Sharks Locker Room: Vanecek, San Jose Headed Back in Right Direction?

RALEIGH, N.C. — Things can only get better for the San Jose Sharks, right?

That’s what they’re hoping, after a 3-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Luke Kunin scored twice.

“It was a step in the right direction. Any time you lose 8-1 and then give up 53 shots, that’s pretty much rock bottom,” head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “So it was a step.”

It’s been a wild road trip, to say the least: Two victories to start, including perhaps the win of the season, a 2-1 OT victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals. “Rock bottom”, an 8-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning and 3-1 to the defending champion Florida Panthers. Then, the trade of popular goalie and arguable team MVP Mackenzie Blackwood.

Speaking of Blackwood, so much depends on Vitek Vanecek, and he also took a step in the right direction, after consecutive poor starts. He stopped 25-of-28 shots and multiple Grade-A’s, getting beat clean once by Shayne Gostisbehere, but otherwise turning in a blameless performance.

The San Jose Sharks will need more of that from Vanecek and new tandem partner Alexandar Georgiev, as they seem set on letting top prospect Yaroslav Askarov marinate in a winning situation with the San Jose Barracuda.

While Vanecek and Georgiev haven’t inspired a lot of confidence this season, goaltending can be like the stock market, going higher or lower at the drop of the dime.

From 2020 to 2023, Vanecek was a solid starter for the Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils, actually outdueling Blackwood for the Devils’ job. His +1.9 Goals Saved Expected, per Evolving Hockey, was 15th in the NHL (of 30 goalies, 5500-plus minutes).

From 2022 to 2024, Georgiev led the NHL in wins and was also a solid starter, his +19.1 GSAx 16th in the NHL (of 35 goalies, 4000-plus minutes).

All this is to say, both Vanecek and Georgiev have legitimate recent track records as starters. It’s reasonable to hope that they can keep the Sharks in games on a regular basis like Blackwood did.

After the game, Warsofsky spoke on Nikolai Kovalenko’s San Jose Sharks’ debut. He also benched William Eklund and Fabian Zetterlund.

Vanecek and Eklund spoke about losing their friend Blackwood.

Kunin shared his thoughts about how the Sharks could finish their road trip strong on Thursday in St. Louis.

Ryan Warsofsky

Warsofsky, on where this game turned:

We don’t manage the puck there in the third period. We give the momentum, obviously, the tying goal and then the game-winning goal.

Warsofsky, on Vanecek:

Yeah, I thought he was good tonight. Tracking pucks well, gave us a chance to win.

Warsofsky, on Kunin:

He’s been solid. He’s skating more, obviously coming back from the injury, had a full summer to train. So we’re seeing a guy that’s skating more, first and foremost, gets to the inside of the ice, kind of a heart and soul of our team. Gives you everything he’s got.

Warsofsky, on if this is the Kunin that he expected when the Sharks traded for him in the summer of 2023:

A couple years ago when he came in, I thought he had a good start, and then the injury hits, and it’s obviously a tough, tough rehab from that type of injury. He’s been pretty consistent.

Warsofsky, on Nikolai Kovalenko’s San Jose Sharks’ debut:

Obviously, a tough day of travel. Go back and look at the film, and some things he’s got to improve on and get up to speed with our systems and the way we play.

Puck decisions, he’s got to continue to learn as a young player, but there’s obviously some tools there.

Warsofsky, on the message to Eklund and Zetterlund after benching them:

They need to be better.

They got better [after the benching]. Again, two young players that are still very early in their NHL careers and they’re learning how to play and compete at the highest level against the best teams in the league, Carolina, Florida, Tampa, how heavy it is, how you have to stick your nose in there.

Warsofsky says that Mukhamadullin will join #SJSharks in St. Louis tomorrow

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) December 11, 2024

The #SJSharks have recalled D Shakir Mukhamadullin from the @sjbarracuda.

F Ethan Cardwell and D Jack Thompson have been assigned to the Barracuda.

— San Jose Sharks PR (@SanJoseSharksPR) December 11, 2024

Vitek Vanecek

Vanecek, on getting his game back on track:

That was better, for sure. I mean, home [versus] Seattle, that was 8-5 but we won, and then tough night in Tampa, but today, that was better, for sure.

Vanecek, on the Mackenzie Blackwood trade:

He was a great guy. I was with him in New Jersey. I was with him here, absolutely great guy. But at the end, it’s a business, you never know what’s going to happen, and then that happens, so you have to live with that.

William Eklund

Eklund, on message to he and Fabian Zetterlund, after they got benched in the first period:

Just go out there and play better.

Eklund, on the Blackwood trade:

Sad. He’s a good friend of mine. He’s going to be a good friend of mine [through] the years. It’s part of the business, but it’s also a human being. It’s tough to see, see a friend going away.

Luke Kunin

Kunin, on what the San Jose Sharks were doing right in the second period:

We were skating, getting pucks behind them. We were good on the forecheck We were breaking pucks out. They’re obviously a very good hockey team, so when you can do that and keep the puck in their zone, limits their chances.

Kunin, on if the Sharks played with fear in the third period:

I don’t know if that’s the right word either. I think just maybe we were sitting back a little too much at times. And they’re obviously a very good offensive team once they get going and they get on the forecheck.