SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks have only one preseason sport left after their 3-2 shootout loss to the Anaheim Geese on Friday evening at SAP Middle.
Klim Kostin and Henry Thrun each scored and goalie Vitek Vanecek completed with 40 saves in regulation time and extra time because the Sharks fell to 1-3-1 this preseason. San Jose, which didn’t rating within the shootout, closes its exhibition schedule Saturday evening in Las Vegas in opposition to the Golden Knights.
The Sharks have declared nothing, however it will seem — in the intervening time — that just one or two spots on the crew’s 23-man roster can be found.
A type of closing selections may be whether or not to maintain a heavyweight ahead like Givani Smith to assist provide extra safety to Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith or a prospect like Danil Gushchin and even Ethan Cardwell.
If that’s the case, the Sharks’ easy choice can be to maintain the 26-year-old Givani Smith, who would should be positioned on waivers to be despatched to the AHL, and assign the others, who don’t want waivers, to the Barracuda.
Will it’s that easy?
The Sharks additionally solely have eight wholesome defensemen in camp proper now. Suppose Marc-Edouard Vlasic can’t return from his higher physique damage quickly. In that case, Jack Thompson or Luca Cagnoni will possible be on the NHL roster, becoming a member of Mario Ferraro, Jan Rutta, Cody Ceci, Jake Walman, Henry Thrun, and Matt Benning.
Listed below are some takeaways from Friday’s sport.
FINDING THE IDENTITY?: Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky mentioned the most important factor he needed to see Friday evening was his crew enjoying nearer to its desired identification: fast breakouts, velocity via the impartial zone, clear entries, and numbers across the puck all sport.
“That’s our biggest goal for tonight,” Warsofsky mentioned. “We’ll let the scoreboard take care of itself, but we want to see our identity come out more consistently.
“I’d like to see us when something goes wrong — maybe it’s a goal, maybe it’s a bad call — can we respond and get back to our identity of a group a little bit quicker than we have.”
After sleepwalking via the primary 20 minutes, the Sharks have been significantly better within the second interval, beginning with their power-play aim 53 seconds in. Will Smith took a move from Walman and fired a from close to the faceoff dot that missed the online. However the puck got here proper to Kostin, who had an open web to shoot at for his second aim of the preseason.
SOLIDIFYING A SPOT?: Givani Smith began the sport on the fourth line with Nico Sturm and Ethan Cardwell and appeared to assist solidify his spot on the Sharks’ 23-man roster.
Smith confirmed a velvety contact at occasions Friday when he possessed the puck, establishing each Sturm and Ferraro for scoring possibilities. He additionally made a play behind the Geese web, bouncing the puck off the again of the online to himself earlier than passing to Carl Grundstrom, who drew a penalty.
Smith is the heaviest Sharks ahead and one in every of their most skilled fighters. Now in his sixth NHL season, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Smith has fought 19 occasions in 155 NHL video games, together with 4 occasions in 36 video games with the Sharks final season.
Why does that matter? The Sharks must do a greater job of sticking up for each other this season and sending a message that their teenage stars, Celebrini and Will Smith, are to not be trifled with. Combating has decreased within the NHL however hasn’t disappeared, and rat-like habits definitely hasn’t gone away.
“That’s our future right there, so we’ve got to protect our assets,” Smith mentioned Friday morning. “It’s big for him to be comfortable and to play to the best of his abilities, he’s got to feel protected on the ice. As a young kid, you really want to feel that.”
The Sharks have guys who can drop the gloves in Barclay Goodrow, Luke Kunin, and Ty Dellandrea. However the Sharks would reasonably have them on the ice than serving combating majors, and the presence of Smith might take a few of that accountability off their respective plates.
“Every day, I’ve got to come here, and if I’m playing or not playing, I just want to be always ready,” Smith mentioned.
THE OTHER SMITH: Will Smith appeared to play a bit higher in his second preseason sport than his first, and on Friday, appeared to play a bit higher in his third sport than his second.
Smith’s help on Kostin’s aim was his first level of the preseason, and he later arrange Gushchin for a one-timer with a pleasant cross-ice move. He additionally drew a penalty on Geese ahead Robby Fabbri, and later arrange William Eklund for a Grade An opportunity on one other energy play with a fast move to the slot after he took the puck from Fabian Zetterlund.
Smith performed Friday on a line with Fabian Zetterlund and Gushchin.
