Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
NEWARK, N.J. — This could be just as important as the Sharks earning their first win on Thursday.
Yaroslav Askarov and the Sharks lost 3-1 to the high-octane New Jersey Devils on Friday, but he played his best game of the season by far, stopping 27 of 29 shots.
Obviously, when it comes to the Sharks, much rides on top prospect Askarov. San Jose traded the equivalent of two first-round NHL draft picks for the 23-year-old in the summer of 2024, and he is expected, let’s not mince words, to be the future in goal.
But maybe those hefty expectations have been, to some degree, the problem, at least early on?
“Maybe it’s the outside perspective [that] he needs to carry the world on his shoulders, and he’s probably feeling that pressure a little bit,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said Friday morning.
Askarov had struggled in his previous three starts, posting an .838 save percentage. As of Oct. 23, per Evolving Hockey, his -3.19 Goals Saved Above Expected was seventh-worst in the NHL (of 66 goalies).
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