Sharks Come Back on Canucks, But Lose 4-3 in OT

The San Jose Sharks welcome the Vancouver Canucks to SAP Center. Luke Kunin got two past Thatcher Demko, and Logan Couture notched one, but the Sharks dropped it in OT 4-3.

Period 1

The San Jose Sharks seem like they’re in a raw place right now between the record, goaltending, and injuries. We’re talking the “fragile” word again. Let’s see what they’ve got tonight. They really need Kahkonen to up his game and show consistency.

Burroughs goal: And that’s not the response that you want to see from Kahkonen. Again, this isn’t the 2018-19 Sharks, they’re not good enough to withstand this type of goaltending.

10 left: Karlsson Globetrotters it through Dries defending the point, that move creates the space for the Sharks to crank four shots on Demko, tie up shot counter at seven apiece.

9 left: Karlsson up high tries to handle it past Joshua, dribbling puck at high speed. Doesn’t work, but Karlsson is going at a different speed than everyone else.

7 left: Cicek has a chance to get it out, doesn’t, leads to Kunin penalty. Looks like a pointless penalty by Kunin, if I’m seeing the penalty right. Cross-checking Pettersson in front, but the puck wasn’t close to coming in from the point there. Did take a look though — his penalty differential isn’t that awful. He’s drawn his share too.

3 left: Gregor steal, gets a chance. Then Bonino with a beautiful bounce stretch pass to Kunin, another chance. San Jose Sharks have last eight shots, including a Vancouver power play, so they got some good things going. But yet they’re down.

SPORTLOGiQ likes Sharks’ opening frame, San Jose 4-1 Slot Shots. Yet they’re down.

Period 2

Labanc tries to do too much there though, diagonal stretch to Meier, intercepted in NZ, Mikheyev has good chance down the gut.

Labanc OZ penalty: When he’s good, he’s good, but he can’t shake that habit of trying to do too much.

4 in: Couture has a SH chance, but a little from a distance. Still an oddity, per NST, San Jose Sharks haven’t had a high-danger chance on the PK so far this year.

9 left: Nieto backcheck prevents possible Grade-A for Horvat, good work there.

6 left: Looks like Meier gets away with a trip there on a potential breakaway chance.

5 left: Good patience by Nieto along wall as Canucks forecheck, holds, gets it to Cicek. Cicek loses it though, not his strongest effort tonight. But point is, those are the small plays that help keep Nieto up on the lines. Sure, he doesn’t have much ceiling, but no one else is really flashing it on the lower lines. Perhaps on the Barracuda? But then you lose the floor part of Nieto’s game. You need roughly Nieto’s floor with more ceiling in the top-six.

Kunin goal: Benning does a good job of pulling away from the overaggressive check at the point, gets the puck through, though off angle a little. Bonino deflection goes off Kunin into net. Good shift in general by that line, Kunin and Gregor kept advancing the puck up with some hustle and skating up together. Kunin showed a good first step closing on Hughes at the point to get it out.

San Jose Sharks have played pretty well, good to see them rewarded.

Period 3

Gregor, through 40, leads all Sharks with five shots. You like to see that for him.

Gregor/Kunin/Bonino have nine of #SJSharks 15 5-on-5 shots so far tonight. Gregor has 5 of those. You love to see that as a Sharks team looking for something out of a non-Hertl/Couture line. And for Gregor, who's about speed and shot volume, hopefully, he's turned the corner

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 28, 2022

Bad Karlsson pass leads to 2-on-1 other way, but Kahkonen kicks it out.

3 in: Nieto does decent job hanging with Horvat with puck on wall.

4 in: Meier skates with Mikheyev stride for stride to prevent chance, like that.

Couture goal: Kunin draws the penalty that leads to the power play.

Mikheyev goal: That hurts right after the power play goal. Someone’s gotta grab Mikheyev, maybe Barabanov, and that pass also can’t get through.

9 in: Meier just manhandles Burroughs on the forecheck. Wow. Leads to zone time and shots. Gotta keep coming, even if the Mikheyev goal hurts.

Pettersson goal: Ouch. Gotta give Mikheyev big props, he’s been all over place tonight, and here, his dive and urgency keeps puck alive to Ekman-Larsson. Benning maybe a tick slow getting back on Pettersson or maybe notices him late.

Kunin goal: Karlsson makes a pass that I used to make in NHL ’99. You’re not supposed to be able to make that in the real NHL. But again, that line did a great job keeping it alive in the zone, setting stage for Karlsson’s theatrics and Kunin’s heroics.

2 left: Great hustle by Vlasic, loses stick and glove, keeps defending, helps get it out. Then pretty give and go between Bonino and Gregor.

1 left: Canucks push back late though, some chances in tight as Bonino line gets hemmed in. Kahkonen saves their bacon there.

OT

Meier-Hertl-Karlsson to start OT

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 28, 2022

Bad change by Karlsson there, takes a chance, but nope.