The San Jose Sharks finally put together a full 60-minute finish in Ottawa, and it showed on the scoreboard. Teal walked out of Canadian Tire Centre with a 6-2 win over the Senators on Thursday night, their first regulation victory of the season.
It did not start smoothly. Michael Amadio almost scored on Ottawa’s first shot of the night, only for Yaroslav Askarov to slam the door with a big save. Not long after, Tim Stutzle extended his strong start to the season by beating Askarov on the glove side during a delayed penalty and putting the Senators ahead 1-0 before the first period was half over.
San Jose answered through Nolan Allan, who jumped into the play and snapped a shot over Samuel Ersson’s glove at 11:04 of the first period. From there, the Sharks settled in and began tilting the ice more in their favor.
The game also took on a physical edge in the opening period. Igor Chernyshov blocked a shot with his arm and immediately headed to the dressing room, and during the intermission the Sharks said he was doubtful to return. He missed the rest of the night.
The second period belonged to San Jose. Jake Sanderson was whistled for tripping after a knee-on-knee collision with Will Smith, and the Sharks cashed in on the power play this time. Tyler Toffoli buried a wrist shot from the point to put San Jose ahead 2-1.
That lead didn’t last long before the Sharks stretched it into something much bigger. Darnell Nurse went off for roughing, giving Ottawa its first power play of the night, but San Jose scored anyway. Collin Graf dove to redirect a Ty Dellandrea pass into the net for a shorthanded goal, and then Graf picked up his second point in 1:18 by feeding a wide-open Jacob Trouba, who tipped the puck past Ersson to make it 4-1.
Ottawa did have chances to chip away. Dmitri Orlov was called for holding Fabian Zetterlund with just over two minutes left in the second, but Askarov came up huge on Drake Batherson during the kill to protect the three-goal cushion.
The Senators finally got one back early in the third, as Jordan Spence scored from the slot at 6:24 to make it 4-2. San Jose also had another injury scare when Ty Dellandrea blocked a shot near the middle of the period and was clearly hurting. He smartly cleared the puck for an icing call so he could get off the ice while his teammates stayed out.
Ottawa made one last push late, with Macklin Celebrini taking down Yakemchuk and sending the Senators to a power play with just under four minutes left. The Senators pulled their goalie as well, creating a 6-on-4, but San Jose shut the door. Zack Ostapchuk flipped the puck down the ice and into the empty net, and Ivar Stenberg added another empty-netter to finish the job.
For the first time this season, the Sharks were able to hold a lead in regulation and turn it into a win.
In Other News...
Sharks Suddenly Have A Real Chance In The Hellebuyck Chase
The Connor Hellebuyck situation is moving quickly, and San Jose has found itself in the mix as the market around the Winnipeg goaltender heats up. Insider reports have trade talks escalating, with several teams in the picture, and the Sharks are being mentioned alongside clubs like Carolina, Buffalo, the Rangers and Los Angeles as possible destinations.
For Winnipeg, the timing matters because Hellebuycks suspension is set to end soon, and the Jets would rather complete a deal than have him rejoin the roster. San Joses presence in the chase makes this one worth watching, especially with the sense around the league that a move could happen soon, but the final piece still depends on where he is willing to land. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Top Line Suddenly Has A Worry Fans Didn't Need
The Sharks top line picked up an unwelcome concern when Igor Chernyshov went down after blocking a shot and left the game early, with no return. San Jose already had enough to manage without another lineup question, and now there is at least some uncertainty hanging over one of the forwards the team has been leaning on as it prepares for Ottawa.
Chernyshov is doubtful to be available for the next game, and the club is expected to provide a clearer update either after the game or ahead of the matchup with the Senators. If he needs more time, Adam Gaudette would be the likely next man up, giving the Sharks another decision to sort through as they try to keep the group steady in a short turnaround. [Read more 🡒]