft play against Dubois, he’s got to give more on D.

Balcers, by the way, is the one Shark who looks like a different man this year. Hasn’t shown up on scoresheet yet, but he will.

Period Three

Credit to #SJSharks who did NOT look good in first, they had 2-0 Off-the-Rush Chances, 4-1 Odd-Man edge in middle frame — so they've played #GoJetsGo basically evenly, can they win the third? Last year, answer was usually no — this season? https://t.co/1zi4dTdpPY

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 17, 2021

And now Stanley takes a tumble trying to take down Eklund to start period.

Hertl goal: Now Eklund was dynamite on that PP: After tough entries by Burns unit, Karlsson and company come in, settle it down. Up top, Eklund made Lowry look silly.

There you go, Balcers. Nifty keep up high by Rudy, eludes Dillon. Awful job by Connor to keep up with Balcers walking down slot. Also, love Meier’s game tonight. Direct and dangerous. And all this was sprung by a subtle Karlsson NZ pass to Balcers, caught Scheifele a step behind.

I think coaches will love Meier getting right into scrum too – a sign of engagement, I think.

Eight more years! Eight more years! pic.twitter.com/UbwMOcDU9m

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 17, 2021

Sharks have outshot Jets 22-8 since first period

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 17, 2021

Let’s see how the San Jose defend with a late one-goal lead. All eyes on Hill here to be a presence that Martin Jones wasn’t.

Three left: I don’t always love Middleton with the puck, but he makes a nice bounce pass off boards to Karlsson there. Keep it simple and easy for Karlsson, defend hard, he might keep his job.