San Jose Sharks are unable to keep up with the firepower of the Dallas Stars
This was not a bad performance from the Sharks who took a point away from the American Airlines Center in Dallas. It's been one of those nights where the Sharks just couldn't keep the lead. they lose 3-2 to the Dallas Stars in the shootout. While Magnus Chrona allowed the team to have a chance at a result, the other issues with the roster reared their heads again as the Sharks just couldn't overcome a contender.
An odd man rush was created by the Sharks when Jan Rutta was able to feed the puck up the ice to Luke Kunin. Kunin entered the zone with William Eklund on a two-on-one which is always a good scoring chance. Kunin got the puck over to the Swedish winger who tried to shoot, but was stopped by Oettinger. The rebound, however, was sat in front of the Stars netminder so Eklund regained the puck, pulled it around the netminder, and sent it home to take the lead in this one.
A three-on-two in the second period would see Sam Steel take the puck up the ice after receiving it from Craig Smith. As they entered the Sharks zone, the puck would end up back on the stick of Smith who fired a shot at the net hoping for a Steel deflection. It didn't result in the goal they wanted, but Magnus Chrona couldn't control the puck and Radek Faksa was able to send the puck home when it was just sitting beside the netminder.
San Jose would get a lucky bounce when Filip Zadina would intercept a pass in front of the Stars net and turn to fire at goal. It deflected up into the sky and looped over Oettinger and bounced on the goal line. Thanks to the unusual shape of the puck, it was able to completely cross the goal line while it was bouncing before Oettinger could hook it off the goal line, and the Sharks took their lead back.
Dallas continued to refuse to die in this one. An offensive zone faceoff would see Jamie Benn hook the puck back to Miro Heiskanen at the point. Heiskanen wasted no time setting up the Star's best player in Jason Robertson. With a clear look at the net, he was able to hit the post as the puck found its way in with a picture perfect shot to make it a 2-2 game at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Neither team would tally again, so we would go to the shootout. In round 1, Robertson was stopped by Chrona and Fabian Zetterlund would be the stopped by Oettinger. Matt Duchene would score in round two as would Anthony Duclair. Roope Hintz would be denied by Chrona and William Eklund would be stopped as well so we need sudden death shootout hockey. Wyatt Johnston would be stopped as Mikael Granlund would meet the same fate. Logan Stankoven would be stopped in round 5, as would Filip Zadina. Joe Pavelski and Mike Hoffman would exchange missed in round six. Jamie Benn would score in round seven, as Luke Kunin would hit the bar. Stars win 3-2 in the shootout.