SAN JOSE – The primary goal for the San Jose Sharks on Saturday is to shut out what’s been a dreary season at house with a win over Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. The second is to assist Erik Karlsson attain 100 factors for the yr.
Karlsson had a aim and a highlight-reel help Thursday within the Sharks’ 6-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche at SAP Heart, giving him 98 factors, a mark reached solely 15 different instances by a defenseman within the over 100-year historical past of the NHL.
Karlsson is now poised to turn out to be simply the sixth totally different NHL defenseman to succeed in 100 factors in a season because the Sharks (22-40-16) play the Oilers (47-23-9) within the closing sport of the yr at SAP Heart. The Sharks then end issues up subsequent week with video games in Winnipeg, Calgary, and Edmonton.
Karlsson has scored not less than two factors in a sport 28 instances this season.
“We’ve all talked about what a particular yr he’s had,” mentioned Sharks coach David Quinn, who noticed his staff fall to 8-21-11 at house this season. “It can be fairly cool to have it performed right here at house.”
Karlsson scored an even-strength aim on the 15:43 mark of the primary interval, poking a free puck that was close to the crease via Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev’s legs to offer the Sharks a 1-0 benefit.
Lorentz scores off the go from Karlsson 🤝 pic.twitter.com/VgzUrERiCX
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) April 7, 2023
After the defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche scored 4 straight instances to take a three-goal lead, Karlsson then assisted on Steven Lorentz’s even-strength aim on the 8:41 mark.
On the play, after Lorentz received a faceoff in Colorado’s zone, Karlsson took management of the puck, averted a examine as he darted towards the aim line, then doubled again towards the blue line and skated towards the center of the ice.
Karlsson then discovered Lorentz close to the facet of the Avalanche web with a tape-to-tape go that the Sharks’ centerman fired right into a near-empty web with Georgiev out of place.
“He clearly did his factor with just a few dipsy-doodles and a whole lot of guys would have shot that puck I might have been ready for the rebound,” Lorentz mentioned of Karlsson. “However he put that factor proper on my tape and I’m not going to overlook from there.”
The aim was Lorentz’s ninth of the season, setting a brand new single-season profession excessive after he had eight for the Carolina Hurricanes final season.
The help marked Karlsson’s 53rd level at house this season, the second-highest whole in Sharks historical past. Joe Thornton had 65 factors in 41 house video games in 2006-2007.
“Nice play,” Quinn mentioned. “I favored the motion in that shift and clearly Karl has the power to seek out folks like that, however Lorentz had a extremely sturdy sport once more.”
A defenseman has scored 100 factors in a season 14 instances in NHL historical past. Bobby Orr did it six instances, together with his 139 factors in 1970-71 nonetheless a single-season NHL report for a defenseman. Paul Coffey did it 5 instances in seven seasons between 1983-84 to 1989-90, with Al MacInnis, Brian Leetch, and Denis Potvin every doing it as soon as in 1990-91, 1991-92, and 1978-79, respectively.
Together with his two factors Thursday, Karlsson moved previous Phil Housley’s 97-point season in 1992-93 for the previous Winnipeg Jets. Karlsson’s season is now the Fifteenth-most prolific in league historical past for a defenseman, matching Potvin’s 98-point whole for the New York Islanders in 1975-76.
‘Guys are rooting for him to hit that as a result of it’s very particular, what he’s doing,” Lorentz mentioned. “It could undoubtedly be good to do it at house. We’re clearly centered on the win, but when he can get these two factors, that’s clearly going assist us win the sport.”
QUINN ON LORENTZ: Lorentz, who turns 26 subsequent week, is ending his first season in San Jose on a optimistic observe in Quinn’s eyes.
Lorentz has 4 targets and three assists in his final 22 video games since Feb. 18 as he’s averaged about 12 minutes of ice time per sport. However Lorentz has additionally established himself as one in every of San Jose’s high penalty-killing forwards, and his 51.7 faceoff proportion is a giant enchancment from the primary two-thirds of the season when it was round 45 p.c.
“He’s gotten higher and higher all through the season and I feel he’s actually understanding what he’s going to wish to do to be an on a regular basis participant on this league,” Quinn mentioned. “His previous couple of weeks have been the most effective hockey he’s performed all yr lengthy. I feel he’s actually dialed into what he must do.
“He appears assured and cozy with accepting what he's and he’s been productive offensively.”
Lorentz performed a extra man-to-man defensive system with the Hurricanes the earlier two seasons and has adjusted to extra of a zone protection with the Sharks.
“It was a little bit little bit of a studying curve for me, but it surely’s paying off,” Lorentz mentioned. “I really like the methods and once you purchase into the methods and also you play an trustworthy sport, it really works. So, undoubtedly, I’m comfortable. I’m taking part in with in all probability probably the most confidence performed with in my profession to this point. I simply hope to maintain that going.”
LOTTERY ODDS: Barring some upsets within the final week of the common season, it’s trying just like the Sharks will end twenty ninth within the NHL’s total standings.
The Sharks have 60 factors, nonetheless 4 factors up on Columbus, Anaheim, and Chicago. All 4 groups have 4 video games remaining. To fall another spot, the Sharks must stay at 60 factors and hope both the Blackhawks or Blue Jackets gather 4 of a potential eight factors, with Columbus incomes not less than one win within the course of.
Chicago has two factors in its final 10 video games and faces two, probably three playoff groups on the way in which in. Columbus is 3-6-1 in its final 10 and has a better schedule the remainder of the way in which, however will nonetheless be underdogs in each sport.
Anaheim can also be 1-9-0 in its final 10 and finishes the yr with video games in opposition to Arizona, Colorado, Vancouver, and Los Angeles. The Geese would wish 5 factors to go San Jose as a result of the Sharks personal the primary tiebreaker (regulation wins).
On the opposite finish, with their loss to Colorado, and Montreal’s win over Washington, the Sharks can end no larger within the NHL’s total standings than twenty eighth. If the Sharks don't win their remaining 4 video games, or Arizona collects two factors in its closing three video games, then San Jose will end no larger than twenty ninth.
Per tankathon.com, if the Sharks end twenty ninth total, they'll have a 9.5 p.c probability of successful the draft lottery, a 9.8 p.c probability of drafting second, and a 15.4 p.c probability of drafting fourth. They might even have a 44.9 p.c probability of drafting fifth and a 20.5 p.c probability of drafting sixth.
