Spectacular Eklund to Bordeleau Goal, Sharks Shut Out Golden Knights 2-0

The San Jose Sharks visit the Vegas Golden Knights for their fifth pre-season game. Quentin Musty and Ty Emberson made their Sharks debuts.

Thomas Bordeleau and Jacob MacDonald scored to give the Sharks a 2-0 shutout victory.

Period 1

6 in: Zadina keeps driving the net, then Smith is in the thick of it for a good chance.

7 in: Nice pass by Eklund, reaching out, makes him longer, pass around defender. Hits Bordeleau in slot.

10 in: Eklund tracks back hard on backcheck, causes Vegas offside. Seems to be on his game.

9 left: Emberson tries to backhand it along wall to Musty to relieve pressure, but Musty can’t corral it. Of course, it wasn’t a perfect pass, but you also wonder if it’s an experience thing too.

8 left: Knyzhov stretch pass misses. Not to concentrate on one play, whatever, but that’s been my concern watching Nikolai so far in camp. Skating and size still very much there, but the puck-moving, I’m not sure if that’s evolved enough?

Then Gawanke uncorks a gorgeous stretch pass, not perfect, but one that Barabanov can handle.

5 left: Backhand exit pass by Gawanke. He’s moving the puck well tonight.

3 left: Emberson has defended well tonight, moves very fluidly.

Smith has backed up his place as San Jose Sharks’ only enforcer-type with solid shifts throughout pre-season. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t make team.

Looks like Thrun-Eklund-Bordeleau-Musty-Bailey for one Sharks power play unit.

I liked Bordeleau a lot more in this period, by the way. Safe when he needed to be. Tried to make plays when they were there.

Period 2

Nice pass by Thrun to Musty to start PP. MacDonald-Zadina-Peterson-Zetterlund-Barabanov was San Jose Sharks’ second unit.

3 in: Eklund misses a stretch pass to Musty, then Bordeleau enters zone and tries a backhand pass high in the zone, turnover. Not a great shift from this line, that has been good so far.

5 in: Bailey beats a Golden Knight to the puck. Spoke to a league source recently about Bailey, he likes him, has no idea why he hasn’t stuck in NHL in a lower role: “Good question.”

Bordeleau goal: Whoa, Ahac has no idea what hit him. Eklund shakes him with ease, Ahac lets him go too, but then Eklund catches Ahac unaware with clever backhand pass, and Bordeleau finishes. Eklund not looking on pass is ultimately what deceives.

William Eklund does amazing work to set up Thomas Bordeleau.

1-0 #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/RxOYWzpejM

— JD Young (@MyFryHole) October 4, 2023

Pretty sure Mattias Havelid has 0.0% chance of winning this faceoff pic.twitter.com/Zr4xzhJrwt

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 4, 2023

9 in: What a save by Kahkonen on Roy. That’s a way to build some confidence from the organization.

9 left: Good job by Peterson to get in front of Korzcak pass, go in on breakaway, draw a call.

MacDonald goal: Great puck movement from Zadina, Barabanov, and company. And MacDonald needed that, to remind management that he’s got some skill beyond the defense. He projects to be caught in the numbers game in last roster cuts.

6 left: Good bit of stickhandling and puck protection by Barabanov, leads to nothing, wonder if he can do that more successfully this year.

5 left: Roy just dumps Gawanke in corner. That’s an NHL test for Gawanke.

Then impressed with Eklund on breakout, Musty gives him puck in tough place, into three Knights, Eklund negotiates his way out of that without losing the puck and giving it back to Musty in decent place. That’s a win in a no-win situation.

2 left: Nice Knyzhov stretch pass to Eklund. More of that. Eklund has a good chance.

Period 3

3 in: Smith in on forecheck, disrupts Pachal. Smith has been terrific, except for his penalty, argument that he’s been San Jose Sharks’ best forward.

7 in: And just as I said that , unnecessary penalty by Smith. Will have to watch that.

9 in: Musty gets a welcome to the NHL hit after hit by Kolesar. Draws call. I’ll give Musty this, hasn’t stood out in particular, but he hasn’t played himself off the line either, which was certainly possible, he’s an 18-year-old in an NHL-like situation.

9 left: Zetterlund does nice job fighting Carrier for loose puck. That’s an NHL battle that he wins.