In a shocking flip of the script, last night the San Jose Sharks weren’t the ones blowing the lead in the third period but were the ones making the comeback instead! Continuing the Canadian road trip in Montreal, the Sharks won 4-3 against the Canadiens…unsurprisingly in overtime. Also unsurprisingly, superstar captain Macklin Celebrini was outstanding, scoring the Sharks’ first goal, getting the primary assist on the game-tying goal, and scoring the overtime winner. Although it would be nice to get a win in regulation for once, last night was a promising progression for the club with special teams making the difference.
Going 2-for-3 on the powerplay, this was a marked improvement for the team that has been struggling with the man advantage. Operating in harmony with the powerplay, the penalty kill was perfect both times Montreal was on the powerplay. Although the first 40 minutes were not spectacular, with the Canadiens coming out flying through two periods, the Sharks managed to keep the game within grasp and complete the comeback. A big part of what kept the game within reach was a full team defensive effort: 21 total blocked shots and penalty kills that killed Montreal’s momentum.
Part of the penalty kill, on the second unit, was Michael Kesselring. Playing in his 200th career NHL game, he was quiet yet effective. In fact, Kesselring has been a pretty consistent force on the backend in every appearance so far this season. While he may not end up on the scoresheet, he’s not hesitant in the slightest to shoot the puck and create motion near the net. Plus, he is exceptionally good at getting the puck off opponents’ sticks and keeping play in the offensive zone. Kesselring was even directly responsible for drawing the penalty that put the Sharks on the powerplay for the second time that night. He had gotten into a scuffle with Arber Xhekaj and while Xhekaj dropped the gloves, Kesselring did not, thus putting the Sharks on the powerplay.
This third period powerplay was crucial for the team, as it was a clear momentum grabber. It was a tad out of sorts to start with unsustained offensive possession and Montreal getting a shorthanded chance, which forced Ivar Stenberg to hustle back and make a great defensive play to regain possession. However, right after that blunder the Sharks managed to tie the game. Macklin Celebrini faked out the Canadiens’ defense with a fake shot-pass to Toffoli in the slot, who immediately fired the puck into the back of the net.
Regulation would not be enough, so the Sharks once again found themselves in overtime. Oddly enough it was Montreal goaltender Jakub Dobes who got called for a penalty, putting the Sharks on the powerplay in extra play. Used to wide-open ice from his time playing in the SHL, Ivar Stenberg is essentially a cheat code for overtime…especially paired with Macklin Celebrini. Although 4-on-3 offers slightly less open space, Stenberg was incredible driving the play. He expertly used his dynamic skating to pull the Canadiens’ defenders towards him, and away from Will Smith, making them completely oblivious to Celebrini setting up in the far circle. This allowed Stenberg to pass the puck to Smith, receive it again, and quickly get it to Celebrini who immediately found the back of the net. His assist made Sharks history as the first teenager with five assists through his first 10 career games.
Again it would be nice to get a regulation win, but last night was genuinely cohesive hockey especially in the third period. The successful powerplays and penalty kills gave the team a much needed spark, especially with the powerplay previously struggling. If the team can keep operating as a strong unit, games won in regulation will come easily.
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