The Sharks started strong, managing nine high-danger scoring chances in the first period and allowing just one (according to NaturalStatTrick.com). They came out slow in the second period, however, and the Ducks took over, before the game evened out in the third period.
Defensively, the Sharks were still allowing quality chances but it certainly wasn’t the worst performance we’ve seen this season. There were less odd-man rushes than usual, though defensive zone coverage is a separate issue.
I thought Sasha Chmelevski, who made his NHL debut, looked pretty decent in limited action and picked up an assist. He won’t be in the lineup tonight but personally, I thought he was working hard and was fairly involved for a first game.
Martin Jones also came up big in the shootout with some really good saves to secure the win. Jones wasn’t perfect last night but he did outperform John Gibson, which is no easy task.
It wasn’t a complete game by any means but the Sharks managed to get the job done and got a key win over the Ducks.
***NOTE: We've launched a HockeyBuzz Sharks Twitter account! For anyone interested, you can follow @HB_Sharks for updates on articles, Sharks news, etc.***
Were you happy with Sasha Chmelevski's performance in his first NHL game?
San Jose Sharks Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»