The San Jose Sharks hosted the Vegas Golden Knights for their opening preseason matchup on Sunday. The Sharks walked away with a 5-2 victory in a much more even matchup than the score would suggest. After the game, there were a few major takeaways that I felt stood above anything else.
Henry Thrun Deserves a Big Role
The Sharks had a fantastic first period, scoring their first goal in less than a minute. That goal was scored by defenseman Henry Thrun who also had another goal and an assist in the first period alone. Head coach David Quinn quickly moved him up in the power play lineup as well, as he replaced Jan Rutta on the first unit fairly quickly. His chemistry with Tomas Hertl seemed very strong, as all three points were on plays that also involved the veteran forward. Thrun showed last night that he deserves a big role in the Sharks’ defense this season.
Considering they don’t have a true replacement for Erik Karlsson on the blue line, it’s wide open as to who can bring the offensive production from the back end. With the skill he showed on Sunday, Thrun can become the biggest contributor from the defense if he can stay consistent. I wouldn’t expect his time on the first power play unit to be limited to preseason either, the Sharks need a quarterback for the power play and he can certainly do the job. He’ll have to continue to perform at a high level once the regular season starts in order to stay in such a role, but it’s clear that he deserves to not only be in the NHL this season but be a big part of the team’s defensive core moving forward.
Kaapo Kahkonen Shows Signs of Improvement
It’s safe to say, the Sharks didn’t get the level of play they expected out of Kaapo Kahkonen last season. It wasn’t an issue that specifically dealt with him, as every goaltender struggled a bit given the state of the team in front of them. With that being said, Kahkonen showed signs of improvement during his first action of the preseason. He allowed a goal in each of the first two periods but seemed fairly strong given the fact that it’s his first competitive action since the middle of May. In the final period of play though, he was unbeatable and stopped all 13 shots that he faced. He walked away with the win as well as a save percentage of .941. Once the regular season starts, it’ll be a battle between Kahkonen and Mackenzie Blackwood for the starting goalie role, and as of now, Kahkonen has put himself in a good position to get an early lead on that race.
Burroughs & Rutta Fitting in
The defensive additions of Rutta and Kyle Burroughs both played well in their San Jose debuts as well. Although they were pinching up a bit more than they likely should’ve been, it’s beneficial to see how well they’re able to do it now rather than during the regular season.
Burroughs in particular had one moment where he was massively out of position after helping out in the offensive zone and as a result, Vegas had an odd-man rush. But it’s nothing to necessarily worry about. He had a goal in the same period as well, so it showed both the benefits and possible risks of playing him in that type of role. Rutta on the other hand seemed a little out of place on the powerplay, but the rest of his game seemed very solid. He’s a strong player who will be a productive player on the back end, but not likely on the offensive side of things. Given the nature of the projected opening night lineup though, he may be the best out of the limited options for the second unit.
Related: 3 Sharks Storylines to Follow During Preseason
The Sharks played a very good game and it’s difficult to imagine a better start than a goal 26 seconds in by one of their most underrated defensive prospects. Having their goaltender start off hot and a couple of new additions playing well on the blue line were just the icing on top as well. Of course, there is only so much you can ever take out of one game, especially when it’s a preseason game. The Sharks will need the aforementioned players to play at this level consistently once the regular season starts if they want to outperform the low expectations that most have for them.
