3) A Dell-ightful Home Town Performance
Some were surprised to see Aaron Dell make the start tonight, but it makes sense considering he was essentially playing in front of his home town crowd. Gambling on Dell paid off for the San Jose Sharks with him putting together a solid start.
Dell held a light workout throughout the night, stopping 21 of 23 Edmonton’s shots. However, a strong finish to the second period propelled the Sharks to take care of the Oilers with relative ease.
Edmonton generated high-quality chances all night with players like All-Star Connor McDavid rushing the zone with speed and possession. Nevertheless, Dell was up to the task and defended the crease exceptionally well to secure his seventh win of the season.
The native of Airdrie, Alberta improves his numbers to a 3.04 GAA and a .892 save percentage. While San Jose’s goaltending has been up in the air all season long, San Jose Sharks fans have been content with their goaltending of late. The tandem of Jones and Dell seem to have regained their confidence over this past week as they prepare to lock in for a tough upcoming two months.
The San Jose Sharks have a very good chance of sweeping this Western Canadian road trip and taking sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division with a win at Vancouver on Monday night.