As the clock ticks down on this 2024-25 NHL
season for the Sharks, each game is a continued development and evaluation
period for every rostered player. Their 75th of 82 contests was a chance for
the younger Sharks to cut their teeth against a bona fide Stanley Cup contender
in the Edmonton Oilers. The Sharks put up a decent fight, but fell 3-2 in a
spirited contest.
The Oilers played without Connor McDavid who
continues to nurse an injury as he prepares for the postseason. Edmonton still
had enough to get them over the hump.
Connor Brown opened the game's
scoring with his 9th goal of the season 6:22 in. The winger split defenders
Lucas Carlsson and Noah Gregor on his way to the net before flipping the puck
past goaltender Georgi Romanov.
San Jose answered less than 2 minutes
later when Jack Thompson ripped a shot from the right point that beat Oilers
goaltender Calvin Pickard. Alexander Wennberg setup the goal with a feed from
the right corner, before Thompson found the upper left corner of the net.
The Sharks controlled the tempo the remainder of the period and would
out-shoot the Oilers 13-11.
A Collin Graf interference penalty early
in the 2nd period setup the Oilers 2nd goal of the contest. Viktor Arvidsson
one-timed a Leon Draisaitl feed from the slot that beat Romanov at 2:59.
Romanov had little time to react to the puck once it reached Arvidsson.
The Sharks re-tied the game again at 8:48 when Tyler Toffoli finished
off an odd-man break led by Macklin Celebrini and Mario Ferraro. Toffoli skated
up the left wing when Ferraro slid the puck to his left from the off wing.
Toffoli buried Ferraro's pass for his team leading 28th goal of the season.
Carl Grundstrom was immediately whistled for a
hooking infraction to put the Sharks back on their heels. The Sharks second
attempt at killing an Oiler power play went better than their first chance.
Jeff Skinner tipped an Even Bouchard shot past Romanov with 5:03
remaining in the middle frame. Bouchard was at the top of the left circle when
he threw a puck well wide of the net, but Skinner clipped it with his stick
blade, altering the trajectory enough to record his 15th goal of the season.
The Sharks struggled to generate serious chances on Pickard. They
would pull Romanov with 2:45 remaining in regulation. The Oilers had a golden
opportunity to seal the game with 1:30 remaining but a sure empty net chance by
Skinner clanked off the left post.
That gave the Sharks additional
life to try and draw even. That made the final minute an interesting one as San
Jose generated multiple chances, but they could not solve Pickard late.
Game Notes: * Henry Thrun returned to the lineup after
missing the last 15 games due to injury.
* Add Shakir Mukhamadullin to
the long list of Shark defensemen that are nursing injuries. Mukhamadullin
joins Jan Rutta, Jimmy Schuldt and Vincent Desharnais to infirmary report.
* Edmonton's leading scorer Leon Draisaitl left the game midway
through the contest after taking several falls in the game. He did not return.
* Mario Ferraro recorded 2 assists in the game, extending his scoring
streak to 3 games.
* Georgi Romanov made 35 saves in his 3rd start for
the Sharks.
