The Sharks were able to end their six-game homestand on a positive note with a 4-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks.
Although it may come as a surprise, the Canucks were controlling the puck during 5-on-5 play with a 58 percent Corsi For (CF%) to start the game. However, they couldn’t stay out of the penalty box, taking four penalties in the first period, and it came back to haunt them. The Sharks were able to convert two of the four power-play opportunities to walk into the first intermission with a two-goal lead with goals from Logan Couture and Timo Meier.
The script remained the same in the second period as the Canucks continued to control possession with a 61 CF% in 5-on-5 play. They were gifted three power-play opportunities as the Sharks took their turn the box, but unlike the Canucks, the Sharks were able to kill all three odd-man chances to keep them off the score sheet and hold their two-goal lead intact going into the final intermission.
In the third period, the Sharks cushioned their lead when another Canucks penalty resulted in a power-play goal. This one came from Erik Karlsson, tallying his second of the season. Then Karlsson was involved in the fourth goal, coming as Melker Karlsson redirected his shot to give the Sharks a 4-0 lead.
Finally, lost in all the power play extravaganza is Aaron Dell earning back-to-back shutouts in his last two starts. With a 4-1-1 record, it was a successful homestand for the Sharks, who now embark on a five-game road trip, beginning tomorrow against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Pregame
Tonight’s the first matchup of four between the Sharks and the recently struggling Vancouver Canucks, and it comes live from the SAP Center on this Black Friday. Vancouver, who dropped their last game to the Anaheim Ducks, haven’t won a game since Nov. 8, when they dropped 8 goals on the Boston Bruins en route to an 8-5 victory. It doesn’t help that Brock Boeser and Sven Baertschi have both been missing from the Canucks lineup, with a groin injury and concussion symptoms, respectively.
Lines
A surprising change has been made in the Sharks’ lineup tonight, as head coach Peter Deboer has inserted recent call-up Lukas Radil into the lineup and has given Antti Suomela a seat in the press box. Other than that, the lines seem to be the same as Tuesday night’s.
Aaron Dell will be given the nod in goal tonight for the Sharks, which is bad news for the Canucks. In four games played against Vancouver in his career, he has gone 4-0-0 with a save percentage of .938 and a goals against average of 1.99.
Expected lines for the#sjsharks. Radil in for Suomela, Dell starting pic.twitter.com/yAoR7hXZAk
— Fear the Fin (@fearthefin) November 24, 2018
Meanwhile, for the slumping Canucks, their lines will look a little something like this:
Antoine Roussel – Bo Horvat – Sam Gagner
Nikolay Goldobin – Elias Pettersson – Jake Virtanen
Tyler Motte – Markus Granlund – Loui Eriksson
Brendan Leipsic – Adam Gaudette – Tim Schaller
Michael Del Zotto – Chris Tanev
Ben Hutton – Erik Gudbranson
Derrick Pouliot – Troy Stecher
After recently recalling the Utica Comets’ leading scorer, Reid Boucher, the Canucks decided not to suit him up tonight.
In the opposite crease, it’ll be Anders Nilsson for the Canucks in his first start since breaking his hand over two weeks ago.
Where to Watch
Puck drop goes from the Tank at an early 6:00 p.m. PT / 9:00 p.m. ET and can be watched on NBC Sports California along with radio coverage on 98.5 KFOX. If you can’t do either of those, you can always join us here on Fear the Fin, where we’ll be live blogging as best we can.
Hey everyone, Eddie here with you tonight as the Sharks are looking to rebound after their loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday while the Vancouver Canucks are coming back to earth after their hot start.
First Period
20:00: Okay, lets do this hockey and drop the puck!
16:44: Former Sharks prospect Nikolay Goldobin fires a slapshot but Aaron Dell is there to say no
15:48: Sharks head to the power play after a penalty by Antoine Roussel
13:48: There were some chances, but the Sharks didn’t capitalize on the odd-man advantage
9:12: Another penalty on Roussel, this time for delay of game
9:06: GOAL! Logan Couture opens up the scoring seconds into the power play
3:56: Looks like another Sharks power play as Lukáš Radil takes a high-stick
1:47: Sharks are generating chances on this four-minute power play and keeping the Canucks killers on the ice but couldn’t score
:09: GOAL! Timo time! Timo Meier scores with seconds left in the first period and are making the Canucks pay for their penalty troubles
Second Period
17:55: Dell makes a vital save on Leipsic to keep the score 2-0
17:44: Canucks head to the first power play of the night
15:44: Sharks kill off the penalty with Dell making some saves to keep the Sharks off the score sheet
13:20: Joe Thornton with a breakaway chance but shoots it over Anders Nilsson’s glove side
10:54: Jonas Donskoi comes close to making it 3-0 but Nilsson is able to keep the redirect shot out of the net
7:53: Roussel and Dillon exchange words but no in pushing and shoving match but no punches
7:52: Canucks get their second power play of the night
5:52: Another successful penalty kill for the Sharks as they’re two for two on the night
5:20: Roussel once again in the middle of things, he’s already taken two penalties so the Sharks should bait him into taking another
4:00: Now it’s the Sharks that can’t stay out of the box as they take their third penalty of the period
2:00: The Sharks once again kill off a Canucks penalty
Third Period
18:12: Couture gets an inadvertent stick to the face, but looks like no penalty as neither of the officials saw it
17:06: Canucks are penalized for delay of game, so the Sharks could give themselves more breathing room for their lead
16:17: GOAL! Karlsson gets his second of the season as they’re three for five on the power-play and it’s 3-0 Sharks
10:25: GOAL! The other Karlsson this time! Melker Karlsson gets his first of the season
6:51: Sharks come close to making it 5-0 but a circus like save from Nilsson keeps the Sharks off the score sheet
:39.5: Roussel has been agitating all night and Vlasic has had enough as the two exchange pleasantries and both head to the locker rooms
Final: Sharks 4, Canucks 0
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