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.
Well, the winning wasn’t going to last.
The Sharks got off to a quick start Saturday afternoon with Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Jan Rutta giving them a 2-0 lead in the first 10 minutes over the Buffalo Sabres. But the Sharks couldn’t sustain it, surrendering five unanswered goals on their way to a 5-2 defeat.
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This loss snapped the last-place squad’s three-game winning streak.
At least there were two bright spots for the Sharks: Shakir Mukhamadullin’s NHL debut and William Eklund’s two 5-on-5 assists.
“He’s got a mental composure to him when his body’s moving fast, which is hard to do,” Quinn said before the game of the top prospect’s calm.
“You think of guys like Doughty, Heiskanen. I’m not comparing him to those guys. But those guys play without a heartbeat almost,” Logan Couture said. “Shakir has some of that in his game.”
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Did Mukhamadullin, who finished with a game-leading nine shot attempts, look like he belonged in the NHL?
“He did tonight, that’s for sure,” Quinn said.