IRVINE, Calif. — This is what Mike Grier is trying to build at the NHL level.
Down 4-0 to the Los Angeles Kings after 20 minutes, the uber-talented Sharks never felt out of it, and they weren’t, roaring back to win 8-5.
Collin Graf scored twice, while Kasper Halttunen, Filip Bystedt, Sam Dickinson, Michael Misa, Mattias Havelid, and Carson Wetsch also lit the lamp. 2024 No. 11 pick Dickinson and 2025 No. 2 pick Misa each had three assists too, so both had four-point showings.
“Anyone you think of who’s a really good player with the puck, [they don’t] rush themselves,” Graf said of Misa. “They’re very patient. They don’t get rushed by the defense. They’re in control of the game at their own pace, and he has that for sure.”
And Michael Misa’s first goal in a Sharks uniform! pic.twitter.com/NgBzfiHItC
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) September 13, 2025
Misa to Halttunen, sweet pass! Sharks finally on the board 4-1 pic.twitter.com/88rA3erped
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) September 13, 2025
The Sharks felt inevitable this afternoon, a wagon, as they attacked wave after wave in the last 40.
After being outshot 13-7 in the opening frame, San Jose turned the tide 27-14 shots.
My joke? September is playoff time for the San Jose Sharks.
This is San Jose’s second-straight Rookie Faceoff sweep, and their seventh Rookie Faceoff win in their last eight, dating back to 2023.
But the makings are there, between Misa and Dickinson and Quentin Musty and Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith and William Eklund and Yaroslav Askarov, that the Sharks are playing into June sooner than later.
Graf and head coach John McCarthy spoke on how Haoxi (Simon) Wang’s fight with Kaleb Lawrence galvanized the Sharks. 2022 second-pick Havelid and 2024 third-rounder Wetsch shared what they’ve been improving in their games this summer.