Sharks Back With 3-0 Win in Misa (Pre-Season) Debut

The San Jose Sharks welcome the Vegas Golden Knights into SAP Center for their pre-season opener.

Michael Misa makes his San Jose Sharks (pre-season) debut!

John Klingberg and Jeff Skinner and Tyler Toffoli scored, Alex Nedeljkovic made 24 saves, and the Sharks shut out the Golden Knights 3-0.

Period 1

5 in: Misa picks up puck with speed, Hutton only D back, Misa feints a backhand pass to trailer, looks like Hutton bites a little, giving Misa space to crank a shot. Lindbom save. Hutton is a fringe NHL d-man, so that’s impressive in its way, to deceive him when you’re an 18-year-old.

8 in: Misa draws a penalty, good hustle.

Misa is the drop target for PP entry, along with Smith, some testament to his speed and smarts. That’s usually a Celebrini or Eklund role.

Dickinson almost got roasted, too far up ice on PP NZ, but will say, Cagnoni was back to handle the solo Vegas attacker Hallum. So might’ve been a calculated PP gamble by Dickinson.

10 in: Dickinson almost connects with Musty, pass got deflected, but good vision to find Musty off to side.

3 left: Dickinson fires hard pass to Graf on other side. Looks like a Dickinson staple, draw overload to himself, move it to weakside. Like the thinking.

Period 2

2 in: Graf looks like he might’ve gained a step in the off-season. Walked down the slot with the puck with authority.

5 in: Musty with another chance in the slot, Kurashev found Smith in slot, Smith no-look to hard-charging Musty coming down slot, save.

Misa still needs that extra step: Coming out with puck from behind Nedeljkovic, F1 Lavoie forced a cough-up pass, almost a turnover in the slot. Musty able to retrieve it and fire it out. Misa will learn to negotiate that as an 18-year-old. You can’t beat your checker, make a pass and live to fight another day. Can’t turn it over there.

Klingberg goal: I thought Skinner and Toffoli wouldn’t fit on same power play unit, a little bit of duplication of skills, but here they are on PP1 along with Smith and Misa. Obviously, just pre-season too.

10 in: Great Nedeljkovic pass to Musty high in zone, hard rim that bypasses closer Cagnoni, who was under pressure. Alex will add that puck-moving element to the San Jose Sharks.

8 left: Ostapchuk showed good quickness and length starting that PK. Making life hard for the Golden Knights’ PP up top.

7 left: 5-on-3 disadvantage, Sharks go with Graf-Leddy-Desharnais. That’s a sign of who they’re prioritizing for regular season PK, I think.

5 left: Ostapchuk might be obviously quicker too.

Smith processing at higher level than his mostly AHL-caliber competition. Gets puck in not great place in NZ, but quick turn and pass to speed up middle.

3 left: Really effective Musty shift. Twice, gets puck low to high, first time was through a Vegas stick. Nothing remarkable, but keeps the chains moving for the attack. Tries to force a slot pass, no problem there, that connects, that’s a Grade-A. Then on side of net, has puck alone, but back turned to goal, he makes a little feint, hits Clayton coming down for a good chance. Simply a pro shift there. Not trying to take over, take what’s given, but make little connecting plays within the ecosystem. I’ve been hard on Musty at times over the years, but love this maybe call it more mature level of hockey.

Skinner goal: Pretty hockey, again, Smith processing at higher level, enters zone with speed, knows he can’t blow past his checker, sees Dickinson coming down with purpose, backhand pass, Skinner curls off his checker in front with his elite offensive brain, Dickinson sets up the tap-in.

1 left: Whelp, then Musty makes a soft pass in NZ, trying to hit forward up on play, but turnover leads to Vegas counterattack. That’s some of what I didn’t like last year, but granted, just 10 seconds left in period. As long as he learns not to do that regularly, no big, that’s a 20-year-old play.

Just pre-season, but rare to hear after a period against Vegas, cheers for the San Jose Sharks. They played a good period.

Period 3

1 in: Misa need a step and some strength on that Toffoli pass to him, Misa beats Cormier, that’s a Grade-A.

3 in: Forecheck comes fast on Dickinson with puck behind his goalie there. Dickinson doesn’t lose it, at least, fights to make it a 50-50.

4 in: Great chance by Toffoli, Toffoli picks up puck after Musty gets cut off by two Knights on entry, not sure if that was an intentional play by Musty, if it was, that’s fantastic. Or maybe just Toffoli’s awareness to follow up.

5 in: Good Afanasyev forecheck on Davies.

5 left: Lavoie gives Klingberg a bit of an unnecessary high shot, jumping into his forecheck. Klingberg skates off slow but remains on bench, San Jose Sharks power play.

4 left: Good Misa up top PP pass to Smith, Smith turnover, Misa does a decent job of preventing 6-foot-2 Rondbjerg from getting out to breakaway (and didn’t take penalty  too).

Kurashev-Graf-Musty-Cagnoni-Dickinson now on as PP2.

1 left: I like Musty instinct there, puck cleared, Vegas net empty, going to be an icing, to bust ass at first, then he realizes to ease up to conserve energy for upcoming faceoff. Maybe performative, sure, if you’re jaded, but maybe also a sign of a new attitude.