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SAN JOSE – The rumor between the Sharks and the Golden Knights Saturday night could be called a couple of different things. Evander Kane called the situation a "fierce fight". Coach Peter DeBoer called it "a real ice war for space". Tomas Hertl simply referred to it as "a huge victory".
No matter how you want to characterize it yourself, the Teal team broke their slippage by losing seven games and secured the home win for the first round of the series with a 4-3 overtime victory. Getting the win over Vegas rival, which San Jose will face when the playoffs kick off in a few weeks, was exactly what the Sharks needed to recover.
"We needed an emotional game," admitted DeBoer. "We knew it was a team we were going to play in the playoffs. We know the story with them, they make you play correctly in a physical game. "
He was not laughing. Saturday's match was as physical as they came. Both teams recorded 40 shots each with Timo Meier, this is not a player that we usually think of putting big shots on his opponents, causing all skaters with 10. (Kane, best known for his physical game, recorded nine shots.) Good leftovers, with younger players like Kevin Labanc and Marcus Sorensen who got into the fray to defend their teammates.
"It's fun to see everyone caring for each other, helping the situation," said Hertl, when he explained how so many players faced off against the fierce Vegas team.
The competition was all the more intense as both teams were looking to stop losing streaks. Unlike the more opportunistic teams the Sharks faced in their seven-game skid, the Golden Knights entered the match as a qualifying team for the playoffs after their fourth consecutive loss. Add to that the Sharks' potential to win a playoff home win, and the stakes have become much bigger.
"It was an important game for both teams," said Kane. "Both teams wanted to return to the win column tonight, without playing our best hockey. Whenever we play with these guys, it's always a hard match and you definitely feel all the intensity. "
Even with a match as physical and controversial as Saturday's, San Jose has managed to not let his opponent get too upset. In fact, it was the Golden Knights who dropped the game and lost 55 seconds in the penalty shootout, allowing the Sharks to be on the power play when extra time began.
"I think we put ourselves to the skin," said Hertl. "That's why they took the last-minute penalty and we ended it in overtime."
[[[[RELATED: Watch the winner of Brent Burns game]
After Brent Burns' OT winner, Saturday's victory was likely to give the illusion that San Jose is now fully back on track and ready to welcome Vegas on lap 1. But DeBoer warned there was still work to be done before the regular season concludes.
"I do not know if we are ready, we have very good players injured," he admitted. "But if we can get healthy, I think we know our sport. I know we lost seven players, but we played a lot of good hockey this year. I think we are confident in our game. "
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