The beginning of the David Quinn period with the San Jose Sharks appeared strikingly acquainted to the top of the earlier regime.
Tomas Hertl supplied the one offense for the Sharks, who allowed two even-strength second-period targets in a 4-1 loss to the Nashville Predators on Friday within the season-opener for each groups at O2 Area in Prague.
Hertl’s even-strength aim in entrance of 16,648 followers in his hometown got here on the 8:36 mark of the primary interval, as he beat Nashville goalie Juuse Saros from simply exterior the crease and tied the sport 1-1.
“It was a reasonably particular second, clearly,” Quinn mentioned. “We have been slightly bit impressed by that and we performed higher after that.”
The Predators, although, discovered a rhythm and retook the lead early within the second interval as Eeli Tolvanen beat a screened James Reimer with a shot from exterior the circle on the 1:24 mark.
Nashville later scored on a 2-on-1, as Dante Fabbro saucered a cross over Radim Simek’s follow Nino Niederreiter, who one-timed it previous Reimer to place the Sharks in a 3-1 gap on the 15:14 mark, serving to to spoil Quinn’s debut as coach.
“I like among the issues we have been doing however as soon as they made it 3 to 1, I actually thought there was an enormous disparity in the way in which they performed in comparison with the way in which we performed,” Quinn mentioned.
Reimer had 24 saves within the first two durations and Saros, who has owned the Sharks lately, had 21.
The Sharks and Predators play once more Saturday to conclude the NHL’s International Sequence in Prague, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see Saros again within the web for Nashville.
Saros, in his final 5 begins towards San Jose previous to Friday, had a 4-0-1 report, a .977 save proportion, and a 0.59 goals-against common.
Quinn was named the Sharks’ head coach on July 26, roughly 4 weeks after Bob Boughner and his workers have been dismissed by the group.
Quinn and his workers had lower than two weeks for coaching camp earlier than they left for Europe.
“It’s definitely not your regular start line in a company, but it surely’s definitely an thrilling time,” Quinn mentioned earlier than Friday’s recreation. “It’s been a brief coaching camp for each groups, however I believe each groups are fairly anxious to see the place we’re at.
“We’ve been very proud of the way in which issues have gone in coaching camp, however we’re going to search out an terrible lot about our staff in the present day.”
Thanks partly to a skinny and inexperienced lineup, the 2021-2022 Sharks have been the worst staff within the NHL in 5-on-5 scoring with a mean of 1.73 targets per recreation. Not surprisingly, the Sharks missed the playoff for a 3rd straight season, resulting in the teaching overhaul.
The Sharks’ offseason adjustments, in fact, included widespread front-office strikes, with Mike Grier being named basic supervisor in early July.
Grier made a handful of roster adjustments and 6 of the gamers he added – forwards Luke Kunin, Oskar Lindblom, Nico Sturm, and Steven Lorentz, and defensemen Matt Benning and Scott Harrington – have been in Friday’s lineup.
Hertl’s aim got here with an exuberant celebration, as he and Radim Simek have been enjoying an NHL recreation in Czechia for the primary time. Hertl appeared to have tears in his eyes as he sang alongside along with his nation’s nationwide anthem.
Hertl, who was born in Prague, had his household in attendance, together with his spouse and younger son.
“I used to be type of seeing my household there, and it’s a particular second to characterize my nation in NHL at house in Prague,” Hertl instructed the Sharks Audio Community in the course of the first intermission. “So lots of emotion, and it was only a particular second. I’m so proud I might be even right here.”
Hertl additionally talked about how heat it was at ice degree, saying it felt prefer it was “200 levels” as play was occurring in entrance of a near-capacity crowd of round 17,000. That precipitated the puck to bounce extra usually than typical in an NHL and may need affected the pegs that hold the nets in place.