Three straight wins for the San Jose Sharks have the team's confidence flying high. A comeback win against one of the better teams in the NHL in the New York Rangers, this is a good time for team teal right now. They have started to win games again, and it's a great sign for the fans. Three straight wins is something we have not been able to enjoy often this season, and the Sharks streaky tendancies continue.
It didn't start well. As Vincent Trocheck tried to get the puck into the slot, his pass was cut out by the Sharks. Alexis Lafreniere never got the puck at the back post, which is good defending. But the Sharks couldn't clear the loose puck, and Adam Fox was able to corral the loose puck and wire it home as the New York Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the first period.
In the second, it didn't get better. Giving way too much time to Artemi Panarin meant that the Rangers most dangerous forward was able to pick the puck up in space. He moved forward into the Shark zone, and with a perfect screen by Trocheck in front, Mackenzie Blackwood never saw the shot, and it was a 2-0 Ranger lead.
In the third period, the Sharks would finally get a visit from lady luck. Erik Gustafsson tried to play a bank pass off the boards, but Nico Sturm was able to pick that up at the baseline. As he got it, he was able to fire it at the net from behind the goal and bank it in off the skate of Igor Shesterkin to get the Sharks on the board and give them a fighting chance in this one.
As the game wore on, the Sharks would force an offensive zone faceoff. Winning that back to the point, Jan Rutta was able to let fly a blast from the point. It was deflected by the blade of Ryan Carpenter past Igor Shesterkin, and the game was tied. A strong third period performance from the Sharks, and the kings of the comeback got themselves onto level terms once again.
So, to overtime we go. Alexander Barabanov would take the puck in front of the net and get it over to set Jan Rutta up for a slap pass to the back door for Tomas Hertl to bury it, making it three straight wins for team teal, and the Sharks have momentum. This feel-good factor and winning habits will bode well for the team that is trying to implement a culture of winning around the young players on this roster.