Less than a year ago, the San Jose Sharks and the Columbus Blue Jackets were vying to see which team would finish in the basement of the NHL. The Blue Jackets finished the season 29th with 66 points and a minus-63 goal differential. Meantime, the Sharks finished 32nd with 47 points and a minus-150 goal differential. While both teams have made strides this season, it is clear that the Blue Jackets have made enough changes to jump from 29th last season to playoff contention this season.
The Blue Jackets jumped on the Sharks early in the game and capitalized on the team’s chances. By the end of 20 minutes, the Sharks were already playing from behind, down 2-0 at the first intermission. Columbus tacked on a third goal in the second period and by the time the Sharks managed to get one past goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, it was too little, too late. The Tyler Toffoli tally helped prevent the shutout, but the Sharks would not find the back of the net again.
Looking at Natural Stat Trick’s Corsi differential in all situations, there’s one key that the Sharks can take away from this game — playoff-contending teams, even ones on the outskirts, jump on teams early and don’t let up until the final horn sounds.
While the Sharks battled hard in the latter half of the second period and through the third period, a three-goal deficit is much more difficult to come back from than a zero-zero tie at the start of the game.
This is a lesson a young team should be learning, and provided they learn it quickly, it shouldn’t be a problem as the team grows.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic’s 1,300th NHL game
Marc-Edouard Vlasic did not record a point and the Sharks did not win, but we should still take a moment to mark the defenseman’s 1,300th game in the NHL. Among Sharks players, only Patrick Marleau has played more games in a teal jersey than Vlasic.
The NHL Player’s Association paid tribute to Vlasic before the game, creating a very nice graphic to honor the defenseman.
1️⃣, 3️⃣0️⃣0️⃣!
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) January 17, 2025
Congratulations to Marc-Edouard Vlasic, the only @SanJoseSharks defenceman to play 1,300 NHL games for the club 🦈 pic.twitter.com/dj40ueYYkT
The NHL also recognized Vlasic, snagging a photo from his very first season with the Sharks in 2006, amusingly not in the teal jersey, and putting it alongside a photo from this season, also not in the teal jersey.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic is just the 73rd player in NHL history to hit 1,300 games! 🦈 pic.twitter.com/LcsbDGzNAn
— NHL (@NHL) January 17, 2025
And while Sharks fans might lament the player that Vlasic is now, specifically how his play does not live up to his contract at the age of 37, it would be good to remember what he was like in the early 2010s when he was absolutely dominating every NHL team’s top line night in and night out.
Prime Marc-Édouard Vlasic was crazy #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/um3ULY0nJe
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 23, 2023
Congratulations to MEV for reaching this incredible milestone.
Don’t blame Georgiev for last night’s result
While the stat sheet will read 4-1 in favor of the Blue Jackets, Alexandar Georgiev had a perfectly fine night in net for the Sharks. The netminder only allowed three goals, that fourth one was an empty netter, and outpaced Natural Stat Trick’s expected goals against of 3.49. He finished the night with a .909 save percentage, stopping 30 of the 33 shots he faced.
It was not a show-stopping night, but it was the kind of night that you would not mind getting from your netminder.
At the other end of the ice, Merzlikins was not challenged … at all.
As you can see from Natural Stat Trick’s heat map in all situations, Merzlikins had a fairly easy time seeing the puck.
Merzlikins stopped 14 of the 15 shots he faced last night and the only goal he allowed was up close. For the most part, the Sharks were kept to the perimeter. In fact, when you look at Macklin Celebrini’s assist on the Tyler Toffoli goal (below), you can see that he, too, had to make the pass from the perimeter just to get Toffoli a chance on the net.
Sharks highlight vs. Columbus Blue Jackets Jan. 16, 2025
The highlight of the night is the Sharks’ only goal of the night, a nice feed from Celebrini to Toffoli in front of the net.
That 70s line strikes again.
That 70’s Line gets the Sharks on the board 🙌
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) January 17, 2025
pic.twitter.com/NQ25EcXJ7R
Scoring summary Sharks at Blue Jackets Jan. 16, 2025
First Period
12:11 CBJ Adam Fantilli from Zach Werenski
16:17 CBJ Kent Johnson from Sean Kuraly
Second Period
6:37 CBJ James van Riemsdyk from Damon Severson and Kent Johnson
Third Period
7:32 SJS Tyler Toffoli from Macklin Celebrini
17:59 CBJ James van Riemsdyk from Kirill Marchenko
