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...
Sharks Line Is Turning Into More Than Just An Early Surprise
A line built around Igor Chernyshov, Michael Misa and Tyler Toffoli has given the Sharks an early spark by mixing two promising young forwards with a veteran who has already done this deep into the spring. Toffoli, a Stanley Cup winner, has brought the kind of calm presence that can steady a new-look trio, and he has already made his mark with a key breakout pass that turned into a goal. With two members of the line producing at or above a point-a-game pace, the group has quickly become one of the more interesting parts of San Joses start.
Ryan Warsofsky has also pointed to the value Toffoli provides beyond the scoresheet, especially for younger players still learning how to handle the grind shift to shift. His composure has given the Sharks a more reliable option in the middle of their forward mix, and the early results suggest this could be more than a hot opening stretch. The bigger question now is whether the combination keeps growing as opponents get a better read on it and the season settles into its longer test. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Hot Start Faces Its First Real Test This Week
The Sharks have built some early momentum with two home wins to open the 2026-27 season, and now the schedule turns a lot less forgiving. This week brings three games in six days, with road trips mixed in and a home date against a stronger opponent, a stretch that should say more about where this group really stands than the first couple nights did. Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith have helped fuel the upbeat start, giving San Jose reason to believe the top end of the roster can carry real weight.
Depth is where the test gets trickier. Adam Gaudettes upper-body issue has already pushed him onto injured reserve, and Alex Barr-Boulet is also sidelined, leaving the Sharks thinner while the games come fast. In net, Yaroslav Askarov has gotten the initial starts and the plan is to manage that workload carefully through the busy stretch, which makes every night a little more interesting as San Jose tries to protect its start and keep the early noise from turning into an early grind. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Suddenly Face Real Risk With Simon Edvinsson
Alex Ovechkins announcement that 2026-27 will be his final NHL season added another layer to a busy stretch around the league, but the more immediate intrigue for West Coast teams is what comes next in the trade market. The San Jose Sharks have at least been part of the conversation, with Winnipeg and San Jose discussing a possible Connor Hellebuyck deal as clubs keep weighing whether veteran help lines up with their bigger timelines.
For the Sharks, the appeal is obvious: a goalie of Hellebuycks caliber would change the conversation in a hurry. But there are real questions about whether their current competitive window is far enough along to make that kind of move fit, which is why the talks have carried tension even before any serious momentum has built. Around the league, that same push-pull between urgency and timing is shaping everything from Detroits concerns with Simon Edvinsson to Edmontons search for forward depth, and San Jose is right in the middle of the broader debate. [Read more 🡒]