Stenberg Scores 1st NHL Goal, But Bruins Double Up Sharks 6-3

The San Jose Sharks welcome the Boston Bruins into SAP Center.

Jacob Trouba and Ivar Stenberg and Macklin Celebrini scored, but the Sharks lost 6-3.

Period 1

Cagnoni doesn’t allow Hagens, I think, to exit. Got to re-watch, but nice-looking defensive work.

3 in: San Jose Sharks have started with a step, but hasn’t translated to great chances yet. Graf had made a nice move out of the OZ corner, and forced a bad-angle shot, which I liked, actually. Sharks need more shot mentality. And it leads to a power play, drawn by Celebrini.

PP1 is Cagnoni-Stenberg-Celebrini-Smith-Wennberg. Look out of sorts. One solid entry was off a broken play, Wennberg just took it in himself. Smith, I think, passed up a shot that maybe he should’ve taken.

7 in: Chernyshov steals it high from Lohrei, but looks a little out of gas. Nonetheless, he and his linemates advance it up the ice, but Chernyshov whiffs on an one-timer.

9 in: A little cycle from San Jose Sharks, much needed. Started by nifty entry by Cagnoni, who dumps it in, then Wennberg doesn’t allow an exit, clever low-to-high from Toffoli to Kesselring, but deflected out.

10 in: Good battle between Ostapchuk and Borgen, Borgen takes it from him down low, then vice versa. Zack has looked good so far tonight.

Minten goal: Misa line got hemmed in. Stenberg had the puck in DZ, but without any options, he made a safe play to get it out, but only up to center ice, maybe he should’ve gone farther down? Bruins able to reload and Minten guns it high coming down the slot. Sharks had decent energy to start and a power play, but now they’re down.

7 left: Celebrini has been called offsides on a couple PP entries already. Not on the same page so far. Now Cagnoni missed Celebrini on an honestly routine-looking pass up. It’s ugly. And PP2 of Orlov-Chernyshov-Marchment-Toffoli-Misa can’t do much better.

Trouba goal: Basically a power play goal, it was expiring as Trouba fired it. Sharks really needed it. Trouba just blasts it from the top, a screen, maybe it hit something? And Swayman can’t pick it up. But a good remedy for a couple ugly power plays so far.

4 left: Good partnership. Trouba gets caught up the ice a little, Sherwood had intercepted a pass on the forecheck but Misa was stifled up high, Peterka thought he had some daylight coast to coast, but Dickinson tracks back hard, forces Peterka to shoot sooner than desired.

McAvoy goal: More sloppiness. Goodrow, trying to clear from slot, but McAvoy gets a stick on it as Goodrow trying to settle the puck down, and Askarov forced to make a save. He’s out of position and Peterka centers it, McAvoy had kept going forward, established position on Goodrow. Bang-bang play.

The San Jose Sharks feel like they should be leading or at least tied, two power plays, and they’ve had good energy. Wasted power plays loom large.

Period 2

Warsofsky has matched best-on-best, Celebrini vs. Zacha, Celebrini’s line has done well.

2 in: Good forecheck work from Misa and Stenberg, and Sherwood sets up Stenberg in slot. Earlier on rush, Misa had set up Sherwood for a chance. Slow start in first, but good shift for them here.

3 in: Ostapchuk line on it, Goodrow has deflection in front, Ostapchuk a tank along the wall. Good ground game from them tonight.

Zadorov penalty: Celebrini draws another. Orlov replaces Cagnoni on PP1.

Stenberg goal: What a shot-pass by Celebrini.

6 in: Ostapchuk just erases Jeannot along the wall. Again, really loving his game tonight.

Poitras goal: Man, the Sharks just can’t carry any momentum tonight. Kastelic passes from behind goal line. He’s beat Stenberg, but Orlov is waiting on the other side of the post. Think Cagnoni just has to hold the danger man in the middle there.

Smith penalty: Another big kill. Think the Sharks really need to get out of this period down one or tied. Have played too well, overall, to be down two, but they’re facing that prospect.

Zacha goal: You need a stop there, emotionally. Yes, it was a 2-on-1. Trouba was up ice, Nurse back. All the forwards were behind the play. Celebrini and McAvoy had gotten into it in the OZ. Zacha’s a plenty good player, too. But three seconds left, just need a clutch stop when you’ve outshot the Bruins 25-17. On the forwards, plenty to learn there. Bad change. Stenberg got caught up with Lindholm, who had also given him a big shot. Chernyshov’s change wasn’t quick as can be. Trouba chased in the NZ, not the best read by him because it wasn’t a 50-50, but I think he reasonably expected a Sharks forward to cover for him.

San Jose Sharks have played fairly well, but the little mistakes just killing them.

Period 3

Chernyshov carries on a clear-cut 2-on-1…and his pass to Smith is intercepted. You don’t want to stop creativity, but man, down two, you need a chance there. That’s just clear-cut.

Cagnoni back on the ice with Orlov.

Celebrini goal: Big power play off too many men, Orlov at the point. Boston PK gets spread out, Smith at right point to Stenberg at left flank, who delivers a hard pass that Celebrini tees up. Also, a lot of complaining about Wennberg at the draw, which he loses, but since Celebrini not at the dot, he’s at the right point to stop rim, make a move, all things he couldn’t do if he was at the circle for the draw. When Celebrini is clearly a better faceoff man than Wennberg, or in general, then it might make more sense to force him into the circle there. But for now, there’s a benefit to getting Celebrini to his customary right flank (or even on the left side Wennberg draw, the high slot), both areas that Celebrini likes to shoot from. Also, Stenberg’s first multi-point effort.

Zadorov 10-9 over Nurse. What started that? They were supposed to be traded for another in the off-season, but Zadorov reportedly vetoed it, and Nurse went to Sharks instead. For what it’s worth, Zadorov denied that report.

Minten goal: Misa one-and-done in the OZ, the other way, 3-on-2, tough spot for the defense, a Boston pass deflects off Cagnoni to Khusnutdinov, who finds Minten. Cagoni and Kesselring can’t tie him up.

Related Headlines

• Preview/Lines #6: Misa Showing Promise, How Can He Gain Trust?
• Sharks Insight: How Did Celebrini Look in Return? Dickinson, Cagnoni Show Promise
• My Thoughts on Chernyshov on 4th Line, Shark Head Intro & More

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