Notes #38: Sharks In Fighting Mood, But Rangers Shut Them Out 3-0

The San Jose Sharks welcome the New York Rangers to SAP Center. It was a hard-fought game, a good show against a top team, but the Sharks got shut out 3-0. Both Timo Meier and Tomas Hertl hit goalposts in a much-closer-than-the-score affair.

Period One

First shift, Ferraro makes a good read jumping a soft Rangers pass behind Hill. Then good structure on D off icing faceoff by Sharks.

Two in: Merkley cool with puck in NZ after bobble and forechecking pressure. Like.

Three in: Good play by Gregor on entry to find Dahlen. He’s become more adept with little plays like that this season.

Five in: Hairy in the NZ by Merkley, but he recovers, finds Weatherby for a chance.

Six in: Good anticipation by Burns to disrupt Rangers stretch pass. That’s how they want Sharks to defend in NZ.

Seven in: Nice third-line setup for Karlsson one-timer. Nieto made a tough reception of hard Cogliano pass to keep it alive. Then Karlsson surfs to force a turnover up the ice. Good work all around.

Ten in: Filthy vision and pass by Meier, leads to Sharks power play. Wow.

Ugly: It’s old school thinking, but that’s why they used to worry about four forwards on the power play. Off draw, Dahlen fishes for puck that he shouldn’t, which allows Kreider to blow by him. Dahlen switches to Burns’s guy, but his foot speed is suspect there too, so Burns is stuck on a two-on-one. The pass gets through to Kreider, bam.

Seven left: Okay, so that two-on-one was on Burns. Sharks want their defense to defend aggressive up the ice, but that’s a complete miss, that wasn’t even a 50-50 that Chytil finessed him on.  Two-on-one, Ferraro’s got the pass.

Three left: Schneider takes down Meier along boards. Nice job for the kid making his NHL debut. Sharks have a lot of possession, but it ends when Karlsson flubs a pass. When whistle blows, I look down, but then hear up in pressbox the slamming of a stick on the ice. That’s a loud slam to hear in an arena with ten thousand-plus. That’s Karlsson, mad at himself.

That’s too much razzle-dazzle by Merkley on the blueline. He’s going to get a talking to for that, I bet. Gotta be safe and boring sometimes. Then he follows with some highlight-reel stuff down wing, his centering pass just evades maybe Cogliano. Would’ve been a slam dunk. The Ryan Merkley experience.

Period Two

Raska penalty: That’s worth a penalty. Not Givani Smith-bad, but penalty worthy. He gets two for boarding. Big spot for San Jose Sharks PK, Sharks have played well, by and large, tonight.

Five in: Burns great at finding pucks in his feet, but not on that Meier pass. Other end, Hill rebound, Burns plays it smart, takes Chytil’s stick instead of chasing puck.

Nine left: Great drama. After Meier-Trouba get sent off for coincidentals after heated battle, Hertl springs Cogliano for a breakaway. Shesterkin save. Then penalties expire, Burns hits Meier out of the box with a stretch pass. Facing him, Trouba. Nothing happens, but for a second, it was like a climatic scene in “Youngblood” or something like that.

Viel versus Trouba. No doubt, Meier, not a big fighter, appreciates his guy stepping up for him

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 14, 2022

Jeffrey Viel was FED UP with Trouba 🥊 pic.twitter.com/S5dxkoV24P

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) January 14, 2022

Four left: Big saves by Hill. Think Merkley looked a little aimless there. Next shift, you want Balcers to hit that breakout pass to Meier. That’s a top-six play. instead, too hard.

Three left: Karlsson turnover up high, good trackback by Megna to cover pass and Karlsson comes back hard too. The San Jose Sharks are really playing good hockey, just unrewarded.

One left: Meier has been fantastic tonight. Pulls up on entry, finds Ferraro coming late.

Period Three

Schneider goal: Cogliano had the puck earlier along wall, he bobbled, pressure coming, but maybe he could’ve done more than neutral zone turnover. Then Karlsson looked like maybe he had a chance to clear up high, puck behind net, think Cogliano needs to stop that low-high pass, Schneider finds open space and fires. Cogliano may have cheated too much defensively in slot too. Obviously situationally you want a save from Hill, but that was a good shot.

Five in: Better protection of house by third line, hope not too late.

Big save by Hill, coverage breakdown. Going to happen when you’re chasing.

Eight in: Puck coming at him slowly, Meier keeps his defensive position along wall for puck he probably won’t win. Smart.

Good dive by Couture in NZ  to prevent stretch pass.

Ten in: Ferraro wins tough corner battle with Kreider. But then strange moment, Ferraro tries to go to middle to waiting Hertl — but passes sneaks past Hertl because he’s adjusting his skate. Like that old joke about missing something while tying your shoe. Can’t say I’ve ever seen that in an NHL game.

Nine left: Off OZ draw, Balcers does yeoman’s work covering for Burns.

Shesterkin with back-to-back ten-bell saves: Nieto one-timer in slot, Dahlen two-on-one.

Seven left: Meier is warring with entire Rangers defense. Just went after Nemeth away from puck.