The Sharks are capping off their 2025 Rookie Faceoff today with a game against the Kings, and are looking to sweep the tournament for the second straight year after beating the Ducks 6-3 last night. I will cover the highlights of each period and provide my thoughts on the game.
The Sharks' Lineup for tonight can be found here.
Period 1
Ziemmer scores for the Kings 15 seconds into regulation on an odd-man rush, rough start for the Sharks. 1-0 Kings
Berge scores 1 minute and 30 seconds in, and another two on one goal given up by the Sharks in the opening two minutes. 2-0 Kings
Wang had a really nice shift in the offensive zone, looking more confident with the puck on his stick than he did yesterday.
Jake Furlong takes a cross-checking penalty, not a great start for the Sharks; they need a big kill here.
Sharks get the kill, let's see if it helps them get their legs under them.
Kirsanov fires a slap shot from the point past Davis. Davis did not see the shot. 3-0 Kings
Sharks continue to play sloppy defense, but this time Davis bails them out with a nice sequence of saves from close range.
Sharks take another penalty; it is looking like it's going to be a long night.
Wang has a lot to work on when it comes to his positioning, but the amount of ground he can cover with his feet and stick is impressive.
Isogai scores on a breakaway as the penalty expires. The Sharks almost saved it, but the puck just crossed the line. 4-0 Kings
Graf gets a point-blank chance off a friendly bounce from a faceoff, Savile gets it with the butt of his stick for the save, though. Sharks' best chance of the night so far.
Sharks heading to the power play.
Wetsch gets a chance in front of the net, but can't bang it home.
The Sharks fail to score on the power play. The first period ends with the Kings leading 4-0.
Period 2
Hache takes an interference penalty, Kings going to the power play. The Sharks need to play with more discipline.
Musty drops the gloves with Brzustewicz, but takes an additional penalty; The Kings are now on a 5-3 power play.
Davis makes a nice save on a wrap-around attempt. It's been a rough game for him, but he has made some big saves.
The Sharks kill the 5-3, and will go on the power play.
Saville robs Misa on a one-timer attempt. Misa has been quiet, but he has really shown his skill on the power play when given space to operate.
Wang and Lawrence fight off the draw; both guys are 6’6 and 6’7, respectively. Wang throws him to the ice after throwing some punches.
Kirsch in the net for the Sharks; this is a scheduled change
Sharks head to the power play, and Misa finds Halttunen at the back door for the tap-in. Sharks are on the board. 4-1 Kings.
Wetsh finds Bystedt on a 2 on 1, Bystedt fires it home, Sharks with back-to-back goals, and we have a game. 4-2 Kings.
Sharks back on the power play.
Halttunen just missed the net on the power play, Kings kill it, but Sharks are showing much more life.
Dickinson finds Heise at the net, but the Kings' Goaltender Stoll robs Heise.
Musty draws a penalty, Sharks will be going back to the power play.
Dickinson scores after Graf finds him after chaos at the net, Sharks are within 1!. 4-3 Kings.
That's the end of the two. The Sharks played physically throughout the period, and it helped them find some offense and get back into the game. It was a great response after a horrible first period. 4-3 Kings after two.
Period 3
The Sharks take a penalty, a big blow to their momentum, but the kill has looked good so far today.
Sholl makes an excellent save on a Musty to Misa 2 on 1 after a Kings breakdown.
Sharks get a big kill. Jake Furlong may not get much attention, but he has been excellent on the penalty kill for the Sharks today.
The Sharks draw a penalty, have a chance to tie things up.
Hallttunen gets high-sticked off the draw, a 2-minute minor; the Sharks have a five-on-three for almost the full two minutes.
Dickinson finds Graf backdoor for a one timer, after some good Sharks puck movement, we have a tie game!. 4-4, Sharks still on the power play.
Sharks are all over the Kings, and Graf finds the back of the net again, his 2nd of the night, and after a horrid start, the Sharks battle back to take the lead! 5-4 Sharks.
Musty finds Misa on a 2 on 1, Misa puts his home for his first goal as a Shark! 6-4 Sharks
Kings get one back on a favorable bounce of the boards. The Sharks need to lock things up with 4 minutes to go. 6-5 Sharks.
After a quiet first half, Misa has really found his game in the 2nd half. Starting to take over offensively in 5-on-5 play.
Sholl robs Cheryshov after an incredible pass by Graf for the open look. Cheryshov gets the puck back, though, and finds Havelid for the goal. 7-5 Sharks.
Wetsch puts it in the empty net to ice the game for the Sharks. 8-5 Sharks
Post Game
After falling down 4-0 after the first, the Sharks did everything you could ask for and more in the final two frames. Outscoring the Kings 8-1 for the 8-5 victory. With the win, the Sharks will finish another Rookie Faceoff with an undefeated record, a testament to the depth of their prospect pool.
Training camp will begin next week. It will be interesting to see how some of these prospects carry their game into camp as they battle for jobs with the Sharks.