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The San Jose Sharks opened the season this week, with two games against the Arizona Coyotes. Here’s the weekly recap.
SHARKS SPLIT TWO-GAME SERIES WITH COYOTES
The Sharks went 1-1 in their first two games of the season, against the Arizona Coyotes. The Sharks squeaked out a shootout win in the season opener, before falling 5-3 in the second meeting between the teams.
BALCERS CLAIMED BY SHARKS
The Sharks made a notable roster move this week, claiming forward Rudolfs Balcers off waivers from the Ottawa Senators. Balcers was originally drafted by the Sharks and was dealt to Ottawa as part of the Erik Karlsson trade.
JOEL KELLMAN PLACED ON WAIVERS
Forward Joel Kellman was placed on waivers by the Sharks today. Kellman played in San Jose’s first game against the Coyotes, registering one shot in just over 12 minutes of ice time.
As for our poll questions this week, here are some of the results, along with my thoughts on how they turned out:
QUESTION: Do you think the Sharks will finish ahead of the Coyotes in the standings this season?
(Votes: 62)
Yes: 58% No: 42%
As we saw in the first two games of the season, neither team is clearly better than the other. The Sharks and Coyotes should be fairly evenly matched throughout the season.
QUESTION: Do you think Rudolfs Balcers will earn a full-time role with the Sharks this season?
(Votes: 125)
Yes: 66% No: 34%
Claiming Balcers off waivers was a good move for the Sharks, but we’ll have to see whether he can earn a full-time spot in the Sharks’ lineup this season. San Jose may lack scoring depth once again and if so, Balcers could earn a larger role with a string of strong performances.
QUESTION: Who will lead the team in points this year?
(Votes: 44)
Tomas Hertl: 30% Logan Couture: 18% Erik Karlsson: 18% Timo Meier: 14% Evander Kane: 11% Brent Burns: 7% Someone else: 2%
I don’t think there’s necessarily a clear favourite here and obviously, injuries could play a factor as well. That said, Tomas Hertl is leading the way for the Sharks so far.
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OTHER SHARKS ARTICLES FROM JANUARY:
Breaking down the Sharks’ training camp roster Sharks missed opportunity to capitalize on free agent market Weekly Recap: Sharks Edition (January 3) West Division Comparison: Sharks/Avalanche West Division Comparison: Sharks/Wild Santeri Hatakka earns Bronze Medal with Finland at World Juniors West Division Comparison: Sharks/Blues Sharks/Golden Knights Comparison Sharks/Ducks Comparison Weekly Recap: Sharks Edition (January 10) West Division Comparison: Sharks/Coyotes Sharks claim Rudolfs Balcers, assign players to AHL Sharks announce roster and taxi squad San Jose Sharks 2020-21 Season Preview Sharks open season with shootout win over Coyotes Sharks fall to Coyotes in second game of season