San Jose Sharks welcome Utah Hockey Club into SAP Center. It’s Utah’s first game in San Jose.
Alex Wennberg and Mikael Granlund and Fabian Zetterlund scored, but the Sharks lost 4-3.
Period 1
1 in: San Jose Sharks a little lucky there, Keller had the puck, he didn’t see Hayton streaking down slot. Hayton had beat Granlund back after a Sharks’ NZ turnover. Little plays.
3 in: Very nice effort by Sturm, sticks puck ahead of Valimaki, forces the defender to interfere, Sharks power play.
Walman-Celebrini-Toffoli-Wennberg-Granlund is PP1, Liljegren-Smith-Eklund-Zetterlund-Kovalenko is PP2.
5 in: Beaut Liljegren feed to Goodrow, high to low diagonal, but Goodrow can’t calm down the hard pass. But then Liljegren with dead backhand giveaway to Hayton, D-to-D, one forechecker. Routine, can’t do that. Too casual.
6 in: Big block by Sturm, then Zetterlund takes it blueline to blueline. Like seeing them from Fabian.
Guenther goal: Agree with Remenda, Sharks aceepting too much rush. That shot does deflect past Wennberg, hard deflection, impossible to stop.
9 in: Good decision to Rutta to lay out on that PK, deny the pass.
10 in: Mukhamadullin with a blueline spin-o-rama, he’s moving well. All this leads to a good Celebrini chance, Bjugstad gives a punch at him. Sharks needed a good OZ shift.
9 left: There’s a play there, maturity, long shift, had an icing, Kovalenko just needs to dump that in and change.
7 left: Quick up stretch from Mukhamadullin to Dellandrea, perfect.
Wennberg goal: Before, Mukhamadullin does a nice job shaking F1 Crouse. He’s going to be on the power play soon, I predict. Vejmelka will want that one back, I think, but Wennberg has a good shot too. Nice to see him use it in a non-optimal area.
4 in: Liljegren sees Ferraro in trouble, good read to help along wall, they get it to Celebrini for exit.
There’s a play where Celebrini can mature. He enters, but his line is changing, his only help is Eklund at close to the opposite blueline. He tries to force a pass through four Utah players. No chance. Get that one in deep, let the new line go to work. I laughed watching that replay, the balls on the kid. Had to count how many UHC that he was trying to beat. He’s so good, but that’s the equivalent of throwing a hard pass through quadruple coverage as a QB, non-Hail Mary situation, it could work, but why? For ten yards? He’ll learn. Wasn’t even for a figurative TD, it would’ve just given Eklund a runway down the slot, he was still covered.
Period 2
Like that from Zetterlund, picks up loose puck in center ice, one on one with Maatta, shoots. I want direct from him, shot volume, that’s him at his best IMO.
1 in: Like from Eklund, bad angle, shoot for the rebound, Celebrini post.
2 in: Like from Wennberg, center ice turnover from him, sure, but he doesn’t chase the puck, he stays in good defensive position.
Three straight likes from me, good hockey from the San Jose Sharks.
Kunin penalty: Inopportune, Sharks had a good start to period. Not a good OZ penalty from him at all, no need to do that. Everyone knows I like Luke’s overall game, I don’t care about him getting promoted (he’ll move up and down a line-up, fourth line one day, second line another, as the third-best player on a skill line, he’s OK). But that’s hurting the team.
6 in: Like that from Ceci, bodies off 6-foot-6 Bjugstad on I think rim. Size, quick feet, good defensive instincts.
Celebrini to Toffoli in slot, in the area, Toffoli has to collect it with his feet, but Macklin does a great job of consistently putting the puck in dangerous places.
8 in: That should be a Keller penalty, loose puck, Goodrow would’ve got there first, Keller bumped him off, puck not that close, that’s interference.
Close up of the hit that sent Celebrini headfirst into the boards.
Luckily he avoided injury. If anything he came out fiery the very next shift fueled by frustration of the non-call.#TheFutureIsTeal pic.twitter.com/RAO4IEhJpQ
— SnipeCity420 (@SnipeCity420) December 15, 2024
Ceci went straight at Stenlund.
Kevin Stenlund involved with another questionable play with Macklin Celebrini. That’s a board.
It was Stenlund that tripped Celebrini when Celebrini crashed into the boards in the preseason.
Celebrini heated, and I don’t blame him.
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) December 15, 2024
Granlund goal: The reunited Lund line going to work. Zetterlund deserves the promotion, for sure. Eklund wins it on the forecheck, Zetterlund direct and shoots it, deflection to Granlund who finishes.
5 left: Mukhamadullin keeps a tight gap on Utah counterattack and goes for the pokecheck, which I like…but he misses. Uh oh. McBain beats him, then Kolyachonok has a good chance. Vanecek, by the way, has been very good tonight.
Schmaltz goal: Tough at the end of the period. That was a defending penalty on the rush from Sturm. Sharks are owed a make-up call though, in my opinion.
Period 3
Like that opening shift from Mukhamadullin, how he contends with Crouse in corner.
Zetterlund goal: Good hard Kovalenko pass to Zetterlund. Credit to Walman too, on entry, Kovalenko got stopped up, but Walman hugged the wall, didn’t let the clear out.
6 in: Walman creeps down a little low for his shot attempt, McBain able to get a good chance, Ceci on him too, Vanecek stop. Then Vanecek has a big stop on the deflection.
Carcone goal: UHC coming on. Too much standing around, they forget about Carcone. That’s honestly a bad hockey club goal to give up. 3-2 lead, you can’t let that happen. They tie it on the power play, they earn it, fine, but that’s too easy. Kevin Stenlund the nemesis with a beaut shot-pass.
Utah has had last 10 shots (including tying goal) since Sharks made it 3-2
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) December 15, 2024
Any Shark player or line going to push back?
6 left: Another huge Vanecek save on Stenlund, and now all the Sharks, Dellandrea leading the way, giving him a piece of the mind.
Looks like Cooley chicken winged Granlund. Was trying to figure out what set off Granlund
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) December 15, 2024
Keller goal: Credit to Utah too though, they bullied and outplayed the Sharks in this period.