The San Jose Sharks snapped a five-game losing skid with a dramatic 3-2 shootout win over the New York Islanders at SAP Center on Monday. Yaroslav Askarov was the key difference in net, stopping 30 shots before turning aside all eight Islanders attempts in an eight-round shootout.
Ivar Stenberg netted the deciding goal, while Tyler Toffoli added a goal and an assist as San Jose earned just its second win in the last nine games. The Islanders, despite outshooting their opponents, suffered their fourth straight loss.
Yaroslav Askarov leads Sharks to victory
Askarov delivered a strong performance for San Jose, holding the Islanders off the board throughout regulation before a perfect shootout showing. His eight saves in the tiebreaker were crucial, with Stenberg eventually scoring to end the contest.
The winning goal came when Stenberg skated down the left wing, cut inside, and beat Ilya Sorokin with a wrist shot over the goaltender’s glove. It was the only successful attempt in the shootout.
“I’ve missed two times before, so I was happy to see the puck go in,” Stenberg said. He noted he had several options before choosing his finish, adding that he was pleased to convert.
San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky welcomed the two points after a tough run of results, praising the team’s work rate and commitment to its identity with and without the puck.
Islanders and Sharks exchange goals
New York opened the scoring at 6:14 of the first period through Ben Hutton. Simon Holmstrom sent a diagonal pass from the right point, finding Hutton after his move down the ice, and the defenseman beat Askarov with a shot against his right pad at the far post.
The Sharks answered at 16:41 to tie it 1-1. Ty Dellandrea disrupted Logan Stanley’s attempted clearance along the boards, allowing Toffoli to fire a wrist shot from the top of the right circle. Stenberg got a touch on the attempt, redirecting it past Sorokin.
San Jose forward Mason Marchment praised the young scorer’s composure and skill, suggesting his confidence with the puck was already making a difference. He also noted that Stenberg had plenty of room to grow after just 20 games.
The Islanders regained the lead early in the second period. At 1:11, Victor Eklund finished a power-play chance with a one-timer from the right hash marks after a short pass from Brayden Schenn.
Tyler Toffoli forces overtime
Toffoli tied the game again at 12:12 of the second period, scoring just six seconds after a Sharks power play had ended. Dmitry Orlov’s initial attempt hit Sorokin’s right pad and rebounded into the left circle, where Toffoli fired home. The puck deflected off Adam Pelech’s face before crossing the line.
The 2-2 score held for the rest of regulation, sending the game to overtime and eventually a shootout. Sorokin finished with 37 saves, keeping New York in the game despite the loss.
Islanders coach Peter DeBoer was especially frustrated by his team’s failure to capitalize on a strong start to the third period. He said New York had created five or six high-quality chances in the opening five minutes but could not convert any.
Sharks end losing streak as Islanders struggle
The win lifted San Jose after a difficult stretch in which the team had lost five consecutive games and managed only one other win in its previous eight outings.
For the Islanders, the loss extended their losing streak to four games, though DeBoer was hesitant to judge the entire run the same way. He considered the performance against Carolina one of the team’s best of the season, while calling the overtime loss to New Jersey poor.
He acknowledged his side had shown improvement against San Jose but felt those positive spells did not last long enough. In the end, the Islanders could not solve Askarov in the shootout, leaving the Sharks to celebrate a much-needed victory.