The San Jose Sharks got to enjoy a rare offensive outburst. With a touchdown on the board, the Sharks destroy their rivals from Tinsel Town and collect the two points from tonight. It could be a severe blow to the playoff aspirations of the San Jose Sharks as Yaroslav Askarov gets his first win in the Teal of the Sharks. It's a great night to be a Sharks fan, and we'll get to the big takeaway from tonight's game.
Askarov would pick up his first point of his NHL career as he laid the puck off to Mario Ferraro. Ferraro hit a home run pass to Nico Sturm, who was back from a long layoff dealing with his upper-body injury. Sturm was left alone with David Rittich, but the German got the puck past the Czech netminder, and the Sharks led 1-0 early in the first period.
It wouldn't be until the second that the Sharks yielded their lead. Brandt Clarke picked the puck up from Adrian Kempe and found a way to wire it to the left of Askarov and into the back of the net. There was not enough pressure on the puck at the point, and the Kings made the Sharks pay for some sloppy defense. There will be a time when Team Teal has to be cleaner defensively, but that's fine on a night like tonight.
Now, the Kings would take the lead just before the game's halfway point via their captain. Warren Foegele tried to force the puck home but Askarov was able to keep it out. Adrian Kempe attempted next, but Askarov again shut the door. It was only when the Slovenian centerman barrelled through that the Sharks' defenses were breached. He gave the Kings the first lead of the night, and the Sharks were trailing. They didn't like that.
Before the end of the second period, Macklin Celebrini sent the puck to William Eklund, and the Swedish winger carried the puck up the ice. He found his compatriot, Fabian Zetterlund, streaking in alongside him. Zetterlund circled the net after receiving the puck and flipped it over Rittich in the Kings' net to bring the game back to equality. San Jose would ensure the game remained tied in the third period, where they'd get their frustrations out.
The eventual game-winner came on a snipe from San Jose's young star centerman. Jan Rutta and Henry Thrun combined to get the puck to Celebrini. Celebrini entered the Kings' zone and was forced wide but still got a shot off. His lethal shot picked the corner in one of the most disgusting shots I've seen a Shark take since the 2016 Cup final. It pings off the pipes and drops over the line to get the lead back for the Sharks.
San Jose made it four 70 seconds later. Will Smith sent the puck back to the point in the offensive zone, and Timothy Liljegren walked into a firecracker of a shot from the point. A screen in front ensured Rittich never saw it, and the Sharks made it 4-2. LA challenged for goaltender interference for reasons I cannot explain. There was no goaltender interference, and the Kings were shorthanded, with the Sharks winning 4-2.
Foegele took a penalty on that kill, leading to a Sharks five-on-three. San Jose turned on the style to convert the two-man advantage. Will Smith found William Eklund, who fired a pass through the slot for a Celebrini slapshot. It found the back of the net for Celebrini's third point of the night, and the San Jose Sharks were dominantly leading just four minutes into the third period. A great start to the final period had Team Teal in the driving seat.
A double minor to Kevin Fiala for high-sticking would put the Sharks back on the powerplay, and San Jose wasted no time. A face-off win by Alex Wennberg got the puck back to Jake Walman at the point. Wennberg moved into the screen position in front of the net, and the Swede tipped the shot in front. San Jose took the game by the throat, and the Sharks had 10 minutes to defend a four-goal lead.
Not only did they hold it, but Luke Kunin got a goal off his hard work, winning multiple puck battles in a row before firing it past Rittich and into the back of the net again. It was 7-2 for the final score. Askarov had a point and the win, Celebrini had three points, Smith had a point, and there was just a lot to love in the Sharks world for this game. There's nothing to complain about ahead of Wednesday's game.