Possibly that is the sort of sport that may assist flip the San Jose Sharks’ season round.
For now, the Sharks are simply blissful to have put the worst begin in franchise historical past within the rearview mirror.
Erik Karlsson scored 49 seconds into extra time to finish a formidable efficiency because the Sharks beat the New York Rangers 3-2 at Madison Sq. Backyard on Thursday for his or her first victory of the season.
After the Sharks had misplaced 5 straight video games to begin the 12 months to set an ignominious new crew document, a stunning particular person effort by Karlsson helped give David Quinn his first win because the crew’s head coach.
Karlsson skated with the puck across the Rangers’ zone, fought off a verify from Artemi Panarin, saved possession as he was tripped by a New York defender, and fed Timo Meier along side the Rangers’ internet.
Meier then circled behind the objective line and drew Igor Shesterkin out of place earlier than he fed the puck again to Karlsson, who scored right into a principally empty internet for his second objective of the season.
“We had management for many components of the sport, however I believe that we caught with it,” Karlsson informed NBC Sports activities California. “We (made) higher selections tonight, and I positively suppose that we deserved to win.”
Logan Couture and Radim Simek each scored and Sharks goalie James Reimer completed with 21 saves because the Sharks evened their document on this four-game street journey at 1-1-0.
The Sharks have by no means held a lead within the third interval this season as they received off to an 0-5-0 begin. Thursday, although, they outshot the Rangers 16-2 over the ultimate 20 minutes of regulation time.
“Simply very happy with our guys. It’s been a troublesome go of it,” Quinn mentioned. “We’ve been a fragile group, however we confirmed some psychological toughness tonight and we confirmed some perseverance and resolve. You’re going to want all these issues shifting ahead right here and I’m simply actually blissful for our group.”
Couture scored a first-period power-play objective to provide the Sharks a lead for the fifth straight sport. After the Rangers received even-strength targets from Filip Chytil and Panarin to take a 2-1 lead, the Sharks’ received an enormous objective from Simek on the 13:10 mark of the second to tie the sport.
Simek took a go from Matt Nieto, eluded two Rangers skaters, and beat Shesterkin with a shot from the slot for his first objective since Dec. 28, 2021.
The Sharks end the street journey with video games towards New Jersey and Philadelphia on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Particular groups performed an enormous function for the Sharks early on, as they killed all 4 penalties they took within the first interval to enhance to 19-for-19 on the PK this season.
Quinn has remained constructive together with his messaging to the crew within the final two days since he watched his crew lose 5-2 to the New York Islanders on Tuesday.
Requested how he stays constructive after a 0-5-0 begin, Quinn mentioned, “As a result of I imagine on this group, we as coaches, and I mentioned that to them. I mentioned, ‘hopefully you guys suppose you’re nearly as good as we expect you might be, and I do know we’re not that far off.’
“There’s plenty of perception throughout the employees and they should really feel the identical quantity of confidence that we really feel in them. That’s the one means we’re going get out of this.”
At the beginning of apply Wednesday in New York, Quinn took a couple of additional minutes to provide his crew a pep speak of kinds. He mentioned there are issues the Sharks have finished properly, only for not lengthy sufficient stretches to place them in a greater place to win.
“One of many issues we inform them is we’re not that far off,” Quinn mentioned. “I do know it seems like we're, however we’re actually not.”
Quinn felt the Sharks had an efficient apply Wednesday, which carried over into Thursday’s sport.
“I can’t go to CVS and purchase confidence capsules,” Quinn mentioned after Thursday’s sport. “You get it by enjoying the precise means and doing the precise factor and watching your teammates do the precise factor, and it simply began snowballing.
“Sooner or later in time, you’ve received to say sufficient is sufficient, and I assumed that’s what they did after the second interval. They’re simply uninterested in shedding, and I believe they understood what it was going to take for us to win. They performed a very good third interval.”
SCRATCHES: Ahead Kevin Labanc was among the many Sharks’ scratches Thursday. Labanc, who was born in Brooklyn and raised on Staten Island, began the season on the Sharks’ second line however had simply 10:09 in ice time in Tuesday’s sport. Additionally scratched have been winger Noah Gregor and defenseman Scott Harrington.
QUINN’S RETURN: A ‘Thank You, David Quinn,’ message that was proven on the video board at Madison Sq. Backyard partway by the primary interval was greeted with jeers by Rangers followers in attendance. Quinn, 56, coached the Rangers from 2018 to 2021 earlier than he was fired by crew president and basic supervisor Chris Drury.
Quinn took over the crew because it was about to start a rebuild and had a 96-87-25 document in three seasons. The Rangers have been a part of the 2020 NHL postseason however misplaced within the play-in spherical to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Final season of their first 12 months below coach Gerard Gallant, the Rangers superior to the Jap Convention closing.