Sharks Edge Leafs in Shootout: Lund’s NHL Debut

On Thursday, March 27, 2025, the San Jose Sharks hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs at SAP Center in San Jose, California. The game concluded with a thrilling 6-5 shootout victory for the Sharks, marking their third win in five games. (reuters.com)

First Period:

The Sharks took an early lead at 7:50 into the first period when Tyler Toffoli capitalized on a rebound from Lucas Carlsson’s shot. Toronto responded with a power-play goal at 14:40, as William Nylander tapped in a rebound off Matthew Knies’ shot. San Jose regained the advantage with a short-handed goal at 17:45, with Collin Graf beating Leafs’ goaltender Joseph Woll with a wrist shot to the far side. (reuters.com)

Second Period:

The middle frame saw the Sharks extend their lead to 3-1 at 1:39, with Alexander Wennberg snapping a shot under Woll’s blocker. Toronto narrowed the gap on a power play at 4:46, as Auston Matthews poked home a loose puck off Mitch Marner‘s point shot. San Jose responded with an own goal at 13:18, when Woll played the puck off Eklund and into his own net. The Leafs answered with a goal at 15:13, as Scott Laughton one-timed a David Kampf pass past Sharks’ goaltender Alexandar Georgiev. (reuters.com)

Third Period:

Toffoli scored his second goal of the night at 3:02, converting a cross-ice feed from William Eklund on the power play to give the Sharks a 5-3 lead. Toronto mounted a late comeback, with John Tavares redirecting a Marner shot past Georgiev at 18:21 to pull within one. Nylander then tied the game at 19:46, snapping a Marner pass into the net to force overtime. (reuters.com)

Overtime and Shootout:

In the shootout, Macklin Celebrini secured the win for the Sharks, clinching the victory after a dramatic finish in regular time. (reuters.com)

Player Highlights:

Tyler Toffoli led the Sharks with two goals and an assist, while William Eklund contributed a goal and an assist. Collin Graf and Alexander Wennberg also scored in regulation. For Toronto, William Nylander scored twice, including the game-tying goal, while John Tavares had a goal and an assist. Mitch Marner provided three assists for the Maple Leafs. (reuters.com)

Team Records:

The win improved the Sharks’ record to 20-42-9, while the Maple Leafs, with their point from the overtime period, now lead the Atlantic Division at 43-25-4. (reuters.com)

This game showcased the Sharks’ resilience and offensive prowess, particularly from veteran forward Tyler Toffoli, who has been instrumental in leading the team through a rebuilding season. His performance underscores the importance of veteran leadership in guiding younger players and contributing to the team’s development. (thehockeywriters.com)

The Sharks will look to build on this momentum as they continue their season, aiming to develop their young talent and improve their standing in the Pacific Division.

What strategies did the San Jose Sharks employ to secure their win against the Toronto Maple Leafs?