The San Jose Sharks overcame a 4-0 deficit to beat the Los Angeles Kings 8-5 in their final game of the Golden State Rookie Face-Off.
After playing less than 24 hours earlier, fatigue and a Kings team with an early jump put the Sharks in a precarious position. Eventually, the Sharks scored six unanswered goals and completed the comeback.
Misa, Dickinson, & Graf lead the way for the Sharks’ comeback
Michael Misa, Sam Dickinson, and Collin Graf all had multi-point games. Misa and Dickinson both finished with one goal and three assists, while Graf had two goals and one assist.
Graf showcased his experience, as he had the primary assist on Dickinson’s goal and then scored two straight goals. Graf’s goals would tie and give the lead to the Sharks.
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“It’s exciting. I think there are a lot of good players on this team,” Graf said. “It’s fun to watch. It’s fun to play with these guys, and it’s exciting for the future.”
Dickinson and Misa didn’t speak postgame, but acting San Jose Sharks head coach John McCarthy said both Misa and Dickinson were great.
“I liked his jump. I thought the last two-on-one that they had, he just beat everybody up the ice. He had a burst,” McCarthy said.”
“Sam, I thought, settled in,” McCarthy said. “Early [he was] anxious up ice, but settled in, and I thought he was really good.”
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Wang shows he’s ready to do whatever it takes
A turning point in the San Jose Sharks’ win could be the fight that Haoxi (Simon) Wang had in the second period. Graf, McCarthy, and Carson Wetsch all recognized the moment and what it did for the bench.
“It just shows that everyone can really do everything,” Wetsch said. “We’re willing to stick up for each other. “Every single player has a little grit to them.”
Wang (6’6) fought Kings prospect Kaleb Lawrence (6’7) in what looked like an old-school agreement. Right after a face-off, both players tossed off their gloves and went at it.
Unfortunately for both players, they continued to fight after they hit the ice, leading to 10-minute misconduct penalties.
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There was a delay in the third period because the teams were told both players had been ejected, but that wasn’t the case. Lawrence didn’t return, while Wang did. Wang had already showered and changed before re-putting on his gear and eventually returning.
Sharks’ prospects proved they are the best and deepest pool in two games
If it wasn’t answered on paper already, the San Jose Sharks proved on the ice why they have the best prospect pool in the NHL.
After a 6-3 defeat over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night, San Jose returned to a bad start before attacking the Kings in waves.
Quentin Musty, Kasper Halttunen, Mattias Havelid, Misa, Dickinson, and more all dominated play from the moment the goalies changed midway through the second period.
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Havelid especially stood out as an underrated prospect in the Sharks’ system. The Swedish d-man scored in both games and will make the jump to professional hockey in North America this season.
“I’ve taken my time back in Sweden. I played pro hockey over there, and I felt that this season was the time for me to take this step and feel good about it,” Havelid said. “Just going out there and doing my thing and hoping for the best.”
McCarthy paired Havelid with Dickinson for much of the two games.
Musty showed much progress in the defensive side of his game during the tournament, a piece that he has been focusing on. He killed penalties on both days and laid his body on the line to block shots throughout the tournament.
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Next up for the Sharks is training camp, which is scheduled to begin sometime next week. The first preseason game against the Vegas Golden Knights is one week from Sunday.
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