The Sharks committed a couple of sins in Sin City on Sunday as a thrilling 5-4 shootout win put a dagger in the Vegas Golden Knights’ playoff hopes.
San Jose was able to play spoiler against its rival as the incredible comeback win put Vegas’ Stanley Cup Playoff chances on life support.
Vegas was two minutes away from inching closer to a playoff spot, holding a 4-2 lead with a little over two minutes remaining in regulation.
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But Vegas is dubbed the Entertainment Capital of the World for a reason, and the Sharks weren’t leaving T-Mobile Arena without putting on a show.
Sharks’ veteran forward Nick Bonino scored his second goal of the night with 2:06 remaining in the third period.
Bonino’s goal gave the Sharks momentum, but they knew netting an equalizer wasn’t going to be easy.
As the clock wound down to the final seconds, the Sharks never gave up and continued to battle on both ends.
Then, Timo Meier scored a goal with 0.9 seconds on the clock to tie the game and force overtime.
The matchup got even more intense as it reached the shootout. And it was 20-year-old Thomas Bordeleau who scored the winner to play hero for the Sharks.
“I was ready,” Bordeleau said after the game. “I didn’t know if I was going to go or not. And [coach Bob Boughner] just said ‘Alright, Bords, go win this thing for us’, so I just went out there and did my thing.”
The loss severely damaged Vegas’ playoff hopes with three games left in the season. The Dallas Stars can eliminate the Golden Knights with a win in regulation Tuesday.
Prior to the game, Meier called Sunday’s showdown “the biggest game of the year” as he and the team wouldn’t want anything more than to knock their rivals out of the postseason.
San Jose Sharks
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The Sharks have lost 11 straight games to the Golden Knights, dating back to the 2019-20 season. Although they will miss the playoffs this year, the win in Vegas had to feel good.
The Sharks weren't the only ones celebrating the win Sunday as several other NHL teams enjoyed seeing San Jose deal a massive blow to Vegas' playoff hopes.