Sharks’ Kahkonen has chaotic night time in preseason match vs. Los Angeles Kings

SAN JOSE – Kaapo Kahonen stated on the working day he signed a two-12 months agreement extension with the Sharks this offseason that he wished to create himself as the team’s No. 1 goalie.

Kahkonen received a prospect to make an opening argument Sunday evening, and finished with 43 will save for the Sharks in a penalty-loaded 3-2 earn about the Los Angeles Kings at SAP Centre in the 1st activity of the preseason for both groups.

Logan Couture scored at the 3:33 mark of additional time off a go from Erik Karlsson for the profitable purpose.

Luke Kunin, acquired in the offseason from the Nashville Predators, scored at the 6:25 mark of the very first period of time for the Sharks, as he redirected a nifty move from Tomas Hertl past Jonathan Swift. Timo Meier scored the video game-winner at the 9:50 mark of the third period of time, as he tipped a Matt Benning shot previous Kings backup goalie Matt Villata.

Carl Grundstrom scored 59 seconds into the 3rd period of time, as he bought posture around the Sharks’ crease and redirected a Brandt Clarke pass into an open up web. Grundstrom then assisted on Blake Lizotte’s intention on an odd-guy hurry with 2:35 remaining in the third interval to tie the video game 2-2.

The Sharks and Kings experienced 15 energy performs in between them, with Los Angeles ending with 8.

Kahkonen performed the entire video game and had five saves in an uneventful to start with interval, adopted by 20 in the second when the Sharks took six slight penalties. Of Kahkonen’s 1st 25 saves, 13 came on the penalty destroy.

Kahkonen, 26, concluded past period with a 14-14-4 history and a .912 save percentage. That incorporated a 2-6-1 mark with the Sharks immediately after he and a 2022 fifth-round draft decide were acquired in March from the Minnesota Wild for defenseman Jacob Middleton.

Kahkonen had a good .916 help you save percentage in 11 video games for a depleted Sharks workforce, and signed a two-yr, $5.5 million contract with the Sharks as a limited absolutely free agent in July.

“I want to be the male that’s starting most evenings, and which is some thing that everyone almost certainly would like to be,” Kahkonen stated following the offer was announced. “I never believe everything really improvements. That is often been my attitude but at the identical time, you have to earn that. It is not just exhibiting up to camp and hoping you have a superior camp.”

There is not substantially time left for Kahkonen and the Sharks to get all set for the regular period.

The Sharks play 4 extra preseason online games this 7 days, which includes split-squad games in Vegas and Anaheim on Friday. Then they fly to Europe on Saturday and facial area the Predators on Oct. 7 in Prague in the regular time opener.

Injuries UPDATE: The Sharks have their initially injuries of instruction camp, as winger Alexander Barabanov is now deemed working day-to-working day with a lower-overall body ailment.

Barabanov was damage on the ice Saturday morning prior to a scheduled scrimmage at Sharks Ice. Mentor David Quinn said soon after the scrimmage that he imagined Barabanov could be back on the ice Sunday, but he did not skate in the morning and was not in the lineup for the match.

“He’s executing good,” Quinn mentioned of Barabanov ahead of Sunday’s sport. “He’s finding greater. He was much better right now than yesterday.”

The Sharks have the day off Monday just before they host Anaheim on Tuesday.