A leaden start to the season for the San Jose Sharks.
Then Erik Karlsson stepped forward when it was most needed.
The Swede became a great hero with an absolutely decisive goal.
Yes, the career may not have been what Erik Karlsson had hoped for, after all the years where he completely dominated with his Ottawa Senators. Since the move to the San Jose Sharks, the team has lost pretty much everything, while Erik Karlsson himself has had major problems with injuries.
Leaden victory
Now he’s healthy, though, and in the opening five games of the NHL season, he’s gotten a huge amount of ice time, and has also scored some points going forward. But the Sharks had lost all five games, and many thought the streak would be extended in the tough road game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden last night.
Erik Karlsson was the match’s best player, and already in the first period he was noted for the first point of the day, when he played Logan Couture up to 1-0. However, the Rangers came back, and the game went to extra time, where Karlsson stepped forward again. Just 49 seconds had been played when he was tripped in the Rangers zone. But he stood up immediately, got the puck back that he had just passed from him, and then he flicked in the goal that meant 3-2.
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Score success
It reminded me of Erik Karlsson in his prime days, when he spun up opponents on a conveyor belt. And the win was the Sharks’ first of the season.
– I managed to find the balance and felt that he and I had control over it, even though it might not have looked like it. It was nicely done by Timo Meier and he gave me an easy goal, says Karlsson afterwards.
In addition to his two points in the game, Erik Karlsson was noted for almost 24 minutes of ice time, which are huge numbers. He has now scored five points in six games from his back position, that in a team that has thus won with an overtime win and the rest losses during the six opening games.
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