The San Jose Sharks walked out of this one with two points and a 5-4 overtime win over the Los Angeles Kings, but the path there was messy. They were outplayed for long stretches, spent too much time on the back foot, and still found a way to finish the job for their second straight overtime victory.
The difference-maker was Igor Chernyshov, who scored twice and delivered the winner in overtime. He’s been one of the early stories of 2025-26, and this was the kind of game that shows why the buzz around him has been so loud.
His first big moment came in the third period. Chernyshov used his size and deceptive speed to slip by two Kings defensemen, then finished with a wicked backhand as he drove the net to push San Jose ahead 4-2.
Later, with the game in overtime, the Kings controlled the puck for most of the extra session, slowing things down and pulling away when they didn’t like what was available. Then Macklin Celebrini delivered the spark, laying a heavy hit on a tired Quinton Byfield to create a turnover and a fast break.
Celebrini carried the puck into the Kings’ zone and fed Chernyshov, who blasted home a one-timer from the left circle to end it.
Chernyshov’s confidence with the puck keeps jumping off the page. He’s willing to make plays, and he already looks comfortable using his physical tools at the right moments.
That showed up on the goal line, in board battles, and on the backcheck, where his active stick and poke checks helped him contribute away from the puck, too. For a Sharks team leaning hard on its young core, he’s becoming another player opponents have to account for beyond the obvious names of Celebrini and Will Smith.
Still, the win didn’t come with much control from San Jose’s side. The Sharks started flat and never really owned the game for a long stretch.
Los Angeles made it hard for them to play fast, and the Kings’ defensive pressure kept San Jose from building any rhythm. Adrian Kempe put the Kings up with a power-play goal at 15:50 of the first period, and the Sharks looked disconnected heading into the second.
San Jose did answer early in the second after Alex Laferriere was whistled for roughing at the end of the first. On the power play, rookie Ivar Stenberg sent a sharp backdoor pass for Tyler Toffoli to finish and tie it.
For a brief stretch after that, the game opened up, and both teams traded chances. Kiefer Sherwood and defenseman Nolan Allan each found the net during that run.
The Sharks kept pace until the final moments of the second, when the Kings scored on the power play with less than two seconds left. Byfield danced past a lunging Collin Graf, who nearly got a piece of the puck, then lifted it over Yaroslav Askarov’s shoulder to beat the buzzer and send Los Angeles into the intermission with momentum.
From there, the Kings carried most of the play. That third-period wobble is a familiar and uncomfortable one for San Jose.
It was one of the issues that cost them a playoff spot in 2025-26, and it surfaced again here. The Sharks were outshot 12-7 in the third, though it felt even more lopsided at times.
Los Angeles spent the period pushing downhill, and San Jose survived largely because its high-end skill can still show up in an instant.
The final shot total told the story, too: the Kings finished with a 35-25 edge. The Sharks’ youth was visible throughout, especially after they let a two-goal lead slip away in the third. Their defense corps is better than it was last season, but the same immature mistakes still creep in.
There are encouraging signs on the back end and in goal. Jacob Trouba, Michael Kesselring, and Darnell Nurse have all looked like positive additions through two games, and Luca Cagnoni has already earned his spot on the blue line after training camp. Celebrini hasn’t scored yet, but he has five assists, including helpers on both overtime winners so far.
San Jose did not play its best hockey here. But it found a way anyway, and that matters. The Sharks showed in their opener against the Panthers that they can hang in a high-level game, and now they’ll try to bring more consistency when they visit the Dallas Stars on Monday night.
In Other News...
Kings Fans Have A New Reign Problem To Worry About
The Ontario Reigns latest meeting with Coachella Valley turned into a rough night at Toyota Arena, as the Firebirds pulled away for a 6-2 win. Ontario had managed to stay level after the first period, getting goals from Koehn Ziemmer and Jared Wright, but the game shifted once the middle frame settled in and the Firebirds began to control the pace.
For Kings fans keeping an eye on the organizations pipeline, it was the kind of result that cuts deeper than a single loss. Coachella Valley found extra offense from Jani Nyman and Jagger Firkus, and Ontario never found a way to answer once the game opened up, leaving another reminder that the Reign still have some work to do before the season gets where they want it. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Showed Fight But A Familiar Problem Ruined It Again
The Kings at least gave themselves a chance, clawing back from a two-goal deficit in the third period before falling 5-4 to the Sharks in overtime. Adrian Kempe got Los Angeles going, and the power play did its part as the team showed enough push to turn a lopsided night into a live one, even if the overall effort still carried the same defensive edges that have cost them before.
Anton Forsbergs season debut in goal added another layer to a messy result, with the Kings needing steadier play behind their comeback attempt. Instead, San Jose found just enough offense to keep the pressure on, and the game ended with the kind of familiar frustration that tends to linger when a team can rally but cannot quite close the door. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Let Another Winnable Game Slip In A Familiar Way
A familiar kind of frustration followed the Kings out of San Jose, where they dropped a 5-4 overtime decision to the Sharks in a game that was there for the taking. Los Angeles got offense from multiple players and had enough push to stay in it, but the overall balance was off again, with the defense leaving too much open and the netminding under strain throughout the night.
Anton Forsberg was in goal for his first start of the season and made 20 saves, but the Kings still could not make the late stages feel secure. Igor Chernyshov was the difference for San Jose, and the way this one slipped away will sting because it was not some runaway loss so much as another winnable game that unraveled in the kind of familiar fashion the Kings have been trying to avoid. [Read more 🡒]