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Quick bites: Game 2,500 in Sharks history

Posted on by Erika Towne
Sharks lose 7-2 to the New York Islanders and split the season series. Mike Hoffman and Thomas Bordeleau scored for the Sharks.

This was a milestone game for the San Jose Sharks’ franchise, the 2,500th game for team teal.

Unfortunately for the Sharks, we’ve come full circle. This game was very similar to the first 100 or so games in franchise history. Back when the Sharks were bad and scored on…a lot. Final score tonight was 7-2 in favor of the Islanders.

Mike Hoffman and Thomas Bordeleau scored for the Sharks, while a plethora of players scored for the Islanders. Brock Nelson and Bo Horvat each had three points. 11 different players had at least one point for the Islanders.

Trade deadline ripple effect

The trade deadline was front and center in tonight’s game. Both Anthony Duclair and Alexander Barabanov were kept out of the lineup due to “trade-related” reasons. Duclair’s removal came to fruition just a few hours before puck drop, when the team announced it had traded him and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a defensive prospect (Jack Thompson) and a 2024 third-round pick.

While Sharks players knew that it was happening, it’s still a shock when anyone gets moved out and the team had to deal with that in addition to getting ready for the game.

“It is definitely human nature. It’s in the back of your mind, and we’re gonna miss the guy like Dukie,” said Mario Ferraro after the game.

Zetterlund leaves game

As if the forward corps wasn’t depleted enough, Zetterlund left the game after he was cut in the face with a skateblade.

Here’s to hoping he’s okay.

Defense leaves Chrona out to dry

The numbers will tell you that Magnus Chrona was not good in net. He stopped 26 of 33 shots. The reality is a bit different. Once again, the defense was atrocious in front of a Sharks’ netminder, leaving the last line of defense all alone to fend for himself.

There was this play on the Islanders’ third goal of the night — back when the game was still within reach. The Sharks got all sccrambly and decided leaving Bo Horvat alone with the puck was a good plan. Spoiler alert. It was not.

And the passing on the Islanders’ fifth goal of the night was excellent, but you really would have liked to see someone, anyone for the Sharks break up one of those passes.

San Jose has gotten too comfortable this season with their goaltenders bailing them out of tough situations. With Mackenzie Blackwood and Kaapo Kahkonen, the experience allowed them to make up for stupid defensive mistakes. Their positioning was exceptional, and it minimized the mistakes that the players in front of them made.

However, when you put a learning goaltender like Chrona into the net, those mistakes are suddenly amplified. The players in front of him have not worked hard enough to allow Chrona the luxury of finding his game. If Kahkonen gets traded, the team will have to decide if it’s a trial by fire for Chrona or if the best thing for his development is to find a veteran goaltender who can get shelled if Mackenzie Blackwood is unable to play.

Highlight Islanders at Sharks March 7, 2024

Welcome back to the NHL, Bordeleau.

We’re giving our highlight of the night to the young forward who recently was recalled to the big club. With Duclair and Barabanov out of the lineup, Bordeleau received first unit power play time and made a heads up play in front of the net to deflect the puck past Ilya Sorokin.

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