Sharks & Cyclones upset top ranked Jets & Kings
It was a night no one expected…
Two games, two favorites… two upsets!
Sharks vs. Jets
Before the players had shown up for the game, it was clear the Jets would be entering the game with the clear advantage. The Jets welcomed back alternate captains Maurice Ducharme & Seth Henderson, who hadn’t played a game since late December, while the Sharks were going to be without veteran defenseman, Hank Barker.
The game started off quick as the Jets set the pace early. They controlled the possession as the Sharks forced them to the outside perimeter of the floor. The Sharks were happy to let the Jets forwards move the ball up and down the wing, while keep them out of the middle. The Sharks used patient defense to conserve their energy as they played the game ironman. The game’s first goal came courtesy of Sharks’ coach, Jamie Wilson, who intercepted a pass in the defensive zone walking into the slot and wristed a shot top-shelf on a groggy Andrew Courchene. The Jets responded shortly after as Jets’ leading scorer, Richmond Fillion snuck a shot over the glove of newly acquired tender, Jordan Groves.
Aside for a goal by Morgan Hobbs around the 7 minute mark of the period, there didn’t look like another goal may be scored in the game. Both goaltenders made countless saves and were starting to heat up. But late in the period things opened up. With time winding down in the final minutes, Fillion converted on a beauty one-timer to tie the game at 2-2. Moments later Akhil Rooprai collected a rebound just to the right of Courchene and slid his first of his career five-hole to restore the Sharks’ lead. Wilson would add one more on a flukie goal just before the horn to lead the Jets 4-2 after one.
In the 2nd, the Jets worked hard to get at Groves, but the Sharks defense did a good job keeping them out of the middle. The Sharks took a three-goal lead early on but Ducharme, notching his first goal since December, quickly erased it. It was Henderson’s turn, as he sniped a beauty short-side to cut the lead to one. The Sharks weren’t phased and stuck to their game plan, patient defense and counter attacking. It continued to work for them as Hobbs buried his 2nd of the game to help his team to a two-goal lead going into the 3rd.
The 3rd was the best period of them all! The Jets were favorites coming in for a reason. They moved the ball well and created numerous chances. Fortunately for the Sharks, Groves was on his game, making several key saves at key times. That however, isn’t always enough. With under 4 minutes left, as the ball was bouncing around the slot in front of the Sharks’ goal, it got kicked right to the stick of former Shark, Tyler Clark, who took a shot that was going well wide until it hit Rooprai and deflected into the net to tie the game at 7-7.
Cue the craziness.
Less than a minute later, Rooprai stripped Ducharme of the ball in the Sharks’ end, sending it towards the stage. Morgan Hobbs, gathered the ball, turned and tried to get it on net… and it went it! Somehow it eluded Courchene and snuck in short-side.
But wait, there’s more!
With just over a minute remaining, Henderson came through in the clutch. After receiving a breakout pass from Cody Wood, Henderson came up the right side, cut into the middle and once again went up stairs on Groves to tie the game and send it to a shootout.
In the shootout, it was a goalies duel, and it seemed that the first team to score would be the team to win. That goal came in the 5th round as Walker Hobbs faked a shot, went backhand and went back bar-down to give the Sharks their first victory over the Jets this season and their first win since December 1, 2014.
Players of the Game: Walker Hobbs (Shootout Winner) & Seth Henderson (2 goals, 1 assist, GTG)
