Kahkonen, Sharks PK Shut Out Habs 4-0

MONTREAL — The San Jose Sharks visit the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Center. The Sharks’ PK came up big, and Matt Nieto and Tomas Hertl (twice) and Logan Couture scored to beat Montreal 4-0.

Period 1

Nieto goal: Starts with a nice Nieto exit pass in stride to Couture through middle. Barabanov circles net, Nieto crashes. Good way to start for line that struggled last game.

And Habs right to the box again for delay of game. This is a chance for #SJSharks to put throat on opponent, but it's a killer instinct that we haven't seen from them this year (Detroit 1st period comes to mind)

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 30, 2022

Two blah PPs to start. Looks like Benning replaced Ferraro on PP2. Then Kahkonen comes up with a big stop on Pezzetta. Good start for him.

7 in: Barabanov has had a very rough start tonight. Poor PP touch allowed Habs to clear, then a turnover along center wall, Caulfield steals, leads to Habs possession and Simek penalty. Bad hockey there.

8 in: Big Benning stick in slot on PK, puck goes out.

9 in: Pass squeezed through Benning and Nieto, Kahkonen came across. Big save!

Couple big Kahkonen saves to start, #SJSharks need it, he needs it. Quinn did leave door open for Kahkonen to go back-to-back if he stands on his head tonight

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 30, 2022

Megna rubs out Dadonov with authority. No chance for the skill winger there.

8 left: A lot of pressure all around, Cicek sends it over the glass. Rook has to calm down there a little, it looks like.

Great kill by Bonino, Kunin, Megna, and Simek. Kunin reached out with a stick to disrupt a possible Slafkovsky blast.

4 left: Great shift hounding the puck by Lorentz. Doesn’t lead to offense, but pile those up, it will.

Meier kicks up a tough pass to his feet, he’s great at it.

Karlsson not sharp today so far, a couple errant passes in key spots.

1 left: Sharks had a chance there, 2-on-1 with Labanc and Meier, after dogged Labanc backcheck. But they don’t know clock, time expires before a shot goes off. Too bad, it was nice defensive work by the two forwards.

Period 2

Opening shift, that’s an example of a Meier turnover I don’t like. Does his customary great job of skating his way deep into zone, though his shot is denied. Then in corner, instead of eating puck or distributing it to a teammate, he goes for a slot hope pass, I don’t see a Shark close by, automatic turnover. Obviously, Timo has better vision than me, so I gotta watch again what he was seeing, but I think there’s a better play to be made there.

2 in: Harris late man down the middle, another big Kahkonen save. Sharks haven’t done much offensively since goal and early PPs.

3 in: Couture hope chip pass intercepted. San Jose Sharks may need to get a little down and dirty to generate offense.

5:06 into the game, #SJSharks recorded their 7th shot of the game. Almost 20 minutes later, 4:25 into second period, they've just put up their 8th shot of the game

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 30, 2022

San Jose Sharks will rue these missed power plays. And now Lindblom takes one for an OZ slash.

Benning-Bonino-Labanc-Kunin-Nieto is #SJSharks PP2

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 30, 2022

6 left: Like that Labanc pass to Meier. Had to handle through his feet, backhand to Timo in stride. High skill play there.

5 left: How did Barabanov miss that?

2 left: Pointless penalty by Meier there, perhaps accidental, but OZ trip nowhere close to puck, ouch. Fantastic D by Savard to get a stick on a Labanc ticketed for a Meier tap-in before the penalty.

Period 3

What a kill by the San Jose Sharks!

Labanc has had himself a game: Fantastic work by Labanc on the forecheck to force Matheson turnover, then he finds Hertl

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 30, 2022

Couture goal: What a stretch pass by Benning! I’ll be the first to tell you that of course I don’t love Benning on the PP, on a better team, he’s not doing that, but it’s not like he’s without a skill. There’s a reason why he’s third man up on San Jose Sharks blueline for PP time, we saw that there.

8 in: Timo draws a call, gets one back!

8 left: Big save on Dvorak by Kahkonen.

7 left: Earnest backcheck by Karlsson to protect the shutout. Love that from any player late in a game that’s in the bag.

5 left: Love that work up high by Barabanov. 60 minutes of hockey here.

Hertl goal: Patience and vision by Labanc to spin and find Hertl.