Notes #2: Sharks Shut Out Canadiens 5-0

Period One

MONTREAL — Dahlen goal: Simple San Jose Sharks hockey. Couture has an easy retrieval because Petry opts to double-team Dahlen along wall instead of holding up the forechecking Couture. Couture easy low to high to Burns, Meier and Dahlen get in front.

Dahlen’s second goal: That’s fantastic work by Couture on backcheck, staying with Dvorak coming down slot. Then he goes the other way with puck, true two-hundred foot shift.

Eight in: Poor bounce pass from Middleton to Karlsson — turns an easy exit to a fire drill. That’s my concern with Middleton. His skating and defense and size are all decent to good at an NHL level. But his puck skills have seemed below-average, even this preseason.

Ten in: Burns does a nice job twice on exit, under forecheck pressure, just turns body, small Montreal forwards just bounce off. He makes simple next play.

Eight left: Good job by Nieto, speed, finds Ferraro trailing.

Six left: Couture does fantastic job on forecheck to not allow Wideman a clean out. He digs out puck and finds Burns at point. Loved everything about his period.

Three left: On first PP shift, love Karlsson’s read to not drop, he carries in — then Weatherby shows something with a nice bumper pass under pressure.  Maybe too much passing though in all? Then Burns unit comes down, he waits for Bonino to set up, and he hammers it, good traffic.

San Jose Sharks have definitely got good bounces, but most importantly, they’ve defended hard all over the ice. I don’t think Habs had a quality chance at all in the period.

Period Two

Opening shift: Don’t care about Dvorak deflection, that happens, but seconds later, do not like how Karlsson defended Dvorak on loose puck. His turn is slow, I know Dvorak has momentum.

Two in: Love that Burns bounce pass to Balcers. That all leads to penalty that Dahlen draws.

Not sure how Anderson slips behind for breakaway, but big-money save from Hill.

Five in: That’s good one-on-one PK’ing by Karlsson against Drouin. Doesn’t allow pass or shot through.

Ten in: Good teamwork by Karlsson and Middleton to get puck out. That’s using each other well.

Eight left: Good play by Weatherby at his blueline. Under pressure, fires it to Burns on weakside. Easy exit, sort of a give and go because then Burns gives it back to Weatherby who enters, but he’s caught by Hoffman.

Six left: That’s a good play by Vlasic. Chugging with his feet for puck in corner, instead of going for easy puck off glass when he gets there, rips a short hard pass to waiting forward for easy exit with possession.

Two left: Small example of where you want Karlsson to make more efficient decisions. He skates it out, great, looking for offense, great — but as two Habs converge on him at the center line and he has no options — go for the dump-in, win territory. You’re going to lose it anyway, don’t lose it at the center line, lose it farther from Adin Hill.

Period Three

Two in: Eklund stands Gallagher up, who’s trying to bull to the net. Both small guys, but good sign Eklund is hanging with a vet like that.

Six in: Karlsson made a puck play at line when he should’ve just skated with Suzuki. Suzuki blows by, two-on-one, but Middleton flies in to break up cross-lot pass. Karlsson owes Middleton a beer there.

Eight in: Another huge save by Hill. Karlsson reaches, misses, but down low, Hill erases the Montreal stuff.

Couture and Meier have been probably two-best San Jose Sharks to start season.

Nine left: Eklund finally gets some space — and he makes a play, he lulls Habs to sleep, Balcers gets behind.

Following shift, outstanding work by Cogliano. His speed and hustle have been evident first two games.

Minute left: Strong territory-winning shift from fourth line, Weatherby, Cogs, Pederson.