Couture Scores 300th, Sharks Beat Leafs 4-3 in OT

The San Jose Sharks welcomed the Toronto Maple Leafs to SAP Center tonight. Logan Couture got the Sharks off to a quick start with a couple goals, and Timo Meier broke out of his slump, and Erik Karlsson scored the OT winner for San Jose.

Period 1

Couture goal: Not much of a backcheck by Auston Matthews there on Couture. Good effort by Nieto to preoccupy Holl, leave Couture by himself. Barabanov pass to Nieto started it all, so good start for the new line.

Kampf goal: Looks like Lorentz is the man without a man on the open Kampf bid. Maybe Nieto could’ve switched too. But Leafs take advantage of a soft spot in the Sharks defense.

9 left: Giordano saves goal on Karlsson shot, pretty tic-tac-toe between Meier, Hertl, and EK65.

Svechnikov to Hertl line is interesting. He’s a limited skater, but I think he’s good in tight and he’s big and smart. Saw some good things there in the opening frame, it’s an intriguing short-term experiment at least. Barabanov is valuable to this line, I think, NZ in, getting puck in and winning battles and he’s also underrated down low, so you lose some of that in the NZ for the Hertl line. Meier becomes primary transporter of puck again.

Meier catches a Ferraro shot. Shortly after, San Jose gets called for hella dudes. Sharks on the kill.#SJSharks #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/EnAJsVO1R9

— TEAL TOWN USA – A San Jose Sharks Podcast (@TEALTOWNUSA) October 28, 2022

Per SPORTLOGiQ, San Jose Sharks have kept it close in terms of chances, Toronto 3-2 Slot Shots at Even Strength.

Period 2

4 in: Hertl forces NZ turnover, draws a call, gets it to Svechnikov, big and strong, who protects it and gets another call. Karlsson-Meier-Hertl-Couture-Barabanov on 5-on-3.

Karlsson-Meier-Hertl-Couture-Barabanov to start 5-on-3. And Barabanov one-touches a Karlsson pass through Holl's legs to Couture for a gimme. Nice work AB

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 28, 2022

Best Sharks power play since Game 7 vs. Vegas?? Hats are flying for Couture hat trick, but Meier acted like he got it. He needs one, so I’m sure Logan will be happy to give it up.

9 left: Another San Jose Sharks PP, Barabanov just knows where to put the puck so his teammate can do something with it, great at connecting plays.

8 left: Pretty backhand pass by Ferraro, almost got Nieto on the board in the slot. Leafs are staggering, Sharks need to take advantage before Toronto’s big guns wake up.

5 left: Lindblom just reverse hit Jarnkrok. Hopefully we see more of that, just him using his size and strength to impact. Haven’t seen it quite enough early on, but there are some positive signs recently.

4 left: Good effort by Karlsson, sans stick, to bump off Marner. Just stick with it, unlike you know what play from the last game. Absorb the rush, Quinn said.

1 left: Meier no-look drop pass up the middle…to Marner. Devastating, especially if San Jose Sharks lose this game.

Period 3

1 in: Good-looking centering pass by Meier to Svechnikov, don’t know if ES covered, but that would’ve been a nice one to get a shot off, dangerous area.

3 in: Dangerous turnover by Kunin in slot. Move it faster.

4 in: Poor shift by Karlsson. Misses Hertl on exit pass, Maple Leafs grab it, then sails it over glass. He looks up, upset.

And Leafs tie it…San Jose Sharks’ self-inflicted mistakes loom large.

Well, that didn’t last long, Labanc up for Svechnikov on that line.

8 in: Matthews in slot, by himself, but Kahkonen steps up.

Sturm, Kunin, Benning help outlast Matthews PP.

6 left: Simek unforced giveaway, leads to Tavares in dead slot.

5 left: Need to see replay there, incredible-looking save by diving Kahkonen? NHL.com Play-by-Play suggests that he didn’t get it though.

3 left: Smart shot-pass by Benning at Kunin, though leads to nothing.

2 left: Oof. High Hertl turnover, though Simek does support. But Leafs reclaim possession.

San Jose Sharks tried to give it away, I think, but get it to OT.

OT

Sturm-Couture-Ferraro to start.

Couture-Sturm-Ferraro started OT but Meier-Hertl-Karlsson come up next and Karlsson finishes it!

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 28, 2022