San Jose Sharks score six but still lose in overtime to the Dallas Stars
By Conor Power
A disappointing result in a game that the Sharks played very well in sees the team in teal fall 7-6 in overtime to the Dallas Stars. Dallas comes back from three goals down in the third to take the win in this one thanks to a Wyatt Johnston hat-trick.
San Jose's powerplay would strike early to give the team in black the lead. Some beautiful puck movement would let William Eklund receive the puck and play a one-touch pass down behind the net to Fabian Zetterlund. Zetterlund has time and space behind the net and is able to throw it out in front for the speedy Anthony Duclair to walk onto the end of and slap it home past Jake Oettinger. It's a 1-0 Sharks lead early.
San Jose would double its lead halfway through the first. Anthony Duclair's speed would turn the Dallas blueline and force them to retreat, allowing Duclair to spin and create space on the other side of the ice. Duclair fires the pass across to Fabian Zetterlund at the far post, and he's able to put it home to double the Sharks lead as the Duke returns the favor to Zetterlund who set him up on the goal.
Dallas' powerplay would answer right back as the Stars win the faceoff and work it over to Miro Heiskanen. Heiskanen fires it on net and Stars captain Jamie Benn is able to deflect the puck past Kaapo Kahkonen to cut the lead in half. With a minute left in the first period, the Sharks were letting a very good team build momentum, and were playing with some risk. When they had a multiple goal lead, tha'ts a bad idea.
Before the end of the period, the Stars would tie it up. Winning the faceoff on the powerplay, a point shots would go high and wide. An ugly looking shot, but it created a bounce out to the other side of the net for the young forward Logan Stankoven. He's able to get the puck home behind the diving Kaapo Kahkonen and the game is tied with 30 seconds left to go in the first period.
San Jose's fourth line would re-establish the lead in the second. A good forecheck in the corner allows the Sharks to force the puck into the slot where the inital shot is blocked. The loose puck would then end up on the stick of Ryan Carpenter who would get it home over the shoulder of Oettinger to restore the lead for the Sharks. Three goals on eight shots is quite the heist performance so far.
Halfway through the second, the Stars would tie us up again. A creative zone entry from Jamie Benn sees him spin around Mario Ferraro as Benn gets the puck over to Wyatt Johnston. Johnston solves Kahkonen and ties this game up at three with his 20th of the season and the Stars are starting to show why they are quite the threat for the Stanley Cup.
After former San Jose Sharks captain Joe Pavelski was called for tripping, the Sharks powerplay would strike again. Winning the faceoff, the Sharks worked it back to the point where Fabian Zetterlund and Mikael Granlund would play catch until Granlund pulled the trigger. Eventually, Anthony Duclair would knock the loose puck home to restore the Sharks lead for the third time in this game, making it 4-3.
There would be a fifth Sharks goal before the conclusion of the second. Calen Addison is able to work the defense into a unique position after jumping into the zone. He eventually works a pass over to Mike Hoffman. Hoffman's below the circle with two guys to aim for crashing the net. Carpenter tied up Heiskanen in front, but Filip Zadina was able to glide into the backpost and put it home to make it 5-3.
San Jose would continue to pour it on in the third when a bad Stars line change would let the Sharks get the puck in deep. Granlund would chase it on the forecheck, forcing a turnover which Duclair picked up. The duke gave it back to Granlund out in front and the Finn put it home to make it 6-3 as the Sharks are starting to put the Stars to the sword. This is something we haven't seen from this team all year, especially against a team of this quality.
Dallas would cut the lead to two with 7 minutes to go in the game. A bad turnover from Givani Smuth allowed Logan Stankoven to come up the ice on a breakaway. His shot is initally stopped by Kahkonen, but it proceeded to leak through the Finnish netminder and into the net as he was dropping back on the breakaway chance. It made it 6-4 with Stankoven's second of the night.
Less than a minute later, the Stars cut into it again with another second goal of the night. This one is Wyatt Johnston who got the puck in behind the net from Stankoven. He's able to corkscrew one off the body and shoulder of Kahkonen and into the back of the Sharks net to cut the lead to a single goal with 6 minutes to go in regulation.
Dallas would not us up at 6 with 4 minutes to go in the game. Another shot goes up high and wide of Kaapo Kahkonen but Wyatt Johnston is able to ceat the rest of the players to the loose puck and puts it home before Kahkonen can get back to the post. It's his first NHL hat trick, and we're tied up at six.
In overtime, the Stars would take the extra point. Roope Hintz would lash it home past Kahkonen to allow them to win a game when they were down 6-3 in the third. Hintz's first point of the night won the game. Because of the Blackhawks win earlier in the day, the Sharks are now in pole position for the first overall pick. A disappointing loss, but a silver lining anyway.