By all means, last night’s game was anticipated as a big test for the rising Sharks. The Sharks hadn’t won in Denver since early 2019, and this current iteration of the Colorado Avalanche, nestled in the Mile High City, are a mile ahead of the rest of its NHL peers. Not to be outdone, the Sharks were playing some of their best hockey in years this November, including handing the Avalanche their only loss of the month coming into this matchup. But even with this surge of strength, Macklin Celebrini and his teammates would have to earn every inch against a group led by the ultra competitive Nathan Mackinnon. They couldn’t manage.
This was an Avalanche team on a mission from the start, making clear what a Stanley Cup contender looked like on their way to a 6-0 rout. Mackenzie Blackwood helped the team earn its third consecutive shutout, while the Avs offense chased Yaroslav Askarov on the other end.
Askarov shown mercy
Following a burst of two goals against in a span of a two minutes, Ryan Warsofsky made the call to yank goaltender Yaroslav Askarov for Alex Nedeljkovic. Of the four goals against, Askarov gave up only one that he would especially want back, but it is hard to fault him on the rest. The Avalanche effectively closed his line of sight and beat him clean on shots labeled for the back of the net.
The Askarov-Nedeljkovic substitution ostensibly served more as a wakeup call for the team rather than a statement on Askarov’s game in Denver. It should serve as a gut punch to watch your star goaltender, playing one of the best months by a Sharks goaltender ever, left out to dry. Unfortunately, the shock did not instantly pay off. Nedeljkovic didn’t even have a chance to settle into the game before the Avalanche scored again, just seconds into his turn in the crease. Warsofsky called a time out immediately after, in an attempt to salvage a game already lost and to help settle the team down. This time out worked better, and from thereon Nedeljkovic had a strong performance to get the team out without too much more embarrassment.
Considering the past month of Askarov’s goaltending, this game is an outlier, and it is no coincidence it came at the hands of the most dominant team in the NHL right now. He should continue to get the brunt of the load moving forward, barring any significant changes or injuries. If the Sharks were to make the playoffs, there’s a good chance they’d face Colorado in the first round, based on their comfortable seeding at the top of the Western Conference. No amount of big saves would likely be enough to get San Jose past Colorado in a full best of seven. The Sharks got to see how much they still have to grow before becoming a contender.
Avalanche blueline outshines Sharks’
This was not like San Jose’s game against Calgary, where there was nothing to draw from aside from Askarov’s stellar play. The Sharks started to push back following their second period time out and generated some chances, especially on the power play. While Mackenzie Blackwood made some good saves throughout, the Sharks best chances were thwarted by excellent tie-ups, board seals, hits, and blocks from defensemen Josh Manson, Cale Makar, and the rest.
The Avalanche defense contributed offensively as well. To score past a hot goaltender like Askarov, a team needs to set up the screen and get pucks through – that’s what Makar and Burns excel at on the blue line. It’s an embarrassment of riches for Colorado with those two creating chance after chance by gaining separation at the line for space to shoot or make another play. Pummeling the Sharks further, Malkinski and Manson contributed to the scoring as well.
The team defense for Colorado was exceptional as well. 5-on-5, the team plays as a unit so cohesively, anticipating positional gaps and closing them off with pace. The Sharks struggled to maintain the puck for more than a second at a time because of Colorado’s suffocating pressure.
The best pair for San Jose tonight might have been the Dickinson-Desharnais combination, although they had their share of struggles as well. Of note, Sam Dickinson had a couple of offensive chances when he smartly joined the rush, and showed some poise with the puck in board battles to shake off Colorado’s hard forechecking. That said, Sharks fans got a great overall glimpse of what to strive for on the back end.
Rout aside, a moment for gratitude
This being the week of Thanksgiving, I wanted to take a moment to express some gratitude for our active readership and supporters that make this site what it is – a community by and for Sharks fans. Thank you to our managing editor, Erika Towne, for keeping this site alive and taking on the task after our cut from Vox and SB Nation.
In a twisted way, I am grateful for the amount of disappointment that tonight’s result brought about, because it’s a testament to where my expectations are for this season’s San Jose Sharks. Last year, two years ago, three years ago, I could have brushed this off as par for the course for when a titan meets a rebuilding team. This season has offered more hope, though, in the way of realtime growth that we’re seeing from the team’s young core, and the expectations that growth sets for the entire organization. Hopefully the entire team, members of the organization, city of San Jose, and Sharks fandom, can find a moment to reflect on and recognize what we cherish most in our lives, and how lucky we all are to be who we are and share this time together.
Feel free to let us know what you’re grateful for, from the Sharks, and personally.
Highlight
Just because I said I was grateful, doesn’t mean I want to rewatch anything from tonight’s game. Here is Joe Pavelski’s clutch overtime goal in Game 4 of the 2010 Western Conference Quarterfinals against Colorado, in Denver:
Next up, the Sharks take on the Vancouver Canucks at home, this Friday at 1:00 PM PST. Pack the tank and bring the energy.
