Update 5:24pm
Sharks sent Aaron Dell and Jimmy Bonneau to Worcester in the AHL and released Ben Meisner from his tryout. Camp number now sits at 45.
Hockey is finally back.
The Sharks kicked off the pre-season with a split-squad set against the Vancouver Canucks. Here’s the coles notes version of the game that wasn’t televised.
Sharks 5 Canucks 2
Sharks Goals: Thornton (2), Pavelski, Goldobin, Goodrow
- Goldobin and Goodrow added an assist as they impressed the coaches, fans and media with their multi-point performance.
- Chris Tierney had a solid game playing on the line with Goldobin and Goodrow.
- Mirco Mueller was noticeably absent from anything (tweets, articles) relating to this game.
- David Pollak from the San Jose Mercury was quick to remind everyone about Thornton should he reach four goals:
David Pollak @PollakOnSharks • 7h
And, yeah, we all know what happens if he scores two more.
- Sharks scored on the powerplay
- John Scott fought Tom Sestito, shocking I know.
Now on to the game that was viewable by more than what you could fit into the Stockton Arena.
Canucks 4 Sharks 2
The Sharks early-starting split squad tilt didn’t quite go as well as the game in Stockton although both games should be taken for what they are: the first games of pre-season. Vancouver walked away with a 4-2 victory over San Jose by the time it was all said and done after being dominated in the shot category.
Sharks top line was buzzing around the ice as expected, being led by Matt Nieto’s ridiculous speed. Nieto was hard on the forecheck and his lightning quick feet helped him out-race most of the competition. The Wingels-Karlsson-McGinn line also looked good as the rest of the Sharks worked on getting the jitters out.
The defense struggled with puck control and looked shaky trying to move the puck out of their own end. There wasn’t one defenseman I could pin point who moved the puck from the Sharks zone without a struggle in the first period. Brent Burns looked noticeably uncomfortable in his own end as he tried to adjust to life on defense again. Burns spent a lot of the game wandering around, but he did look right at home on the power play where he could focus on what he did last year.
Taylor Doherty played an up and down game that saw him play solid in the first before taking a bad penalty in the second and being part of the defensive implosion on the Canucks second goal. Doherty settled down a bit in the third. On his penalty, Doherty got a little engaged with Derek Dorsett who was all lip until he looked up and saw the size of the 6’8” Doherty. Then he became all blank stare.
Both Sharks goals came in the second period. Burns let go a perfect, patient, wrister from the right side of the Canucks goaltender to put the Sharks on the board with a PP goal. The Canucks quickly responded before Patrick Marleau created a turnover and blew past Canucks defender Frank Corrado before sniping a wrist shot into the cage.
During the second intermission Scott Hannan revealed that the Sharks were aware they were running around the ice a little.
“Sometimes a little scrambly” – Hannan
You don’t say? The game is the first 60 minutes of hockey so it isn't going to be perfect.
Melker Karlsson was rewarded for his solid play in the first two frames by being given Logan Couture’s spot on the top line while the Sharks star was taken out for precautionary reasons. Karlsson, on his very first shift with the line, then flipped the puck over the glass for a two-minute minor. Tough luck.
The Canucks goal that made it 3-2 bounced off of Derek Dorsett and landed right on the stick of the unmanned Canuck in the slot for a strange goal that Stalock didn’t have much chance on. That kept in theme with the Stalock’s night in my opinion. On the Canucks first goal Matt Irwin couldn’t move the puck out of the zone and Jason Demers provided an excellent screen for his goalie. On the second goal the Sharks defense imploded and began head-spinning and stick-swinging as they gathered, with two of their forward companions, for a conference in Stalock’s crease. The final Canuck goal was an empty netter.
The best player for me was Melker Karlsson, even though it would be shocking to see him make the club. Karlsson skated hard and fast around the ice all night long and joined Tommy Wingels on the penalty kill for what was probably the best PK shift on the night for the Sharks. Freddie Hamilton had an effective night, playing almost 19 minutes while seeing time on both the PK and PP. There was no flash from the young forward just consistent, solid play.
Other Notes:
- Logan Couture left the game after the second and didn't return. Head coach Todd McLellan told the media in Vancouver that Couture took a bump on his last shift and that they kept him out for precautionary reasons. No need to risk one of your star players over a pre-season tilt.
- Alex Stalock went the distance for the Sharks and saw 19 shots come his way.
- SJ was perfect on the PK and 1/4 on the PP.
- More cuts are expected today.
Overall there were lots of things to work on and a lot of positives to take away. I would have liked to have seen Goldobin and Goodrow put on their show in Stockton but we'll see if there is another chance for the two young players after Wednesday's cuts. It’s good to have hockey back.
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