Sharks' Powerplay Prowess Not Enough to Overcome Flyers' Defense at Wells Fargo Center
The San Jose Sharks, with a record of 28-23-8 and 64 points, faced off against the Philadelphia Flyers, who held a record of 25-26-9 and 59 points. The final score read 3-2 in favor of the home team.
In an evenly matched contest at the Wells Fargo Center, the San Jose Sharks showcased their special teams' capabilities by converting two powerplay opportunities into goals. Despite trailing in faceoff wins with only 20 successful draws compared to the Flyers' dominant performance of winning 40 faceoffs, the Sharks managed to keep pace throughout much of the game.
The Sharks capitalized on their powerplay chances with a shooting percentage of seven percent on their eleven shots during man advantages. Their ability to make use of these opportunities was one bright spot in an otherwise challenging matchup. However, they struggled at even strength where they failed to find the back of the net despite taking seventeen shots.
Defensively, San Jose's goaltender put up a valiant effort with thirty-eight saves on forty-one shots for a save percentage rounding up to one hundred percent. This included eleven shorthanded saves as they killed off four out five penalties successfully. Yet it wasn't enough as two even-strength goals slipped through along with one powerplay goal conceded during Philadelphia's four chances.
On offense, aside from their effective powerplay unit which contributed all six points from two goals and four assists, San Jose found it difficult to break through Philadelphia's defense which blocked eleven shots and out-hit them by five.
The Flyers made good use of their home ice advantage by maintaining pressure across all periods and scoring once in each frame while also blocking twelve shots themselves. Their goaltender mirrored his counterpart’s performance stopping twenty-seven out twenty-nine shots for another rounded-up save percentage close to perfection.
As fans look ahead after this hard-fought battle on ice, they can mark their calendars for when the San Jose Sharks take on Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena. The game is scheduled for March 14th at 7:00 PM Eastern Time and will be available for viewing on ESPN+ online platform as well as SportsNet PT and NBCS-CA television networks.