Brodie’s Breakdown vs FLA (11/8)

Brodie’s Breakdown vs FLA (11/8)

Brody Brazil with Drew Amenda back here at the tank. It was a 3-1 Sharks victory in this one. They buried the empty neter, hence the 3-1 score versus 2-1 like we saw yesterday. But Drew, that brings me to the second half of a back-to-back Sharks going up against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. If there was going to be a clunker game, if there was going to be an excuse game where maybe they didn’t bring it, they didn’t win it, it would have been tonight. Yeah, they won the game. I think this is a statement that goes along with anything else they’ve done recently. Well, Ryan Ryan Warski before the game, I asked him about the way that the Sharks are playing now, that style that he wanted, that four checking style that he showed against the Winnipeg Jets, playing with that pace, playing physical, and he said, “We’re playing a more mature game now.” And they are playing a more mature game because what happened after the end of the first where the Sharks were really good in the first period, right? Though the Florida Panthers, they pushed back. They’re the two-time Stanley Cup champions. They know how to push back. They play heavy, they play hard, they get in on the forche and they are physical, right? The Sharks would have broken last year, right? They would that would it would have been another game where it was maybe the three ones the other way, right? Maybe even more, right? But couple things. One, there are times you can call this game goalending. Y there are times when the goalender makes the world of difference. And maybe as we talked about last week, Randy mentioned it last week when Yaro had a really great game said maybe this was the coming out party for Yaraoslav Ascarov. This added to it certainly his last three games. Check his numbers. Look at the Sharks. Five games in a row now six games in a row that they have allowed two or fewer goals to the opponent in regulation. It is unbelievable. Not only that they’re scoring goals, but what they’re doing defensively. However, I want to get back to your point. First period, Sharks all over chances. The forch check was great. In fact, that’s how they got the celebrating goal. Smitty on the forche. Found Mlin. What can’t this kid do right now? He’s dangerous. He’s driving the net. He’s doing all the right things. We’ve run out of things to say. And those two guys together, I again, I I really believe their relationship off the ice. It matters blooms and makes it makes this relationship on the ice so much better. But the other thing with Mlin is he’s so singularly driven y to to win games. Now, he knows that if he scores, they got a great chance to win games. That he is an offensive driver. He knows his role. He knows what he’s supposed to do. He just plays for everything. Took the the stick in the teeth last night. Took a hard cross check to the ribs. Yep. Not called. Yep. Right. Right. Um today, still driving, playing, blocking shots late in the game. When you watch Mlin, you watch Will, you watch the way this team is starting to feed off each other. I’ll go back to what we talked about yesterday, what Alex Wenberg said, they believe in each other. Last night, Vincent de Arne, we know who we are, right? And that’s a very powerful thing in a room. It’s not just Mack and Will, though. I mean, take tonight also for example, Orlav’s point shot tipped out front by God. Those two players also finding ways to contribute and maybe not in the top way. Not leading the NHL in points, but they’re right here leading this team and all the important thing that matters. And the other aspect about that that line by the way got with Reeves and and Barkley they got momentum back a lot of times. They got the puck deep on that goal. The Sharks have been getting killed on the faceoffs. Okay. Goddette gets the face off back. Jones goes up for Florida to get it and Barkley puts pressure on him. Forces the poor clear. Doesn’t clear. Bang. Gets to the point and gets to the front of net. But Godette from the center ice position he goes to the net. And that’s what you have to do. basic, smart, straight ahead hockey. The only blemish for Asgrov in this game was that weird play where the mask got knocked off a little bit by Olive and it looked like ASI was like half blinded so he said I got to ditch this thing and then Brad Marshian finds a way to tuck it in. The easiest goal he’s probably ever scored. Yeah. And and that goal there was a little discussion from the bench and there there’s quite a bit. the the mask getting knocked off is Orlof trying to take I think it was Lundell going to the net and Orloff hits him brushes against him and really the mask coming off had no bearing on the goal being scored so that’s why the goal counted although I will say this and and you know I complain about referees all the time that’s the old coach in me but the Sharks persevered through some calls that should have got their gone their way and some that didn’t again a maturity over with the San Jose Sharks they He got a little upset when when Mlin got cross-checked in the in the ribs and not only that, he got interfered with. Then he got cross-checked in the ribs and the referees didn’t call it. Don’t the stars in this league deserve those calls and Mlin what? He’s not there in the referee’s mind. I guess I guess they haven’t been paying attention in the league and the bench went a little like Brian Wars get a little hot and then they calmed down. The bench calmed down and they were able to listen, they survived this game. They they they weren’t like they were as good as they were yesterday. They survived this game and the Florida Panthers put a ton of pressure on them cuz the Florida Panthers are the Florida Panthers. But goalending is still a part of this game and they did some things like selling out that penalty kill late was like the five on three great and then late great and de Arn blocking shots and and Mario Ferraro going down and blocking passes and and the four was blocking shots. They survived this game. But in that they showed a way that sometimes you just got to grind. You just got to try to grind through the pressure that the other team’s bringing. Final thing, Drew. I’m trying to temper myself right now. It’s early in the season. There’s a lot of hockey still to be played. We know there’s going to be highs and lows of this campaign in general, but right now, how can I not enjoy this part of it? We haven’t felt this way in years. Exactly. Right. Like, I don’t want to say we deserve this, but they have accomplished this and we’re having fun with this. Absolutely. You know who deserves it? Our Sharks fans tonight at the end of the game. Buzzing. and the penalty kill. And then when Wenberg scored, the place went crazy. Finally got an empty net. We need the empty netters. You’re right. It’s been a long road back and it looks like the sharks are on that first that first mile of maybe being back on the highway. And so, you know what? Enjoy it. Enjoy. You deserve it. I don’t know if we deserve it, but you definitely do. Well, we get paid to do this, so that that’s part of it, too. Drew, have a great road trip. Thank you, buddy. Appreciate it. All right.

Brodie Brazil breaks down the Sharks 3-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on November 8, 2025.