Post-Trade Deadline Blues: Sharks Lose 4-2 to Islanders

The San Jose Sharks host the New York Islanders at SAP Center.

Nikolai Kovalenko and Will Smith scored, but the Sharks lost 4-2.

Period 1

1 in: Unforced Vlasic error there, backhand pass to Islanders. Looks like San Jose Sharks off to an energetic start otherwise. They look engaged, Islanders don’t.

3 in: Sharks lose Duclair trailing late though. Georgiev stays him until he runs out of room in slot. But can’t lose a man like that.

5 in: They have to do everything together lol. Wennberg up top, feeds Celebrini for right flank one-timer, shank. Wennberg then feeds Smith for left flank one-timer, shank.

6 in: Goodrow wins draw to Thrun, Thrun makes a smart decision to not dust it off much, quick shot, Giles cruising by.

Straight-line speed, Gatcomb with the lead, Giles beats him.

10 in: San Jose Sharks have a 17-1 shots advantage. That’s not a typo. Thrun to the box though.

Duclair goal: Of course. Just the Isles’ second shot. A little bit of a knuckler. Georgiev needs to have that though. It’s going to be a long rest of season if he can’t find some consistency. Did it deflect off Ferraro a little?

9 left: Sharks right back to the box, big Georgiev glove on Horvat in slot.

4 left: Giles goes wide, takes it to the net. He’s shown some power and speed with the puck.

3 left: Sweet cross-slot pass from Kostin to Celebrini, the rook doesn’t get a lot of it though.

Pageau goal: Islanders rolling around down low, Sharks can’t kill a play, Pageau rifles a one-timer past Georgiev. Georgiev just has holes right now, it feels like. That was a good shot, so hard to kill Georgiev on that, but coupled with the Duclair goal, gotta be dispiriting to walk into the room down 2-0 after outshooting your opponent 20-8. Good goaltending gives you swagger, bad goaltending makes you play hesitant.

Period 2

3 in: Eklund does a nice job protecting the puck from Romanov, basically just puts himself between Romanov and the puck, until he can free his arms.

5 in: It just takes one play, but Smith hasn’t been sharp with the puck tonight.

Kovalenko goal: Celebrini inserted onto second power play unit at the end of the PP, I don’t think it was punitive for anybody, just end of PP, get a true center on. But you notice once he comes on, for Graf, how much faster that the Sharks play. He’s dishing it to Kostin in the slot, he’s moving it quickly to Mukhamadullin, just move, move, move. Before he got on, PP2 has possession but was a little deliberate.

8 left: Good Sharks forecheck initiated by Grundstrom speed. Trade Deadline should open up space for Grundstrom and Dellandrea, both who have had disappointing seasons, to really show they’re NHL players. They should be and have done so in the past, but it’s been a rough ride for them this year.

San Jose Sharks engaged, all things considered, so far. The Islanders are a mid team, this is the bar.

Period 3

Lee goal: Quick shot off faceoff bounce, Georgiev beat.

Boqvist goal: Another penalty, another power play goal given up. That’s the ninth power play goal that the Sharks have given up in their last five games.

7 in: Nice move by Giles to slip F1 MacLean forecheck. Giles has been niftier with the puck than I expected and has shown some skating. Looks like some 4C tools there.

Quick impressions of Desharnais…don’t mind! Moves well for size, have seen a decent first pass so far. Defends hard. A more-than-sensible replacement, I expect, for Rutta.

Through 36 Sharks’ shots, Celebrini has nine of them and Toffoli seven.

Smith goal: Well, San Jose Sharks still playing, give them credit. Smith snaps it past Sorokin, Celebrini feed. Garbage time points for #Calderbrini!