SAN JOSE – Sharks coach Bob Boughner implored the handful of gamers that had been known as up from the AHL over the past two weeks to dig just a little deeper and begin to benefit from the chance that they’ve been given.
It lastly occurred Saturday evening.
Timo Meier and James Reimer performed starring roles within the Sharks’ 4-1 win over the Anaheim Geese, with Meier amassing his third profession hat trick and Reimer ending with 27 saves.
However forwards Sasha Chmelevski, John Leonard, Lane Pederson and Scott Reedy, and defenseman Ryan Merkley all had a hand within the victory as properly, answering the bell after Boughner challenged them as a bunch to be higher.
“That’s in all probability the sport the place I can say collectively as a bunch, they performed very properly. All of them contributed,” Boughner stated. “One of many issues we talked about (Saturday) morning isn't just being comfortable to be right here and comfortable to be within the lineup however to grab the chance. I assumed lots of these guys did.”
Merkley and Reedy assisted on Marc-Edouard Vlasic’s first-period aim. Reedy’s line with Chmelevski and Leonard was extra assertive than that they had been in earlier video games – trying to make issues occur as an alternative of ready for one thing to occur.
Pederson with linemates Jonah Gadjovich and Jeffrey Viel performed a heavy recreation and had been noticeable on most shifts.
On Pederson, Boughner stated, “I assumed he regarded much more assured. He was making performs, transferring his ft, drew a penalty. He performed extraordinarily properly. He performed with nice tempo. It’s one of the best I’ve seen him look.”
Merkley quarterbacked the second power-play unit that additionally featured Reedy, Leonard, and Noah Gregor. Chmelevksi was one of many Sharks’ leaders in penalty kill time (3:19)
Context is essential, because the Sharks had been taking part in a Geese staff that had traded Josh Manson, Hampus Lindholm and Rickard Rakell and has now misplaced 9 straight.
Nonetheless, for the group of gamers that has to compete to stay within the lineup, it’s one thing to construct on. The Sharks’ subsequent recreation is Wednesday in Arizona.
“I assumed Sasha’s line was nice,” Boughner stated. “I assumed (Pederson’s) line was robust for us and I assumed Ryan Merkley was good. The younger guys helped us get this win tonight.”
“Among the younger guys (Chmelevski) and Merkley, they made some very nice performs,” Meier stated, “and confirmed that they will play on this league.”
Merkley’s ability was on full show.
Within the first interval, Merkley had a chance to shoot as he managed the puck and skated towards the Geese’ web. Merkley lastly did shoot from a pointy angle, however the puck bounced off of Kevin Shattenkirk’s leg and proper again to him.
Merkley then noticed Vlasic within the slot on the prime of the circles and fired a move from the aim line in visitors proper on the tape. Vlasic let a wrist shot go that beat rookie goalie Lukas Dostal for the sport’s opening aim.
“Merks, when he has the puck, he makes issues occur,” Vlasic stated. “I actually take pleasure in taking part in with him. He’s very artistic offensively and he made a bunch of nice performs tonight.”
”I noticed a good line there between the (defender’s) ft after I simply tried to get it by means of to him when he was within the excessive slot,” Merkley stated of Vlasic. “It’s a superb taking pictures alternative there and it’s good that it discovered the again of the online.”
Boughner appreciated Merkley’s protection as properly.
“That’s what we'd like,” Boughner stated. “He made a few high-end performs, particularly on that aim. However in the direction of the center and the top of the sport, you noticed a couple of extra very extremely expert performs and that’s what he does.”
The Sharks performed Saturday’s recreation with out injured forwards Logan Couture, Jonathan Dahlen, and Matt Nieto. Winger Kevin Labanc and defenseman Mario Ferraro stay on injured reserve. Andrew Cogliano and Jake Middleton at the moment are with the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild, respectively, after they had been traded on Monday.
All of that meant that the gamers who had been with the Barracuda simply a few weeks in the past had been getting a terrific probability – one they wanted to benefit from earlier than a few of these gamers return. Couture is predicted to be again for Wednesday’s recreation in Arizona, and Nieto, too, is near a return.
“They’re getting an incredible alternative right here,” Boughner stated Saturday morning. “It’s good to get your ft moist however in some unspecified time in the future, we count on extra and need them to grab the chance and begin changing into affect gamers in the course of the recreation.
“You have got that persistence and there’s going to be a studying curve. There are going to be errors, however you’d like to start out seeing them take the following step.”
That’s essential for a number of causes.
With a small variety of gamers taking on the vast majority of the Sharks’ cap house subsequent season, San Jose wants gamers on economical contracts to begin to grow to be difference-makers. What the Sharks study now may dictate their strategy to free company.
“Now’s the time to seize a spot. It’s proper there for them,” stated Barracuda coach Roy Sommer, including that the current call-ups wanted to start out “to show that you may play within the Nationwide Hockey League since you’re not going to get a greater probability than this.”
“We’re getting a superb alternative right here after the commerce deadline, me, (Chmelevski and Leonard) and guys like that,” Merkley stated. “We’re getting good ice time. These guys are getting penalty kill minutes, power-play minutes. So we obtained to go on the market and show ourselves come able to work each evening.”