Sharks Blow It, Lose 2-1 in Last Minute to Utah

The San Jose Sharks visit Delta Center to take on Utah Hockey Club.

Fabian Zetterlund scored, but the Sharks gave up a point, giving up the game-winner with minutes left in a 2-1 loss.

Period 1

Just a thought about asking Stenlund to fight, posted in the comments earlier for another story, revised here: “Hockey code” might be antiquated, but I asked two former NHL players about this sentence before I published it: “We’ll see if Stenlund will dance to the hockey code on Friday.”

I thought that was the “code” but I wanted to double-check with the guys who lived it.

One player is fairly recently-retired, and both agreed that’s indeed the code. They asked Stenlund to fight last game, it was a close one, fine, you get him declining. The Sharks didn’t want the instigator either. If they ask today early though, he should go, and that should finish it, the conflict is over.

Old school, if Stenlund doesn’t fight today, he opens his teammates to repercussions. That loses Stenlund respect in his own room. I’m not endorsing that, by the way, but I get it. I’m not sure it’ll get that far with the Sharks. They don’t have a rat player, I’m not talking about an enforcer, who doesn’t mind doing the dirty stuff, not that I see.

But like it or not, that’s how things were handled in the recent past, and it’s still here today.

Zetterlund goal: Granlund OZ faceoff win, good bounces, everybody in the right place.

3 in: Whoa, San Jose Sharks luck out. Keller slips notice in front, that can’t happen, he’s all by himself with an open net. Keller can’t corral.

7 left: Bjugstad all by himself on rush, looks like Goodrow doesn’t cover for his pinching defenseman Mukahamadullin. A little bit of a Hockey 101 mistake there, Georgiev bails him out.

5 left: Celebrini tries to go vertical, Smith stretch, intercepted. While I get and respect the idea, I don’t love that there, Sharks have been on their heels for a bit, that turnover there leads to more of that, almost two minutes of Utah rolling around the zone. Time and place, I think.

4 left: Sharks’ forecheck, the Lund Line, helps restore order. Eklund has a chance in the slot.

3 left: Wennberg 2-on-1 chance, big Vejmelka save. Another Graf breakout chip pass off the wall, the recent Celebrini rush goal was off that too.

Mukhamadullin just came across the blueline to deny the I think Kerfoot exit. Length and speed, like. Forces a dump-out instead of a skate-out.

1 left: Georgiev bailed out by post, his giveaway leads to Maccelli Grade-A.

Utah 20-11 5-on-5 shot attempts, per Natural Stat Trick. Chances are close. Gotta watch the giveaways, I think, in NZ and high in OZ.

Period 2

4 in: Spin-o-rama by Mukhamadullin on blueline, shakes the guy trying to close. I’ve liked his aggressiveness tonight.

Schmaltz goal: Off a Toffoli Grade-A, great Celebrini pass into slot, huge save. But rebound there, Sharks get caught behind on Utah 3-on-2 counterattack. Then, Utah just rolls around the zone, nobody kills a player and puts pressure on circling Utah. Maybe love a save there too, it’s a clear one-on-one situation, but you also can’t let your opponent just buzz around like that, an all too common San Jose Sharks problem in recent years.

Hey Nick DeSimone, just chatted with him in San Jose when he came with the New Jersey Devils, got an assist. Good for the old-school Barracuda defenseman. Credit to him for making a good career for himself.

Mukhamadullin-Graf-Zetterlund-Wennberg-Eklund is #SJSharks first power play unit sent over the boards. They had success last game.

Liljegren-Celebrini-Granlund-Toffoli-Smith follow.

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 11, 2025

9 in: Georgiev bails Celebrini out. The 18-year-old can’t do that there, tired, end of power play, tries to make a move into the middle of the slot high. Turnover, that leads to Utah odd-man rush.

8 left: Graf NZ turnover, something to learn from, but like his effort coming back.

6 left: Good job by Dellandrea to compete, not let Bjugstad shake him on the cycle. Then Wennberg, cool as ever, picks up the puck and is patient before exit. That’s the kind of shift, little things, but that’s why Grier added guys like that, legit NHL players who wouldn’t get dummied on the cycle or throw the puck away. A mature grind shift.

2 left: Kunin needs to be a little more alert there. Sharks fish out puck from long but fruitless Utah possession. Kunin has it, forecheck on him, just gives it away. Utah making it hard for San Jose to mount much attack. Granted, Sharks defending decently too, though they’ve been looser than Utah.

Period 3

3 in: Huge save by Georgiev on Keller who got loose.

No-goal: Rutta bailed out by the coach’s challenge. He actually made a good defensive play, switch with Mukhamadullin on Utah counterattack, but Rutta, trying to skate it out, doesn’t feel Cooley right behind him. Credit to Cooley for the effort, he creates turnover. But that’s all-day goaltender interference, Schmaltz cruises through the blue paint. Sharks need to mount some offense.

4 in: Georgiev header save!

Eklund dump-in/shot at 8:49 of third period is San Jose Sharks’ first shot since Will Smith on the power play 8:56 into the second period. So almost a full 20-minute period without a shot for the Sharks.

8 left: Georgiev takes away the pass there on a Utah 2-on-0, that might’ve been the defensive play of the game.

Goodrow and Ferraro have a dangerous rush, finally some shots. Then I like Granlund, off to the side, Sharks trying to attack, some OZ possession finally, he takes a bad angle shot, I think that’s a good read of the situation by Granlund. Led to nothing, but I like the idea.

2 left: Sharks still have to learn how to play in these tight games. You can’t leave a man by himself there, Thrun attacks the passer, no support behind him.

Hayton goal: OZ faceoff goal off the awful shift after where Hayton was all alone. Georgiev deserves better than that.

1 left: Telegraphed pass by Smith on PP. Too easy an interception, kills 15 seconds on PP. That’s killer with just 55 seconds of power play left in the game. Reminds me of Kobe Bryant’s playoff airballs as a teenager, if you’re an NBA fan. Good news, Kobe learned.