The San Jose Sharks have had the team’s brief three-game win streak cut short by the visiting Buffalo Sabres. Despite going up 2-0 in the first 11 minutes of the game, the Sharks could not score any more, giving Buffalo a turn at the offensive wheel. The Sabres did more damage, scoring five unanswered goals en route to a 5-2 victory.
Watching what happened on the ice was a strange juxtaposition of the Sharks’ past and the team’s future. Jan. 27 marked Shakir Mukhamadullin’s first game in teal. He is currently the Sharks’ best defensive prospect. Meanwhile, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, San Jose’s oldest and most veteran defenseman, showed he has something left in the tank. Vlasic, who was healthy scratched for almost two dozen games this season, was the Sharks’ best player on the ice yesterday, according to @HockeyStatCards on Twitter.
#NHL GameScore Impact Card for San Jose Sharks on 2024-01-27:#SJSharks pic.twitter.com/bTzRoN2RnW
— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) January 27, 2024
Vlasic scored a goal and had several other scoring opportunities throughout the game. It was his third goal in the past seven games. He finished the night with 17:56 of ice time.
Mukhamadullin makes his Sharks’ debut
On the other end of the spectrum was Mukhamadullin, who at 22 years and 17 days, is the third youngest defenseman to make his NHL debut with the club. Vlasic remains the youngest at 19 years and 189 days.
Shakir Mukhamadullin is among the starters as he makes his NHL debut today.
— San Jose Sharks PR (@SanJoseSharksPR) January 27, 2024
Mukhamadullin, acquired via trade with New Jersey in February, is one day younger (22 years, 17 days) than fellow Sharks defenseman Henry Thrun was when he made his debut (22 years, 18 days) last spring.…
For Mukhamadullin, there was a lot to like about his game. He didn’t get on the scoresheet, but he kept up with the increased speed that occurs during a hockey game. At one point, he took a little too much time to handle a pass at the blueline and send it to the net for a scoring chance. The Buffalo forward simply closed in too quickly and took the puck away, sending it to the neutral zone. Instead of panicking, Mukhamadullin played the body. He did just enough to prevent the Buffalo forward from getting out of the Sharks’ zone cleanly and potentially leading the Sabres on an odd-man rush in the other direction. It’s that kind of split-second decision-making that made it feel like Mukhamadullin was going to be okay in the NHL.
Mukhamadullin was fourth on the Sharks in ice time for his first game. He played 19:21 minutes behind only Jan Rutta, Ty Emberson and Fabian Zetterlund. Mukhamadullin kept his shifts short. They averaged about 41 seconds. However, he got some time on the power play. Playing 1:40 minutes and receiving some time with the top unit.
For a first outing in the NHL on a crappy team, it went very well.
Meier trade paying dividends for the Sharks
The addition of Mukhamadullin to the lineup marked the first time three pieces of last year’s Timo Meier trade played for the Sharks. While Mukhamadullin was a centerpiece of the trade, fellow defenseman Nikita Okhotiuk was a key piece as well.
Okhotiuk didn’t have the best of the nights. Playing alongside Kyle Burroughs, the duo was on the ice for three of the even strength goals against. Still, at 23 years of age and 51 NHL games under his belt Okhotiuk has a little more room to grow.
Then there was Fabian Zetterlund, who took a big step forward in his development this season. Zetterlund led the Sharks forwards in ice time yesterday with 20:19. He registered three shots on goal and while he didn’t make it onto the scoresheet, he was counted on by the coaching staff on the penalty kill as well as the power play.
Sharks defensemen contribute on offense
We talked about the Vlasic goal to kick things off. Credit to Nico Sturm, who did an excellent job of screening Buffalo’s Devon Levi until the very last second.
Another Sharks’ defenseman also contributed to the scoring yesterday. Rutta scored the Sharks’ second goal of the game and now has five points, including two goals, in his last five games. The defenseman simply tossed the puck at the net to beat Levi and give the Sharks a two-goal lead.
Sharks defensemen contributed more to the scoring yesterday than the forwards did.
Highlight: Buffalo Sabres at Sharks Jan. 27, 2024
Instead of highlighting the goals, let’s highlight Mukhamadullin’s first solo skate, a tradition for rookies who are making their NHL debuts. His lap really feels like the Sharks are turning a corner into something new.
Shakir Mukhamadullin’s first lap. pic.twitter.com/YfCgWK1UGp
— JD Young (@MyFryHole) January 27, 2024
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