The first two weeks of the 2018-19 NHL season has been a disappointment for the San Jose Sharks.
An opening night loss to Anaheim quickly transitioned to a five-game roadie that featured stops in LA (OT win), Brooklyn (loss), Philly (win), Manhattan (OT loss) and New Jersey (loss).
A 2-3-1 record is not exactly what the Sharks envisioned when the puck dropped on the new season.
Trading for rock star rear guard Erik Karlsson was supposed to stiffen the San Jose D corps and in so doing stifle scoring chances against while pumping up their goal scoring for.
Six games into the season, the Sharks have scored two fewer goals for (17) than they have allowed against (19).
Something has to give. This Sharks team is too offensively gifted to be averaging less than three goals per game scored.
Pete DeBoer has had his team on the ice for the past three days. Three days of practice will help to smooth out the rough spots in the defensive zone and will hopefully create more scoring opportunities.
Here come the Buffalo Sabres (3-3), a team that should not be taken lightly by the Sharks.
The Sabres are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games vs. the Sharks, and, 6-3-1 on the road.
This is the 40th game all-time between the Sabres and Sharks. Buffalo holds a dominating 24-9-6 series record.
The Sabres are 7-7-5 on the road against the Sharks all-time.
There are some tasty subplots to this Buffalo-v-San Jose drama:
• Evander Kane vs. Jack Eichel and the Sabres.
• Head to head showdown of Swedish rock star defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Erik Karlsson.
Evander Kane will be facing his former Sabres teammates for the first time since being traded to the Sharks last winter. In 196 career game with the Sabres, the power forward scored 68 (56 EV, 8 PP, 4 SHG, 10 GWG) goals and 50 assists. Kane also landed 400 hits and created 100 takeaways while averaging 19:52 TOI. After the trade to San Jose, Kane’s 13 goals and 6 assists in 23 games with the Sharks is impressive. Thus, his newly minted 7 year, $49 million contract extension soon. Kane helped propel the Sharks to the Stanley Cup playoffs last season. Sharks ownership and management are leaning in Kane to take his team to the Cup Finals this season.
So much has changed in Buffalo since Kane left town.
Jack Eichel now has the "C" sewn on Kane's old #9 Sabres sweater.
Kane said Thursday that he recognizes improvements in the overall play of the Sabres, who boast a lineup with 10 new faces in it since Kane landed in San Jose. Trading Kane to the Sharks helped the Sabres to fall further down the standings. By finishing in 31st place in the NHL, the Sabres had the greatest odds of winning the NHL Draft Lottery. When all was said and done, the Sabres won the lottery and invested their grand prize #1 overall draft pick in Swedish rock star rear guard Rasmus Dahlin.
"I probably only know half the team," Kane joked on Thursday. "There's been a lot of turnover, through and since I was in Buffalo."
Kane leads the Sharks in scoring with 4 goals and an assist in 6 games played.
Erik Karlsson knows all too well how pesky the Sabres can be having battled with Buffalo in the Atlantic division for nine-season while he played in Ottawa.
"They (Sabres) are going through a little bit of a transition period," Karlsson said. "Played them a lot over the course of the years. But it's a totally different team now. Not what it used to be."
Press play and listen to a respected all star veteran in Karlsson sincerely praise the young stud Dahlin. It's very refreshing to hear Karlsson voice his high opinion and praise of Dahlin.
Thanks Sharks.com
"He (Dahlin) plays the game the way it's supposed to be played, with a lot of enthusiasm, fun and skill," said Karlsson. "But he's dedicated to playing the right way. He plays as tough as he can when he needs to and he's not afraid to do things that put himself out of his comfort zone, which is fun to see.
"For being a young guy like that to be able to grasp all those aspects of the game is very rare and doesn't come along too often. It took me a long time to figure out what kind of player I was and it feels like he's pretty much already figured that out."
High praise indeed.
I love how Karlsson confided that he believes that Dahlin is more advanded at 18 years of age than he was at that age.
"I wasn't that good when I was 18", said Karlsson.
Dahlin is excited for the opportunity to share the ice with his idol and Swedish legend in Karlsson. The comparisons between Dahlin and Karlsson are legit. Both are world clas spuck movers who skate like the wind and love to support the rush.
"It's going to be cool to watch him play live, I've never done it", Dahlin told Sabres.com.
Dahlin won't be star struck though.
"It's going to be cool but it's a game for me too, so I need to be prepared."
Growing up, Dahlin admired Karlsson for his multi-faceted game, combining offensive skill with the ability to play in his own zone. Dahlin plays that same style, and he was compared to the two-time Norris Trophy winner by scouts throughout his draft year.
"Of course, it's so cool to hear," Dahlin said. "It's a long way until my career ends, so I can't be comfortable."
Karlsson says he hopes to play alongside Dahlin one day for Team Sweden's national team.
Karlsson has just three assists in his first six games played for the Sharks. Karlsson is capable of producing offensive at a moment’s notice. The Sabres better have their heads on swivels to defend Kane, Karlsson, Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns, Timo Meier, Tomas Hertl, Joe Thornton, Marc Eduoard Vlasiv, and Kevin Labanc.
If the Sabres are going to beat the San Jose in the Shark Tank, they better score more goals. In 6 games played, the Sabres have scored just 12 goals. Nine of their goals have been scored by forwards and three others by the defense.
Jack Eichel and Conor Sheary have three goals apiece. Frolunda freshman Dahlin, who scored his first NHL goal against the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night, is the most noteworthy new addition to the Sabres. Newcomers Jeff Skinner (traded from Carolina Hurricanes) and Vlad Sobotka (traded from St. Louis) have lit the lamp, as has veteran Jason Pominville Phil Houlsey needs Samson Reinhart, Kyle Okposo, Casey Mittelstadt, Evan Rodrigues, Rasmus Ristolainen, Jake McCabe and others to light the lamp.
Even with the changes to the roster, Kane told the media he expects the Sabres to come in and play a fast-paced game.
Carter Hutton is 4-1-1 in his career against the Sharks, with a .955 SV% and a 1.32 GAA.
Martin Jones will start in goal for the Sharks.
Thanks, Sharks.com
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Sabres lineup for San Jose scuffle:
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Speaking of supersonic Swedes, Sabres prospect Victor Olofsson is trearing up the American League.
Earlier this week, Olofsson was named AHL Player of the Week for scoring 3 goals (2 GWG) and 4 assists for 7 points in three games last week.
On Wednesday night, Olofsson, torched Utica for 2 goals and 2 assists.
Olofsson leads the AHL in scoring with 12 points in 6 games.
Olofsson will be in the NHL sooner than later.
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