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Quick bites: 83 seconds was all it took

Posted on by Erika Towne

83 seconds. One minute and 23 seconds. Less time than it takes took cook your morning Eggo waffle. In the span of 83 seconds, the San Jose Sharks went from a 2-1 lead against the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-2 deficit. And then, as if to add an exclamation point to the win, Connor Bedard scored with a fraction of a second left on the clock to make it a 5-2 final.

The first period went well for the Sharks. The team held its own and even managed to take advantage of a few mistakes by the Blackhawks. Going into the lockerroom with a 2-0 lead for a rookie netminder had to be close to what the coaching staff was looking for after that 4-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.

When the Sharks went into the lockerroom after the second period with a 2-1 lead, it certainly looked like the team had a win within its reach.

However, as has been customary for the Sharks during this entire season, the players simply could not figure out how to play the full 60 minutes. Too often this season, the team doesn’t just give up one goal but a cascade of them in a matter of seconds. That’s what happened last night as well. Ryan Donato scored at 10:39 of the second period and tied the game. The Sharks tried to regain the momentum; after all, the game was tied, but the lack of hustle led to a second goal at 11:51, and then the team crumbled. Nine seconds after that, there was another one in the net for Chicago.

Devin Cooley deserves praise for his performance

For two periods, Devin Cooley was well in command of the net. It was the first NHL start for the Los Gatos native and he did not look out of place. He stopped all of the eight shots he faced in the first period and then followed that up by stopping 14 of 15 shots in the second period. The one goal that got by him was a tough one to handle.

The Blackhawks came in on a mini 3-on-2. Kevin Labanc was slow to get back to help turn it into a 3-on-3. As he was going to cover one player, Jacob MacDonald switched coverage on him and Labanc was slow to make the second switch. As a result, the Blackhawks’ Philipp Kurashev was left all alone in front of the net for an easy stick deflection past Cooley.

It was that kind of night in front of the rookie. The Sharks looked a little slow to catch up in their coverage while the Hawks looked well rested. The fourth goal of the night, the dagger, was a collective lazy play by Team Teal. Off the faceoff, the team seemed to scramble to find the puck. The Blackhawks players had no problem in that regard. While it looked like an even-strength goal, the truth is, it was more like a 3-on-1.

Congrats, Cooley, on your first NHL start. The Sharks should have done better in front of you.

Klim Kostin showing immediate impact

Is he a replacement for Tomas Hertl? Absolutely not. However, Klim Kostin has shown in these games since the trade deadline that he can have a positive impact on a team when put in a position to succeed. According to Hockey Stat Cards, Kostin was the most impactful forward on the ice for the Sharks.

He has earned his place alongside Mikael Granlund and Fabian Zetterlund on the top line. Kostin, scored the second goal of the night for the Sharks. Since coming over in a trade from the Detroit Red Wings, the 24-year-old forward has four points in five games.

While it might sound out of place when you tell people around the NHL that Kostin is a forward on the Sharks’ top line, he has more than earned his spot there with his ability to drive offense and his defensive responsibility.

Highlight of the night Sharks at Blackhawks March 17, 2024

Since lamenting over another Sharks loss gets tough at this time of year, we’re going to celebrate the win for the Cooley family tonight. Getting to watch someone you love achieve their dream is a huge deal and it should be celebrated.

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