Sharks' locker room filled with relief after first win of season
Sharks' locker room filled with relief after first win of season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Editor's Note: Sheng Peng will be a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
The San Jose Sharks staved off the wrong kind of history.
Behind 38 Mackenzie Blackwood saves, the 1-10-1 Sharks defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1, to avoid what would’ve been an NHL record 12th consecutive loss to start a season.
Anthony Duclair and William Eklund scored for San Jose. It was the first game-winning goal of the 2021 seventh-overall pick’s career.
It was a joyous scene post-game. The music was pumping and everyone was smiling.
“A lot of relief in here, everyone’s happy,” Blackwood said with a huge smile. “It’s been a long time coming. Now we can take a breath and start to try and put some more together.”
It was far from a perfect game – the Sharks were outshot 39-19 – but they’ll take it.
“After everything, we had a tough start, [played] a lot of the best teams in the NHL. Some injuries. Last two tough games. Probably the hardest start in my life,” Tomas Hertl reflected.
