Postgame Notes #42: Sharks Solve Stolarz Sanctum, Still Lose 4-1

Period 1

3 in: Knyzhov stands up Jones, Marleau touches it forward, nice area pass, for a good Gregor chance.

Getzlaf goal: Donato has no chance to tie up the much bigger Getzlaf. Awful turnover by Karlsson, looks like he’s dropping it off to Gambrell, but Gambrell is contested. Essentially, Karlsson dropped it off in a place where Gambrell would’ve had to beat two Ducks, Jones and Terry, by himself, for the puck.

Listless start for Sharks as Meier takes a tripping call: Down 7-3 shots, 4-0 High-
Danger per Natural Stat Trick.

After kill, forechecking Marleau takes puck off Drysdale in corner. The 41-year-old on the 19-year-old. Marleau has made a couple nice, small plays so far tonight.

41-year-old Marleau takes the puck off 19-year-old Drysdale. Drysdale was born on April 8, 2002 — on that day, Marleau scored the 96th goal of his NHL career in Minnesota pic.twitter.com/VBgKbGlkEr

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) April 15, 2021

470 goals later, Marleau and Drysdale meet in a SAP Center corner.

6 minutes left: Couture, Kane, and Balcers throw their bodies with reckless abandon on forecheck. They win puck back, but Kane’s shot goes into netting. Regardless, maybe this will wake up the San Jose Sharks.

Next shift, Leonard initiates good San Jose Sharks pressure on the forecheck. Solid shift from the Gambrell line.

2 left: Effective PK work by Balcers. I know they’re trying to work him in there. As Boughner explained the Labanc/Balcers flip-flop, he keep repeating Balcers’s quality as a 200-foot player. He didn’t slag Labanc directly, but it was telling. Balcers’s all-around game could be more suitable for the tough zone starts that Couture sees than Labanc’s superior offensive game.

Kane struggles to bench, then throws his stick down when he sits down. In a lot of pain, going into room hobbling

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) April 15, 2021

Looks like Kane caught a Burns shot in the foot? pic.twitter.com/Ck0UXTvIdG

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) April 15, 2021

Listless opening frame by San Jose: Anaheim had 4-1 High-Danger edge at 5-on-5, per Natural Stat Trick. And judging by Kane’s reaction, they might have lost Kane for a spell.

Period 2

Kane is going to try it: He came out of the room second to last, in obvious pain, but he’s giving it a go.

A nothing moment turns into a Grant deflection goal. That’s what happens when you spot the other team a period, you’re now down 2-0.

3 in: Not an inspired icing by Marleau. Gives up puck well before red line, Fowler applying light pressure.

Labanc draws his 2nd penalty tonight, good work

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) April 15, 2021

Kane-Couture-Balcers-Labanc-Karlsson to start, followed by Meier-Hertl-Donato-Marleau-Burns on power play.

7 in: Gorgeous against-the-grain of the forecheck stretch pass from Karlsson to Kane. Kane can’t do anything with it though, he’s mobbed by Ducks.

9 in: Electric shift from Karlsson, multiple keep-ins, a lot of pressure applied from the top down there. But “Shut Out” Stolarz still at it.

8 left: Kane blows by Drysdale, teaching the rookie about judging incoming speed.

Volkov goal: Karlsson stretch pass turnover, followed by Karlsson inability to stop centering pass to Volkov. Karlsson has got to stop that Comtois pass, that’s his job pure and simple.

Just for the fun and chaos, they should just run Karlsson and Burns as a pairing for the rest of the season. I mean, they haven’t tried that yet. Can’t be worse than what I’m watching.

SPORTLOGiQ has Anaheim 6-1 Scoring Chances Off the Rush, All Situations. Natural Stat Trick has 8-3 High-Danger at 5-on-5 edge for Ducks.

Period 3

2 in: Hertl gives it up, not a great pass in the NZ, but he skates hard to recover. That’s what everybody’s gotta do every shift after a mistake.

Per @hockeyfights, that bout with Manson was the 2nd fight of Gambrell's career, fought Dumba in Nov. 2019

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) April 15, 2021

Score that 10-9 Manson over Gambrell.

Terry tries to stand up to Simek after a big hit, doesn’t go well for him. Simek 10-9. Might be the first fight that the San Jose Sharks have won all season.

And now, Simek vs. Comtois. Looks like a wrestling match more than anything.

The Stolarz Sanctum…broken!

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) April 15, 2021

San Jose Sharks’ goalless drought ends at 1:25:13 courtesy of Karlsson.