It's another two points in the bank for the San Jose Sharks as they defeat the Detroit Red Wings at home to ensure the Red Wings go winless through California and head home empty. It wasn't pretty, but it was a 5-4 overtime win as the Sharks won in a score fest. Two teams that are trying to improve slowly and with time clashed, leaving Team Teal victorious over the Original Six franchise from the Motor City.
Detroit broke the ice early in the first when their captain came through. As the Sharks failed to clear the zone, Simon Edvinsson kept it in the zone at the point and threw it into the middle of the ice for Dylan Larkin. Larkin fired a backhand shot over Mackenzie Blackwood's glove, and the Wings took advantage of the Sharks' inability to clear the zone to take the lead.
San Jose's powerplay would crack back. As the Sharks swarmed, a shot from Alex Wennberg was knocked down in front. It bounced around before William Eklund found it and got it home for his third goal of the year. With assists going to Alex Wennberg and Jake Walman, the Sharks get on level terms via their young, impressive Swedish winger.
Detroit annoyingly answered on their powerplay. Blackwood stopped a point shot, but the former New Jersey Devils netminder couldn't control the rebound. It trickled out to Marco Kasper who fired it home on the near side before Blackwood could seal the post. You want Blackwood to control that puck better, but some help from the killers would have been nice as the Wings retake the lead.
Into the second period, the Sharks young Swede would do his thing again. Fabian Zetterlund got the puck back to Mario Ferraro, who fired the puck through the neutral zone to Eklund. Eklund grips the puck and fires it high to the glove side of Cam Talbot, and it bounces off the glove of the Wings netminder and in for a tie game once more. Detroit 2, William Eklund 2 on the night.
Detroit retook the lead through one of the most insane sequences I've ever seen. Alex Wennberg tried to carry the puck in front of Blackwood but was pressured by Michael Rasmussen. Rasmussen poked the puck off Wennberg's stick and in front of the net, where it hit the skate of Henry Thrun and went between the legs of Blackwood to make it a 3-2 game for the Wings.
Thankfully, San Jose spent a lot of money on its offense this summer, and one of those significant additions made a difference. As Toffoli entered the zone, he dropped the puck back to Alex Wennberg, another offseason addition. Wennberg then returned the puck to Toffoli, who had gotten lost in the slot, and he beat Talbot over the blocker to tie this game up before the end of the second period.
It would be the bottom six that would get the next goal to give the Sharks the lead. Off a defensive zone draw, Carl Grundstrom would corral an alley-oop pass and spin to fire it into the path of Luke Kunin. Kunin beats Talbot to the blocker side and gives the Sharks their first lead of the night. It was a great goal from the Shark's depth, and the scoring continues.
San Jose has scored many late goals recently, but the opponents tonight tallied one on a powerplay late in the game. Alex DeBrincat tried to pass the puck across the face of the goal, but the diving Sharks penalty killer knocked it down. Unfortunately, Blackwood has started to move across, anticipating the shot from the far side, and DeBrincat had way too much net to shoot at. It was a 4-4 game, and we go to overtime.
The difference maker in the three-on-three was the Sharks' young prodigy. Mikael Granlund entered the zone but dished the puck over to Macklin Celebrini, who worked his magic. He dekes past a defenseman at the line. A quick move to push the puck from the heel of his stick to the toe changed the shooting angle, and he fired it through Talbot for his first NHL game-winning goal, and the Sharks won again.