Golden Knights Stampede Sharks 4-1 in Season Opener

The San Jose Sharks welcome the Vegas Golden Knights into SAP Center for their season opener.

Filip Zadina scored his first goal in teal, but the Golden Knights overwhelmed the Sharks 4-1.

Period 1

Zadina’s first puck touch with the San Jose Sharks is a nice pass to Hoffman in stride, on the rush.

1 in: Like Bordeleau getting in the way of Cotter down low defensively. That’s what Quinn is talking about.

Kolesar 10-9 over Burroughs. Burroughs had stood up Amadio at center line.

4 in: Give-and-go down low between Eklund and Kunin, Kunin chance in tight. Kunin has gotten a lot of chances from Eklund in their brief time together.

Granlund-Hoffman-Hertl-Barabanov-Duclair to start on power play. Then Thrun-Bordeleau-Eklund-Zadina-Kunin.

8 in: Good pinch by Rutta. Then down low, ties up Barabashev. Looks good one on one.

8 left: Hertl misses a couple passes that kill possession, looks to sky at least once, not sure if that’s what you want. But he also skates through a couple Golden Knights like butter, so you like that.

6 left: Sharks power play looking inept here. Trying passes that aren’t there. Hoffman’s puck movement has been rough so far. Sharks blew a chance to at least gain momentum.

Amadio goal: And seconds later after your power play is outchanced by the kill, Karlsson circles net, Bordeleau down low, doesn’t stop pass to Stephenson. Too easy. Not to target one guy but that pass can’t go through. Make Karlsson shoot, give Kahkonen a straight-up chance to stop it at worst. Zadina there too, but he also has to watch point.

4 left: I’m not sure? But Benning behind net, Kunin is at blueline, maybe you want Kunin closer to help out? Too far, Golden Knights creep in on it, leads to turnover, extended Vegas possession.

Zadina goal: Really like the diagonal Zadina dump-in, in a place that Hoffman can get to. Then lucky bounce, Thrun point shot-pass, hits Hertl, lands in a place that Zadina can handle it. Broken play, but Sharks need it.

1 left: Fun one-on-one battle between Marchessault and Ferraro. Ferraro cuts him off from forehand, but then Marchessault spins for a hard backhand. Good battle.

Kahkonen has been as billed so far, 11 saves on 12 shots. Natural Stat Trick has Vegas 8-2 5-on-5 Scoring Chances. FWIW SPORTLOGiQ does give Sharks 4-1 High-Danger, though granted, a lot of power play for them.

Eichel also skating circles around Sharks, 5 shots and 9 shot attempts in just one period

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 13, 2023

Everyone focuses on effect of losing Erik Karlsson on breakout, but that possession stat underscores how they’ll also miss him in OZ, teams couldn’t take the puck off him. Losing Meier too.

Period 2

2 in: I’ve liked Zetterlund tonight, direct north-south game. Smith-Sturm-Zetterlund could have that north-south fit, though maybe a little east-west from a Labanc could be a good ingredient.

3 in: Hertl line has some possession up top, but there’s no keep, no cycle.

5 in: Good one-on-one battle win by Duclair over Amadio, leads to exit, and near Bordeleau slot shot.

6 in: Good grind shift from the Sturm line, Smith finds Sturm in slot.

Then Burroughs crunches Cotter in open ice. Fun to watch.

10 in: Like that area pass by Eklund, nowhere to go, defense on him, just put it into an area that your teammate can get it. He did that in the first too.

9 left: Benning gets a good point shot through, but then, don’t love that OZ penalty.

Kunin-Granlund-Ferraro-Rutta start PK. Now Sturm-Zadina-Vlasic-Burroughs.

Zadina a second-choice penalty killer, big opportunity here with Couture out, ahead of candidates like Duclair and Eklund, to establish himself as an all situations guy.@MyFryHole saw this in the pre-season

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 13, 2023

4 left: Cotter catches Thrun trying to carry out from behind the San Jose Sharks net, maybe a trip, but no call, that can’t happen there.

Hague goal: He rips it, but Kahkonen knows he should have that, finds a hole. Trick for Kahkonen is to shrug it off, that happens. Tough beat though, Sharks actually have had a decent period. Zadina went down to help on Burroughs, not sure if he should have, Hague able to sink down a little lower. Zadina didn’t lose Hague, but maybe he should let Burroughs do his work.

Roy goal: That hurts, tough way to end period. That’s a good shot. Thrun looks bad on it, but Rutta did come over to his side to try to stand it up in neutral zone, but maybe Thrun’s got to be more aggressive covering for his left-side partner.

Sharks were better, just little, young mistakes. Needed Kahkonen to erase, he did not in this period. Let’s see if they’ve got some stuff inside for a comeback.

Period 3

1 in: Good net front battle between Benning and Cotter that Benning wins.

But then, Stone steps in on a not good Duclair breakout pass.

Pachal goal: Looks like another hole, shot from a little distance.

4 left: Bordeleau gets stick checked from behind from Rondbjerg, negates great chance, but then he hits Smith with a behind-the-back pass. That was pretty.