Editor's note: Sheng Peng is 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.
“That’s what it takes to win in this league.”
Head coach Ryan Warsofsky wasn’t talking about goals by Tyler Toffoli and Mario Ferraro, or even Yaroslav Askarov’s 23 saves, in the San Jose Sharks’ 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The win snapped an eight-game losing streak.
Warsofsky was talking about the heart shown by the Sharks tonight, all of them, on the heels of one of their worst efforts of the season, a 4-0 New Year’s Eve embarrassment to the Philadelphia Flyers.
There was a commitment to crashing the net, literally.
Kunin goes into Lilleberg. Tampa takes exception and we have chaos. Kunin off for tripping, Lilleberg off for roughing. #TheFutureIsTeal 1, #GoBolts 0 pic.twitter.com/QZKj7dOI9l
— TEAL TOWN USA - A San Jose Sharks Podcast (@TEALTOWNUSA) January 3, 2025
San Jose Sharks
Luke Kunin (11) gives no quarter forechecking Emil Lilleberg (78), and both up-end Andrei Vasilevskiy. Kunin and Lilleberg went to the box, a fair and even-up call, and Vasilevskiy got up unscathed, no problem.
But more important was Kunin’s no-surrender hustle, which helped set a tone for the Sharks.
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