Alexander Wennberg knew he would have to assume a bit more responsibility with the San Jose Sharks after do-everything forward Mikael Granlund was traded to the Dallas Stars early last month.
Now healthy, Wennberg has responded with some of his best hockey of the season.
After recording a combined three assists in the Sharks’ games against the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators earlier on this road trip, Wennberg added a couple more helpers on goals by Jack Thompson and Tyler Toffoli on Monday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Wennberg then helped kill a penalty to Luke Kunin in the first two minutes of overtime, setting the stage for a shootout that saw Tyler Toffoli and Fabian Zetterlund both score in a 3-2 Sharks win at Scotiabank Arena.
“It hasn’t been easy. We’ve had a couple of close games here and have been falling short,” Wennberg told the Sharks Audio Network afterward. “It’s nice to get rewarded.”
The win was the Sharks’ first since Jan. 27, four days before Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci were traded to the Stars for two draft picks, including a first-rounder.
Wennberg missed the Sharks’ last four games before the 4 Nations Face-Off break. That gave him three weeks to heal his injury and return refreshed — physically and mentally. It did wonders.
“I’ve been injured before and got that break, so I got a little bit of rest and was just excited to play again,” Wennberg said. “Getting away from the game gives you that little bit extra jump, if you ask me. So, I just tried to take advantage of the days I had and right now, I’m just playing and having fun.
“You’re battling, but the game is about having fun as well.”
Wennberg was moved from centering the third line to centering the second line at the start of this road trip. His line — with Will Smith and Zetterlund on the wings — played well against the Calgary Flames in what turned into a 3-1 Sharks loss on Feb. 23. The trio might have been the Sharks’ best line the next night in Winnipeg as well.
Against the Canadiens, Wennberg assisted on even strength goals by Zetterlund and Smith, then assisted on Timothy Liljegren’s power play goal two nights later in Ottawa.
Wennberg is still looking for his 100th NHL goal – he’s been stuck at 99 since Dec. 14 – but the five points he’s collected in the last three games represents his most productive stretch with the Sharks since signing with the team as a free agent in July.
“He’s stepped up tremendously,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said of Wennberg. “He’s such an underrated player in this league, it’s incredible. I know he’s been around. But coaching him, you see first-hand how smart of an individual he is, his skill set, he sees the ice well. He’s been a huge piece to this team.”
Warsofsky shuffled his lines for the third period, moving Wennberg alongside Toffoli and William Eklund, and Macklin Celebrini back with Smith and Zetterlund. Per Natural Stat Trick, scoring chances in the third period during 5-on-5 play were 11-5.
It’s fair to assume the Sharks’ top two lines will remain the same for their game Tuesday night in Buffalo, as San Jose looks to win consecutive games for the first time since early January.
“It’s something to build on,” Wennberg said. “It’s something we’ve talked about. Finishing games and finding a way to win. This is huge for the team.”
LILJEGREN EARNS KUDOS: Warsofsky feels that Timothy Liljegren has been playing some of his best hockey of the season of late. Monday, the Swedish-born defenseman had two blocks in a season-high 22:25 of ice time as he played alongside Jake Walman on the Sharks’ top defense pair.
Related Articles
San Jose Sharks earn dramatic, unlikely win over Toronto Maple Leafs
Sharks’ Celebrini excited to play Maple Leafs; Thrun to IR; Duehr waived
Anyone looking for quick fix to Sharks’ woes might be disappointed by Grier’s plan
San Jose Sharks find another way to lose as skid reaches eight games
Sharks defenseman out vs. Senators, who return three key forwards
We’ll see what the Sharks’ roster looks like after Friday’s trade deadline, but it’s possible that Liljegren could stay in that role for the rest of the season if he continues to play well.
“I thought Liljegren was one of our best defensemen tonight,” Warsofsky said. “Liljegren has taken the biggest strides on defense we’ve seen all year.”
GEORGIEV REWARDED: Sharks goalie Alexandar Georgiev made 25 saves as he picked up his first win since Jan. 14 in Detroit, which also marked the last time San Jose won on the road.
It’s been a challenge for Georgiev ever since, with a 0-6-1 record and a .870 save percentage in eight games before Monday. But he came up big when the Sharks needed him the most, with three saves during a full two-minute penalty kill in overtime.
“Best I’ve seen him play,” Warsofsky said of Georgiev. “Looked like he was locked in from the beginning. He was on pucks, tracking pucks. Made some big saves, especially on that overtime power play.”
