As we approach the middle of the work week — also known as Hump Day — Sharks media had a plethora of topics to discuss. Some media members attended Dan Boyle’s press conference Wednesday afternoon. In addition, San Jose hosted their final preseason game at home against the Anaheim Ducks before heading out on the road.
The goaltending matchup between Martin Jones and Jonathan Bernier was definitely a sight to see. The Sharks and Ducks headed out on the ice, allowing the fun to begin. The emotions began to heat up, as Michael Haley and Jared Boll dropped the gloves off a faceoff with 6:44 left. Both players received a five-minute major penalty for fighting. Anaheim was rather dominant, outshooting San Jose 8-6 and leading in hits (10) in a scoreless first period.
First intermission was a must for the local media members this time around. The majority of Sharks reporters, including myself, screamed with joy and excitement when the San Francisco Giants shutout the New York Mets 3-0 in a do-or-die National League Wild Card game. The standard 20 minutes went by fairly quick for those who watched baseball.
The Ducks were certainly fired up in the second period. Corey Perry scored his first goal of the preseason to give his team a 1-0 lead at 7:42. Joseph Cramarossa added another goal to make it a 2-0 game at 9:15. Anaheim managed to hold onto a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes, despite barely outshooting San Jose 16-15.
The Sharks were in a make-or-break situation in the third period. Once again, San Jose had to play defense and capitalize on the man advantage to make a comeback, but were unable to complete the required tasks. A similar yet less severe event occurred, as Haley and Boll were both given two-minute penalties for roughing at 15:29. The clock winded down and the Ducks took the preseason game with a 2-0 shutout win over the Sharks.
There wasn’t much emotion in the Sharks’ locker room tonight.
When I asked Sharks forward Kevin Labanc about how he would prepare for the next game, he told me: “Dig deeper and start getting ready for the next game tomorrow because it starts with practice.”
Up Next
The Sharks conclude the preseason with a home game against the Coyotes on Saturday.
