Eklund Wins It, Hertl Hattie! Sharks Complete Comeback in 5-4 OT Win

ELMONT, N.Y. — The San Jose Sharks visit UBS Arena to take on the New York Islanders.

Tomas Hertl potted the hat trick, Kevin Labanc added another, and William Eklund won it in OT!

Period 1

The San Jose Sharks not starting on time, have given up two good chances in first two minutes. Gotta re-watch but they’re not tight defensively. Kahkonen bails them out.

4 in: One-on-one move by Zetterlund, opens up slot for him. Sharks’ best chance so far. Again, he’s doing stuff that I don’t know he had the confidence for last year.

6 in: Great puck movement from PP1, highlighted by Eklund between the legs, behind the back slot pass.

7 in: Okhotiuk gets beat to the outside, in tight, by Lee.

Gauthier goal: Started with a good area pass by Zetterlund, but Dobson defends vigorously, body first, to prevent the speedy Duclair from winning it. Islanders go the other way, Sharks give Gauthier too much space. He picks the corner.

9 left: That’s awful, how does Engvall get behind for a blueline-in breakaway? Big stop by Kahkonen.

Hertl goal: Off fantastic Duclair effort to get ahead with his feet with puck. Then he throws a shot on Sorokin, weak one, but I love it because it creates pressure. Zetterlund crashes to keep the puck alive, Duclair able to throw the rebound back up slot, where Islanders didn’t account for Hertl.

6 left: You’re Mike Hoffman, shoot it there. Think that was MacDonald with the great pass.

5 left: Granlund giveth, Granlund taketh away. A very Granlund sequence there.

3 left: You see some of Addison’s weaknesses there, even offensively. Forced physically to the middle, which you think is a good thing, but he just throws a weak no-chance pass to the slot. Not trying to kill Addison, I just thought that was very telling sequence. Being able to generate more power there at least makes it a hard pass into the slot, Islanders don’t have immediate control at least.

Surprising not surprising, the Isles up 15-6 shots. Yet somehow, San Jose Sharks very much in game. Thank Kahkonen. Sharks were awful defensively, I thought. Some offense obviously with Hertl goal and a healthy power play.

Thank Kahkonen…SPORTLOGiQ has Isles up 9-2 Slot Shots, 5-1 High-Danger at Even Strength in 1st period.

Period 2

Super start to period from Hertl line. A lot of puck protection from probably the San Jose Sharks’ three-best forwards down low.

Burroughs to box though. That gives back momentum.

4 in: But credit to Hertl, intercepts it high, he and Eklund attack, Hertl with a screaming shot high. Good San Jose Sharks PK, you can get momentum from a strong PK.

Nelson goal: But on the PP, it takes just one shot. Seconds away from killing it, Nelson from a bad angle beats Kahkonen. You want a stop there, I think.

7 in: Zadina blocks it, San Jose Sharks under tremendous pressure, but I think he takes too long to collect, and he can’t get it out. Earlier we had a Vlasic icing. This is reminiscent of San Jose’s early-season play.

9 in: Hertl line answers back with some pressure though. Barabanov keeps it alive, puck squirts to slot, Hertl swoops in to fire it.

Then good Okhotiuk shift. Kills the play, then provides useful support offensively. Puck sticked away by Duclair on attack, Okhotiuk right there to pick it up and fire it toward net.

10 in: That was ugly. Vlasic was helping out Addison on left side, but Fasching was left alone on Vlasic’s side. I don’t think that’s on Vlasic, a switch has to happen, be it Addison or I think Labanc coming doown. Either way, it’s a high-to-low pass to a completely open man in front of Kahkonen. Bad team D again.

Hertl has just been a giant tonight.

8 left: Sharks really needed that stoppage from Kahkonen. Isles flipped script on Hertl line, got them caught out for a minute. Eklund had a good one-on-one defense high on Barzal, poked it out, but only far enough to change one man.

5 left: Good forecheck shift from Sturm line.

Then outstanding Hertl shift, Isles do defend it well, but ton of possession, started by Barabanov forecheck, race he loses, but puts enough pressure that the Isles d-man turns it over to Eklund. Like. All the plays matter.

3 left: Pretty indirect bounce clear by Addison, guess it bounced on Duclair, that could’ve been a Grade-A.

2 left: Another good Sharks shift. Labanc with a nice keep-in high with bouncing puck. Despite being down, my initial thought is San Jose has played an excellent period. Like outplayed the opposition. Which you know I haven’t said much so far this season.

San Jose Sharks 12-9 shots in this period. Mostly good shifts, impressive period, actually. Sharks 2-1 Slot Shots, 1-0 High-Danger at ES.

Period 3

1 in: Engvall breakaway, looks like Sturm loses the track. Huge Kahkonen save.

3 in: Another big Kahkonen save, 2-on-1 off Addison PP slap that pinballs. Addison has a decent slapper.

4 in: Good slap-pass from Granlund to Eklund.

Reilly goal: So disappointing. Some good hockey by Sharks on PP, some bad, but just not good enough. You can’t allow that. As Remenda says, poor communication. Granlund and Hertl are aggressive on corner PK’er, sensible with extra man, but off change, someone has to pick up Reilly. Sharks bench is closest to where Islanders are shooting, I wonder if the communication was there.

Pulock goal: Let’s see if the Sharks have a response here. They did against the Rangers down three.

Labanc goal: Hey, response. Good for Kevin, he needs it.

6 left: I love how when Sturm falls, like he did crashing the net, he just gets up quick, not a second of dust off or am I okay? And motors back down to catch his check.

Sharks at least playing like it’s still a game. Small steps.

Hertl goal: Great 6-on-5, full possession, assertive puck decisions. Sharks forcing me to watch ’til the end, good on them!

2 left: Whoa! Love that puck recovery from Eklund.

Hertl goal: Even I had to exclaim like Randy Hahn behind me, “Wow! What a comeback.” Eklund patience. And outstanding play by Barabanov. Just outstanding. He holds puck a beat behind goalline, looks like two Islanders overaggressive, think he’s either going to rim or shoot or cut back, instead backhands it to open Eklund behind him.

HAT-TRICK HERTL TIES THE GAME 🚨🚨🚨 pic.twitter.com/jQaZGwA3Uh

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) December 6, 2023

1 left: Hertl feels like he’s beating the man in front of him at will this year.

Fans booing. NOT at SAP Center. This is fun

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) December 6, 2023

OT

Duclair-Granlund-Ferraro to start.

Granlund playing with a ton of confidence with the puck on opening shift.

4 left: Zetterlund gassed. Just alligator arming it at the end. Sharks lucky to survive.

3 left: Again Sturm focused. Crashes net. Sorokin fumbles a beat to the side. Another forward would’ve chased puck. He races for the change in OT.

WILLIAM EKLUND WINS IT IN OT 😱 pic.twitter.com/jtMSRFogT8

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) December 6, 2023