FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. \u2014 The San Jose Sharks bullied the back-to-back defending champs.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the Sharks, the worst team in the NHL in the previous two seasons.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the Sharks, outshot at Amerant Bank Arena last year, 54-29 in a 3-1 Dec. 7 loss, then waving the white flag on their season two days later at the Panthers\u2019 practice facility, trading starting goalie Mackenzie Blackwood to the Colorado Avalanche.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s clearly a brand-new day for the Sharks.<\/p>\n
After morning skate at that same practice facility, they acquired gritty scoring winger Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks for a pair of second-round picks\u2026then punched the Panthers in the nose, 4-1, highlighted by three goals in 5:02 in the second period from Will Smith, Vincent Desharnais, and Mario Ferraro.<\/p>\n
Granted, this isn\u2019t the same Florida squad from last year: The Panthers have been beset by injuries to their stars, and are actually out of the playoffs, at the moment.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s still impressive to see the San Jose Sharks initiate physically, which hasn\u2019t been the Sharks\u2019 M.O. for a long time.<\/p>\n
It starts with 6-foot-7 Vincent Desharnais, in his first appearance since Nov. 26, giving superstar power forward Matthew Tkachuk, in his first game this season, a fond welcome back.<\/p>\n
Just the 1st period into his return and Matthew Tkachuk got into it with Vincent Desharnais \ud83d\ude05\ud83d\udc40 pic.twitter.com\/uFUlAiVzKG<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) January 19, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Vincent Desharnais lays the boom on Matthew Tkachuk! \ud83d\udca5 pic.twitter.com\/RgdymMocN6<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NHL (@NHL) January 19, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cPhysicality that Vinnie brought tonight was really good for us,\u201d San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky said.<\/p>\n Desharnais even scored a goal, just the second of his career, and the best part? He initiated the Sharks\u2019 rush by taking 5-foot-11 Mackie Samoskevich\u2019s lunch money in the corner.<\/p>\n Milestone moment \ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n Goal #1\ufe0f\u20e35\ufe0f\u20e30\ufe0f\u20e3<\/a> for the Sharks Foundation’s Goals for Kids program, scored by Vincent Desharnais in his first game back & his second NHL goal. <\/p>\n Thank you to our Presenting Partners @TaubePhilanthro<\/a>, @TechCU<\/a> and @SAP<\/a> & Participating Sponsors Credo and Swenson\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/tmcU5mfaaV<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sharks Community (@sjscommunity) January 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t just Desharnais, of course.<\/p>\n It was San Jose neighborhood bully, Ryan Reaves, mocking A.J. Greer.<\/p>\n No messing with Eky on Reavo’s watch \ud83d\ude42\u200d\u2194\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/2YzFA9vbQU<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) January 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n It was Pavol Regenda, standing up for Michael Misa.<\/p>\n It’s a feisty one in South Florida \ud83e\udd4a pic.twitter.com\/LF5dSq6NdK<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) January 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re starting to learn how we need to play. We talked about, we\u2019re not going to tip-toe into the game,\u201d Warsofsky said. \u201cWe got to attack, we got to push forward, we\u2019re a good hockey team.\u201d<\/p>\n Of course, the Panthers, proud champions, fought back.<\/p>\n Eetu Luostarinen notched an early third period goal, then Evan Rodrigues tried to pay Desharnais back\u2026which set off a melee, highlighted by a goalie fight between Alex Nedeljkovic and Sergei Bobrovsky.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8 GOALIE FIGHT \ud83d\udea8 pic.twitter.com\/GbVXvVTLWk<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) January 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d do it for anybody, for any of these 20 guys here, 25, how many we have, and think that just speaks to how close we are as a group,\u201d Nedeljkovic said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never had a goalie defend me like that,\u201d Desharnais laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a very close group. You can feel it. You can see it,\u201d Warsofsky said. \u201cThere\u2019s not one guy doesn\u2019t play for the guy next to him. They check their egos at the door.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t let them push us around,\u201d Desharnais said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been impressive to watch evolve here in 48 games,\u201d Warsofsky said of the team camaraderie. \u201cWe\u2019ve still got a long way to go and some things to improve on.\u201d<\/p>\n But on a day where the Sharks made their first real Trade Deadline addition in seven years, this game was testament to how far they\u2019ve come.<\/p>\n Vincent Desharnais<\/p>\n Desharnais, on the fight: “It was a great fight. I don’t think Reavo needs to teach him anything. Maybe he can teach a thing or two to Reavo. That was awesome. I’ve never had a goalie defend me like that. I loved it.”<\/p>\n \u2014 Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Desharnais questioned me at end \ud83e\udd23 “No questions about the goal, first goal, first goal in two seasons? Come on here!” https:\/\/t.co\/XTBZMjLIcT<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Alex Nedeljkovic<\/p>\n Nedeljkovic, on Rodrigues boarding Desharnais, which triggered him to leave crease: “Honestly, it was kind of a bullshit play\u2026Whistle went already\u2026I don’t think there’s any justification for it. As soon as I saw it, for me, it was enough to go ahead and do something.”<\/p>\n \u2014 Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Michael Misa<\/p>\n Ryan Warsofsky<\/p>\n Warsofsky, on Nedeljkovic: “Ned is an ultra-competitor. I love him. The way he competes for his team. He’ll do anything for his teammates and to win a hockey game. That’s what’s most impressive about the young man.”<\/p>\n \u2014 Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Warsofsky says this was Misa’s best NHL game so far: “For sure, inch by inch, he’s getting better.”<\/p>\n \u2014 Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Warsofsky, on acquiring Sherwood: “He’ll be in our top-9 there, and we think we got a really good one. He can skate. He’s competitive. Top-five in hits\u2026We’ve talked about him for a while now, Mike and the staff. Guy we really, really like and can fit how we want to play.”<\/p>\n \u2014 Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t