Tag: San Jose Sharks

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Blackwood and Georgiev meet their former teams as the Avalanche and Sharks face off following the goalie trade.

Colorado Avalanche players celebrate after a goal

It didn’t take long for goaltenders Mackenzie Blackwood and Alexandar Georgiev to find themselves facing off against their former teammates, blocking shots for different teams.

Blackwood and Georgiev, who were traded for each other last week, started for the Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks, respectively, on Thursday night. The trade also sent Givani Smith and a fifth-round draft pick to San Jose, while Colorado received Nikolai Kovalenko and two draft picks. Both Smith and Kovalenko played in Colorado’s 4-2 win.

Blackwood had the better performance in goal, making 32 saves, while Georgiev stopped 27 shots for the Sharks.

The Avalanche goalie said he felt comfortable right away and enjoyed the game.

“Obviously, you’ve got a lot of friends over there, but at the end of the day, it’s still a hockey game,” Blackwood explained. “Got to go out there and do your job.”

San Hose Sharks players in the 3rd period

Blackwood revived his career with the Sharks, who had acquired him from the New Jersey Devils in June 2023 for a sixth-round pick. Last season, he had a 3.45 goals-against average with an .899 save percentage in 44 games for a struggling San Jose team. This season, he posted a 3.00 GAA and .909 save percentage in 19 games.

He received applause from Sharks fans when he was introduced.

He credited San Jose general manager Mike Grier, who had been an assistant coach with the Devils when Blackwood played there, for giving him the chance to play after injury issues in New Jersey.

“When I got healthy, he believed in me, brought me in and gave me a chance to play,” Blackwood said before the game. “I got myself turned around, got my game up and back on track. He was a big part of giving me the opportunity to do so.”

Even though Blackwood spent just over one season with the Sharks, he said his former teammates are “still like brothers” to him, highlighting the strong bond they developed. Blackwood, a pending free agent, would have been open to signing an extension with the Sharks but said the rebuilding team is “not in the same place as me and my career.”

The 28-year-old Blackwood moved from the NHL’s worst team last season to the Colorado Avalanche, who have Stanley Cup aspirations but struggled early this season, partly due to issues in goal. Colorado, which entered the day tied for the second Western Conference wild card, has used four different goalies in the first 30 games.

One of those goalies was Georgiev, who led the league in wins last season with an 86-41-11 record with the Avalanche. But he had a tough start to this season. In addition to trading Georgiev, Colorado also sent backup Justus Annunen to Nashville for goalie Scott Wedgewood on Nov. 30.

Colorado Avalanche players in the 3rd period

Georgiev said Thursday’s game felt “a little weird” because he knew his former teammates’ tendencies, which he said could be a disadvantage because he didn’t want to overcommit.

“It wasn’t too emotional,” Georgiev said. “I just tried to play it as any normal game, not overcommit and just enjoy it. It’s fun to play against those guys, too. They’re buzzing. They’re a very fast team.”

Avalanche coach Jared Bednar praised Blackwood before the game, saying he’s been “fantastic.” He added that both Blackwood and Wedgewood are veteran goalies who feel comfortable in their roles and are more outgoing than the team’s previous goaltenders.

Colorado has gone 6-3 since trading for Wedgewood, with Blackwood joining the team two weeks later. Avalanche forward Ross Colton said Blackwood has “brought some confidence” to the team.

“Both of them have been awesome,” Colton said. “They’re great in the locker room as well. Just in the room, it feels different, which is a good thing.”

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Goalies on both teams return to a familiar environment as the Avalanche take on the Sharks

Alexandar Georgiev- San Jose Sharks

Less than two weeks after being traded for each other, goalies Alexandar Georgiev of the San Jose Sharks and Mackenzie Blackwood of the Colorado Avalanche might face off when the teams meet on Thursday night in San Jose.

Both goalies started in their most recent games.

Georgiev made 29 saves in a 4-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night. His chances of starting against his former team seem even more likely after backup goalie Vitek Vanecek was hit in the face with the puck while sitting on the bench and couldn’t continue for the rest of the game.

The Sharks called up their top goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov from the AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, on Wednesday. Askarov has played in two games for the Sharks, with a 1-0-1 record, a 1.96 goals-against average, and a .927 save percentage.

Blackwood made 22 saves in a 3-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Monday, marking his second straight start since the trade on Dec. 9.

“It was a fine game,” Blackwood said. “Nothing tremendous, but there’s a lot to build on.”

No matter who starts in goal for the Avalanche, they are eager to improve a power play that’s 1 for 18 in the past seven games, after going 0 for 4 against the Canucks.

“A work in progress for us lately,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “They’re in a battle right now to make it more consistent, to get to the interior of the ice, to get some good looks. There are some things I like (against Vancouver) where they took a step but just couldn’t find the back of the net.”

Colorado Avalanche (NHL)

Colorado forward Mikko Rantanen is on a six-game point streak (three goals, nine assists), placing him in a four-way tie for second place in the NHL for points (47) as of Wednesday.

San Jose will try to recover after letting a 3-2 lead slip away with eight minutes left in their game against the Jets.

The Sharks also led 3-2 in the third period against the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday, but they allowed the last two goals and lost 4-3.

“It’s just disappointing,” Sharks forward Tyler Toffoli said. “I thought we put together a pretty good game (against Winnipeg), and obviously (we had) some breakdowns and goals against, but at the end of the day, we got to keep moving forward and look at the positives here and try to continue to build and finish games off.”

The Sharks have lost five of their past six games and entered Wednesday just one point ahead of the last-place Anaheim Ducks in the Pacific Division. The Ducks were playing the Jets on Wednesday.

“It was better, but we still lost the game. Still a lot of work to do,” San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky said of the Winnipeg game. “We had a power play when they made it 3-3 and had some opportunities on that power play. They pushed. You could kind of feel it coming with their execution on some breakouts. They got us hemmed in and they jumped on us.”

Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini has been their top player lately. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft is on a four-game point streak (three goals, four assists), including a goal and an assist against Winnipeg.

Other teams are definitely noticing.

“I think they’re understanding how good of a player he is,” Warsofsky said. “He’s a special player.”

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Adam Lowry scored a crucial goal late in the game to lift the Winnipeg Jets to a win over the San Jose Sharks

Winnipeg Jets and San Jose Sharks

Adam Lowry scored the go-ahead goal with 73 seconds left in regulation to give the Winnipeg Jets a 4-3 comeback victory over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.

The Sharks had a 3-2 lead until Kyle Connor’s power-play goal tied the game at 11:56 in the third period. Lowry then put Winnipeg ahead for good by tipping in Dylan DeMelo’s shot from the point, marking his fourth game-winning goal of the season.

Connor scored twice in another strong performance by the Jets’ top line. Mark Scheifele added a goal and two assists, while Gabriel Vilardi recorded three assists.

Winnipeg is 5-1-1 in its last seven games and has won its last three road games.

Connor Hellebuyck stopped 32 of 35 shots to secure his league-leading 20th win of the season.

The loss was tough for San Jose, as they have now gone 1-5-0 in their last six games.

Macklin Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli each had a goal and an assist for the Sharks, while Fabian Zetterlund added a goal. Jake Walman also contributed two assists.

San Jose Sharks (NHL)

Alexandar Georgiev made 29 saves on 33 shots.

San Jose controlled much of the first period before Winnipeg finally got going. Vilardi passed the puck down the ice to set up a two-on-one rush for Connor and Scheifele, with Connor scoring his first goal at 12:18.

Toffoli responded for the Sharks with his 13th goal just 1:52 into the second period, after Celebrini passed him the puck from behind the net.

Both teams scored power-play goals before the second intermission. At 7:28, a series of passes set up Scheifele for his 17th goal. Celebrini answered for San Jose at 17:11 with a backhander that beat a screened Hellebuyck.

Zetterlund gave the Sharks their first lead of the game at 4:44 in the third, scoring on a two-on-one rush with a wrist shot that beat Hellebuyck.

Winnipeg’s top-ranked power play was 2-for-2, with goals from Scheifele and Connor. The Jets are 32-for-101 (31.7 percent) on the power play this season.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Jets atop the West looking to take advantage of Sharks’ defensive struggles

Winnipeg Jets (NHL)

The Sharks’ weak defense will face a tough test when they host the high-scoring Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.

Winnipeg is averaging 3.66 goals per game, and 12 Jets players have at least 11 points. This balanced offense, combined with excellent goaltending from Connor Hellebuyck (2.11 goals-against average, .926 save percentage), has helped the Jets rise to the top of the Western Conference.

In contrast, the struggling Sharks are allowing 3.45 goals per game and 32.5 shots per game, which are among the highest in the NHL.

The difference between the two teams was clear in their first meeting of the season, when the Jets dominated the Sharks 8-3 in Winnipeg on October 18. The eight goals were the most the Jets scored in a game and the most the Sharks have allowed this season.

San Jose is 1-4-0 in its last five games, including a tough 4-3 home loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday. Utah outshot the Sharks 40-22, and Clayton Keller scored a power-play goal with just 44 seconds left to win the game.

In the third period, Utah outshot San Jose 17-4, even though Fabian Zetterlund’s power-play goal gave the Sharks a 3-2 lead five minutes into the period. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky felt his team lacked a “killer instinct” after taking the lead, saying, “we just stopped playing.”

“We looked for someone else to do each other’s jobs. … We get on our heels and we wait for bad stuff to happen. And it’s just a bad way to play this game,” he said.

San Jose Sharks (NHL)

Vitek Vanecek stopped 36 of 40 shots in the loss on Saturday, trying his best to stop Utah’s pressure. Vanecek could start again on Tuesday, or the Sharks may give Alexandar Georgiev his second start since joining the team.

The Jets are 4-1-1 in their last six games, coming off a 4-2 home win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. Winnipeg was led by strong special teams, as their penalty-kill unit was perfect, stopping all four power-play opportunities, and the power-play unit scored twice on six chances.

“That’s how you win in this league,” Hellebuyck said about the special teams. “Especially at this time, when things are getting tighter and teams are figuring out their game and bouncing back from bad games or whatnot. Your big guys have got to bring their A-game on a consistent basis.”

The penalty-kill shutout ended a streak of five straight games where the Jets allowed at least one power-play goal. While the penalty kill has been a weak spot for the Jets, their power play is the best in the NHL at 30.3 percent as of Monday.

Since Winnipeg plays the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, Hellebuyck and backup goalie Eric Comrie will likely share the goaltending duties in the back-to-back games.

Kyle Connor leads the Jets with 38 points (17 goals, 21 assists). Mikael Granlund is the Sharks’ top point scorer with 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists).

No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini is living up to the hype in his rookie season with 10 goals and 10 assists in his first 21 NHL games. He also has five points (two goals, three assists) during a current three-game point streak.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Clayton Keller scored the game-winning goal as Utah defeated the San Jose Sharks

Utah Hockey Club and San Jose Sharks

Clayton Keller scored the game-winning goal and provided an assist as the Utah Hockey Club narrowly defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-3 on Saturday night in the Bay Area.

Nick Schmaltz contributed a goal and an assist, while Dylan Guenther and Michael Carcone also scored for Utah. Logan Cooley and Mikhail Sergachev each added two assists. Utah has now won two games in a row and four out of their last five. Karel Vejmelka made 19 saves to secure the win.

Fabian Zetterlund scored and added an assist for San Jose, while Alexander Wennberg and Mikael Granlund also found the back of the net. San Jose has lost four of its last five games. Vitek Vanecek stopped 36 shots in the loss.

Guenther opened the scoring at 7:27 when his shot from the slot deflected off Wennberg and past Vanecek, marking his team-leading 13th goal of the season. He has had points in five straight games (three goals, five assists).

Wennberg tied the game 1-1 at 14:58 of the first period, beating Vejmelka on the glove side for his eighth goal of the season. Barclay Goodrow, in his 600th career game, assisted on the goal.

San Jose Sharks (NHL)

San Jose took a 2-1 lead at 14:11 of the second period when Granlund scored off a rebound from Zetterlund’s shot, beating Vejmelka on the short side for his team-leading 11th goal of the season.

Utah tied it up 2-2 on a power play at 18:52 in the second when Schmaltz tipped a pass from Cooley past Vanecek for his fifth goal of the year.

Zetterlund gave San Jose a 3-2 lead at 5:00 of the third period when he one-timed a pass from Nikolai Kovalenko past Vejmelka for his 10th goal of the season. Kovalenko now has four assists in two games since being traded from the Colorado Avalanche on Monday.

Carcone tied the game 3-3 at 9:49 by tapping in a cross-ice pass from Kevin Stenlund for his third goal of the season.

Keller scored the winner with 43.8 seconds left on a power play, beating Vanecek with a shot from the point for his 10th goal of the season. Keller has three goals and three assists in his last five games.

This was the second of three meetings between the teams. San Jose and Utah will conclude their season series on January 10 in Salt Lake City.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

The addition of new players strengthens the Sharks as they prepare for their game against Utah

San Jose Sharks (NHL)

The San Jose Sharks are looking to secure back-to-back wins when they start a three-game homestand against the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday.

Rookie Macklin Celebrini scored two goals and added an assist to help the Sharks defeat St. Louis 4-3 on Thursday. This win ended a three-game losing streak and wrapped up their six-game road trip with a 3-3-0 record. Jake Walman and Tyler Toffoli also scored in the win.

Goaltender Alexandar Georgiev and forward Nikolai Kovalenko, who was traded from the Colorado Avalanche on Monday, made their debuts with the Sharks on Thursday and had an immediate impact. Georgiev stopped 17 shots, and Kovalenko recorded three assists.

Georgiev said, “I’m pretty happy with the effort. I need to track the goals on video, but I felt like I was in the right places a lot. … I tried to enjoy it a lot and just keep battling to the end here and got the job done.

I’m super happy for (Kovalenko). He’s such a skilled player. I’m glad he’s getting the opportunity and got the most out of it today, for sure. It’s going to be fun playing with him again here.”

Saturday’s game will be the second of three meetings between the Sharks and Utah HC. The first game, on October 28, saw the Sharks win 5-4 in overtime. Alex Wennberg scored the game-winner, while Fabian Zetterlund scored twice and Mikael Granlund added a goal and two assists.

Utah Hockey Club (NHL)

Granlund leads the Sharks with 21 assists and 31 points in 30 games. Toffoli has 12 goals, the most on the team, in 32 games. Celebrini, the first overall pick in this year’s draft, has 19 points (10 goals, nine assists) in 20 games.

Georgiev is 9-7-0 with a 3.36 goals-against average and a .873 save percentage in 19 games this season. He has not yet played against Utah.

Utah is also coming off a win, defeating the host Avalanche 4-1 on Thursday. Dylan Guenther scored two goals and added an assist, while Vladislav Kolyachonok and Kevin Stenlund also scored for Utah. The team has won three of its last four games.

Utah coach Andre Tourigny said, “I think we played really solid defensively. We were in the lanes, we had good sticks, we protected our slot really well, and we had great goaltending. Got the goals we needed, and we played solid without the puck.”

Guenther, who leads Utah with 12 goals and 28 points in 29 games, has points in four straight games, with two goals and five assists. Clayton Keller, the Utah captain, has nine goals and 26 points in 29 games. His three-game point streak was snapped in the win over the Avalanche.

Goaltender Karel Vejmelka is 5-7-2 this season with a 2.36 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage in 16 games. In his five career games against the Sharks, Vejmelka has a 2-3-0 record with a .916 save percentage and a 2.86 GAA.

The Sharks and Utah will play their final game of the season series on January 10 in Salt Lake City.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Macklin Celebrini recorded three points to help the Sharks edge past the Blues in a close game

San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues

Rookie Macklin Celebrini scored two goals and added an assist to help the San Jose Sharks defeat the St. Louis Blues 4-3 on Thursday.

Jake Walman contributed a goal and an assist, Tyler Toffoli scored, and Nikolai Kovalenko had three assists as the Sharks ended their three-game losing streak.

Alexandar Georgiev made 17 saves in his Sharks debut. He and Kovalenko were traded from the Colorado Avalanche for Mackenzie Blackwood and Givani Smith on Monday.

Jake Neighbours scored a goal and added an assist for the Blues, who had just their second loss in regulation in the last eight games (5-2-1) since Jim Montgomery became the coach.

Brayden Schenn and Jordan Kyrou also scored for the Blues, while Jordan Binnington made 27 saves.

Toffoli gave the Sharks the lead just 1:21 into the game. He scored off a rebound after Binnington turned the puck over behind his net.

St. Louis Blues players celebrate in the 3rd period

Neighbours tied the game 1-1 midway through the first period. He received a pass from Ryan Suter, skated up the left wing, and scored with a toe-drag move to the middle.

Celebrini gave the Sharks a 2-1 lead at 5:43 in the second period. He raced up the left wing, tried to pass to Toffoli, but the pass was blocked by Blues defenseman Colton Parayko. The puck bounced back to Celebrini, who scored as Binnington was caught out of position.

The Sharks pressured on a late second-period power play. Celebrini finished the flurry by scoring from the left faceoff dot off a pass from Mikael Granlund at 19:53, giving the Sharks a 3-1 lead.

Schenn cut the lead to 3-2 with a rebound goal at 5:34 in the third period after Mathew Kessel shot the puck into traffic.

However, just 27 seconds later, Walman scored to make it 4-2 from the left wing on a two-on-one pass from Kovalenko.

Kyrou answered back, making it 4-3 by scoring off a touch pass from Pavel Buchnevich at 7:57.

With Binnington pulled for an extra attacker, Buchnevich hit the left post in the final moments, and St. Louis’ comeback attempt fell short.

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Hurricanes net two goals in the third period to edge out the Sharks

Carolina Hurricanes and San Jose Sharks

Jalen Chatfield scored the game-winning goal with 2:39 left to help the Carolina Hurricanes come back and beat the San Jose Sharks 3-2 on Tuesday in Raleigh, N.C.

Defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Brent Burns also scored for the Hurricanes, who were down 2-1 going into the third period.

Burns tied the game at 4:11 in the third with his second goal of the season, and Chatfield followed with his third goal, directing the puck to the ice with his glove and firing a shot that deflected off a San Jose player for an unassisted goal.

Pyotr Kochetkov made 21 saves as Carolina earned its second win in the last six games (2-4-0).

Luke Kunin scored both goals for the Sharks, who lost their third straight game. Vitek Vanecek made 25 saves.

Neither team scored on the power play, with the Hurricanes failing to convert on four opportunities. The teams combined for 0-for-7 on power plays.

New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes

San Jose, playing its fifth game on a six-game road trip, was outshot 28-23 and didn’t create a quality scoring chance in the third period until the final 90 seconds.

Martin Necas, who was tied for first in the NHL with 42 points, assisted on Burns’ goal.

Gostisbehere gave the Hurricanes an early lead in the first period, scoring his sixth goal of the season at 4:26.

Kunin scored his seventh and eighth goals in a 12-minute stretch. His first goal tied the game with 1:09 left in the first period, and his second put the Sharks ahead at 11:44 of the second period.

San Jose had scored just one goal in regulation in each of its last three games.

Sebastian Aho assisted on Burns’ tying goal. About three minutes after Burns’ goal, Carolina’s Seth Jarvis hit the post with a shot.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Hurricanes look to bounce back as Sharks come to town

Carolina Hurricanes (NHL)

The Carolina Hurricanes have gone nearly two weeks without feeling like everything is working together. This is unusual for a team that has been strong for most of the past few seasons. They will have another chance to work through their issues on Tuesday night when the San Jose Sharks come to Raleigh, N.C.

The Hurricanes have lost four of their last five games, most recently falling 4-3 to the New York Islanders on Saturday. Andrei Svechnikov scored two power-play goals, giving Carolina a 2-1 lead midway through the second period, but the Islanders scored three goals before the second intermission to take control.

Turnovers have caused problems for Carolina.

“We’re just a little off,” said Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour. “We forget how hard it is (not only) to play our game, but to win. Can’t take it for granted. … We’ve gotta regain it. There’s only one way to play. There’s no easy way. We’ll get there.”

Now could be a good time for the Hurricanes to find their rhythm with the start of a four-game homestand before heading on the road for four straight games that will stretch past Christmas.

The Sharks are also dealing with their own struggles after losing two games in a row. They have scored just one goal in regulation in each of their last three games.

“I think at times we play in fear and we lose our swagger,” said Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky. “That’s where we’re at right now.”

The Sharks lost 3-1 on Saturday to Florida, despite a strong performance by goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, who made 49 saves. Warsofsky called it “one of the best goalie performances (he’s) ever seen,” but on Monday the Sharks traded Blackwood to the Colorado Avalanche and got veteran goalie Alexandar Georgiev in return.

There wasn’t much to say after the Panthers outshot the Sharks 52-22.

San Jose Sharks (NHL)

“There is a lot you can learn from that team,” said Sharks center Nico Sturm. “The next step for us as a team is playing with the swagger and the belief in ourselves.”

For the Hurricanes, fewer shots on goal have limited their usual ability to trouble their opponents.

“We’ve got to make it a lot harder,” said Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. “We’ve got to find it. We need to find that consistency with what we were doing early in the season and we’ll turn it around.”

In the last three games, the Hurricanes have scored five power-play goals. Gostisbehere says this is due to players becoming more comfortable with their roles on the power play.

But this isn’t enough to fix Carolina’s slump. “We’ve got to get our 5-on-5 game going,” Brind’Amour said.

Svechnikov had a career-high four-point game (one goal, three assists) in Carolina’s most recent home game, a win against Colorado last week. He followed that up with two power-play goals on Saturday.

Gostisbehere believes the team can get back to its best. The players know there are areas that need improvement.

“It’s hard to chase games in this league,” Gostisbehere said. “It’s tough when you try to come from behind. It’s little things that have crept into our game the last five.”

Over the weekend, the Hurricanes made a roster move, placing forward Brendan Lemieux on waivers before he was released.

San Jose is on its fifth consecutive road game, with one more stop on the trip at St. Louis on Thursday. Sharks forward Will Smith didn’t play on Saturday and is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

The Sharks and Hurricanes won’t play each other again until March 20.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Matthew Tkachuk leads Panthers to victory, keeping Sharks at a distance

Florida Panthers and San Jose Sharks

Matthew Tkachuk scored twice, helping the Florida Panthers win 3-1 against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday in Sunrise, Fla.

Aleksander Barkov also scored for the Panthers, who have now won 11 straight games against the Sharks and have earned points in six consecutive games (5-0-1).

Sergei Bobrovsky, who had missed the Panthers’ previous two games due to the birth of his child, made 28 saves for his 14th career win against the Sharks.

Tyler Toffoli scored the only goal for the Sharks. San Jose has lost two straight games after winning three in a row.

Mackenzie Blackwood made 50 saves in the losing effort.

Florida outshot San Jose 13-6 in the first period and led 1-0 after the opening 20 minutes.

Tkachuk scored just 23 seconds into the game, knocking in his own rebound for his ninth goal of the season. Sam Bennett assisted on the goal, extending his point streak to seven games.

San Jose Sharks (NHL)

Tkachuk added a second goal in the second period, beating Blackwood with a backhand at 10:05 to make it 2-0. Tkachuk now has five goals and 10 assists during his six-game point streak.

Barkov made it 3-0 with a power-play goal, one-timing a pass from Carter Verhaeghe past Blackwood for his eighth goal of the season at 13:17 of the second period.

Toffoli scored for the Sharks on a power play at 18:35 of the third period, redirecting a pass from Mikael Granlund past Bobrovsky for his team-leading 11th goal of the season.

On Friday, the Panthers recalled forward Mackie Samoskevich from the Charlotte Checkers and loaned goaltender Chris Driedger to the AHL club.

Samoskevich made his debut on Saturday, playing 9:08 and recording a shot on goal.

This was the first meeting of the season between the Sharks and Panthers.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Following a seven-goal outburst, the Panthers look to take advantage of the Sharks

Florida Panthers (NHL)

The Florida Panthers will look to secure back-to-back victories when they play the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.

Florida lost a 3-0 lead in Philadelphia on Thursday but managed to recover and win 7-5 against the Flyers. Sam Reinhart scored a goal and added two assists, while Matthew Tkachuk contributed a goal and four assists for the Panthers, who have now won four of their last five games (4-0-1).

Aleksander Barkov, Evan Rodrigues, and Carter Verhaeghe each had a goal and an assist in the victory.

Gustav Forsling and Niko Mikkola also scored for Florida, which went 4-for-5 on the power play.

“It’s not a recipe for success down the road,” Tkachuk said. “But I guess we found a way to get this one. It was crazy. Special teams were good for us to get us a few goals. And I guess we needed them tonight.”

Reinhart is tied for the league lead with 19 goals entering Friday and has a team-high 37 points in 27 games this season.

On Friday, the Panthers recalled forward Mackie Samoskevich from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers and sent goaltender Chris Driedger to the AHL team. These moves suggest that goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has returned to the team after missing the last two games for the birth of his child.

Bobrovsky has a record of 11-5-1, with a .890 save percentage and a 3.04 goals-against average in 17 starts this season. In 20 career games against the Sharks, he is 13-5-2 with a .933 save percentage and a 2.29 GAA.

Saturday will be the first of two meetings this season between the Sharks and Panthers. Florida won both games last season, 3-1 at home on Oct. 24 and 5-3 in San Jose on Nov. 14.

Tampa Bay Lightning and San Jose Sharks

San Jose is on a six-game road trip and is looking to avoid a second consecutive loss. The Sharks were crushed 8-1 by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, ending their three-game winning streak.

Alexander Wennberg scored the only goal for San Jose, and Vitek Vanecek allowed five goals on Tampa’s first 12 shots before being replaced by Mackenzie Blackwood.

“We weren’t ready from the start,” said San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky. “Didn’t skate, didn’t compete … didn’t do anything well. Disappointing. I thought we had a good morning skate, good energy, good meetings.

“… I thought our guys were excited for the challenge tonight, but we got a reality check of when you don’t skate, and you don’t compete against really good hockey or any team in the National Hockey League, this is what’s going to happen.”

Rookie forward Macklin Celebrini, the 2024 first overall pick, saw his five-game point streak come to an end in the loss.

Tyler Toffoli and Mikael Granlund are tied for the team lead with 10 goals each. Granlund also has a team-high 29 points in 27 games this season.

Blackwood is 6-8-3 with a .907 save percentage and a 3.00 GAA in 18 games this season. He has a 3-3-0 record in six career games against the Panthers, with a .913 save percentage and a 3.34 GAA.

The Sharks and Panthers will play their final game of the season series on Jan. 25 in San Jose.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Lightning dominate Sharks with five goals in first period for easy win

Tampa Bay Lightning and San Jose Sharks

Brandon Hagel scored two goals in just 23 seconds during a five-goal first period as the Tampa Bay Lightning easily defeated the San Jose Sharks 8-1 on Thursday.

Cam Atkinson and Conor Geekie each had a goal and an assist before Hagel scored twice. Jake Guentzel, who finished with two points, added a goal to end the explosive period, helping the Lightning move closer to an 8-0-1 record in their last nine games against San Jose.

Anthony Cirelli, Nick Perbix, and Nick Paul also scored for Tampa Bay. Brayden Point recorded a career-high four assists in his 600th NHL game, while Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh each provided two assists.

Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy made 20 saves to improve his all-time record to 8-2-0 against San Jose. This was his second win in his last five starts. The Lightning have alternated wins and losses over their past six games.

Alexander Wennberg scored for the Sharks, who dropped to 4-8-4 on the road and had their three-game winning streak come to an end.

San Jose Sharks (NHL)

Sharks goalie Vitek Vanecek gave up five goals on 12 shots and was pulled after the first period. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 21 of 24 shots in relief.

Despite playing without top-line right winger Nikita Kucherov, the Lightning were dominant, getting two goals from their third line on their first six shots.

Atkinson scored Tampa Bay’s third shot on Vanecek just 86 seconds into the game by deflecting Geekie’s long shot for his third goal. Geekie added his fourth goal at 7:29.

Hagel then scored twice, first deking Vanecek at 8:32, and then adding his 12th goal at 8:55, giving Tampa Bay three goals in 1:26. Guentzel capped the period with his 11th goal on a power play at 17:45.

In the second period, McDonagh’s shot was tipped in by Cirelli for his 11th goal, and ninth in his last 10 games, at 4:16. Perbix added his third goal to extend the lead to 7-0 by the end of the second period.

Wennberg scored his seventh goal to break Vasilevskiy’s shutout bid just 14 seconds into the third period.

Paul, returning after missing six games, responded with his sixth goal at 6:01, tying Tampa Bay’s season-high goal total.