The San Jose Sharks had one of the best games this season in the ability to maintain pressure and show team identity through perseverance, even when defeat seemed imminent.
Tomas Hertl got a hat trick, William Eklund got an overtime winner and Kevin Labanc scored his first of the season after being in and out of the lineup in the last year of his contract. The Sharks beat the New York Islanders 5-4 in overtime.
Mikael Granlund also had two points this matchup. Depsite missing games this season due to injury he is second in team point leaders with 13 points in 19 games.
Hertl hat trick
Hertl stepped up in leadership when the Sharks were down 4-1. His goal late in the third period was the game winner and concluded his hat trick.
This was Hertl’s first hat trick of the season and he is still stacking up points to lead the rest of the Sharks players. He has 21 points in 25 games. He leads the Sharks in goals and assists.
The game felt reminiscent of the Vegas comeback. The Sharks were being down by three and tied it up in the final minutes of the period. It just so happens that Hertl and Labanc were involved in both games. This is what the leadership core should be teaching to the new players about how to win games even when down.
Hertl being on the first line has also shown the true capabilities of his linemates, such as Eklund.
Eklund’s best game in Teal
Eklund had arguably his best game with the Sharks this season. He had one goal and two assists for three points. Most notably, his goal was the overtime winner. He also assisted on the last two Hertl goals.
This game showed Eklund’s star potential with multiple quality opportunities and first-round playmaking capabilities on display.
Eklund has jumped to third in points with 12, only one behind Granlund. Eklund is paired with Hertl on the same line, which has given extra confidence to the “Slippery Pete,” resulting in points.
Sharks climbing out of the hole
The San Jose Sharks are no longer the dead last team in the NHL standings. That “dishonor” now belongs to the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Sharks have been having a good month, with the last ten games being 5-4-1, a winning record. The team has now won on the road and against teams with a positive win record. There are two more games on this road trip against the Detroit Red Wings and the Vegas Golden Knights. After those two, the Sharks are back at home. It will be a true testament to how badly the Sharks can compete, as Detroit and Vegas are in the top nine in the league in the standings.
New Jersey and New York are only in the top 20 when in terms of compete in a different ballpark compared to top 10.
Before this season, the Sharks did not have a win on the road, but now that they have two. It seems likely to continue a positive trend when they come back home on the 12th against the Jets.
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