With Paul Sunseri in Chicago for a youth hockey tournament, long-time member and live show regular Devereaux Boxton fills in beside Aaron for Episode 303 of The Fin Factor. The hosts dissect a tough 0-3-0 road swing against three Central and Pacific contenders: a 7-2 blowout against the Los Angeles Kings, a 4-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild, and a competitive 4-3 defeat against the Dallas Stars.
Beyond the game action, Aaron and Devereaux evaluate rookie defenseman Eric Pohlkamp’s NHL debut, break down the alarming penalty parade, discuss the absence of Alexander Wennberg and Igor Chernyshov, and debate the big-picture rebuild timeline with the American Thanksgiving benchmark fast approaching.
Game 1: Sharks at Kings (7-2 L)
San Jose was on the back foot immediately at Crypto.com Arena, surrendering a goal to Adrian Kempe just 1:23 into the game. Kempe finished with a hat trick, while Quinton Byfield and Artemi Panarin dictated play all evening.
- The Good: Macklin Celebrini scored his 6th goal of the season on a power-play wrister and generated a team-high +0.65 Box WAR. The power play went 2-for-6, with both tallies orchestrated by Dmitry Orlov and Michael Misa. Collin Graf went a near-perfect 8-for-9 (89%) in the faceoff dot.
- The Bad: Yaroslav Askarov posted a -2.55 Box WAR, conceding 7 goals on 26 shots without stealing dangerous slot chances. San Jose went 0-for-20 on shots at 5v5. The penalty kill allowed 3 goals, with Darnell Nurse on the ice for all three. Jacob Trouba and Sam Dickinson finished at an ice-low 17.9% xGF%.
Game 2: Sharks at Wild (4-1 L)
Following a players-only meeting, the Sharks showed improved structure but were undone by back-to-back penalties in the first period and a flat third.
- The Good: The newly assembled top line of Macklin Celebrini, Michael Misa, and Will Smith generated 61% xGF% and controlled an 8-2 shot edge. Celebrini had his strongest faceoff performance of the trip, winning 9 of 11 offensive-zone draws. The Darnell Nurse–Michael Kesselring pairing rebounded at even strength (65.9% xGF%), while the Ivar Stenberg–Ty Dellandrea–Tyler Toffoli unit posted a 94.8% xGF%.
- The Bad: Two penalties taken within 28 seconds led directly to Kirill Kaprizov’s 5-on-3 goal, marking the 8th straight game the Sharks surrendered the opening tally. Just 48 seconds after Celebrini tied the game 1-1, Trouba took an interference penalty that allowed Danila Shabanov to score the game-winner. The fourth line was heavily out-attempted 12-1 (3.0% xGF%), and San Jose mustered only 5 shots on goal in the third period.
Game 3: Sharks at Stars (4-3 L)
San Jose snapped an eight-game streak of trailing first when Celebrini aborted a line change, intercepted the puck, and fed Misa for a quick 1-0 lead. However, penalty trouble proved fatal against Dallas’s power play.
- The Good: Celebrini skated a career-high 28:05 with 3 assists and a +1.08 Box WAR. The Sharks won the 5v5 battle 2-1 on goals from Misa and Stenberg. Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 26 shots, kept San Jose within reach, and stood up physically for Sam Dickinson around the crease.
- The Bad: The Sharks took 8 minor penalties and surrendered 3 power-play goals. Nurse logged his 8th consecutive power-play goal against while on the ice during the trip. Faceoffs were a glaring weakness at 30% overall (17/56) and an 0-for-9 mark shorthanded. San Jose took only 2 shots on goal during the third period (both went in).
Rookie Spotlight: Eric Pohlkamp’s NHL Debut
After being called up from the San Jose Barracuda on November 3, 22-year-old defenseman Eric Pohlkamp appeared in all three road games.
- Background: Drafted in the 5th round (132nd overall) in 2023, the 5’11”, 205 lb right-shot blueliner won an NCAA national championship at the University of Denver and recorded 7 assists in 10 AHL games before his promotion.
- Performance: Averaged 16:10 TOI and 7:38 of power-play time on the second unit, generating 11 shot attempts, 5 blocked shots, zero giveaways, and an assist on Stenberg’s goal in Dallas.
- Physicality: Pohlkamp made an immediate statement by leveling veteran forward Blake Coleman against Minnesota and showcasing clean zone-exit puck skills.
Rebuild Reality Check & Trade Rumors
With the Sharks sitting at 7-10-1 and the American Thanksgiving deadline nearing, Aaron and Devereaux debate GM Mike Grier’s strategy:
- Trade Noise: Detroit’s Simon Edvinsson remains an unsigned RFA facing a December 1 signing deadline, while Dylan Larkin trade chatter persists. The hosts emphasize that trading top young assets like Misa or Dickinson would contradict the methodical, sustainable rebuild Grier is executing.
- Captaincy Validation: Both hosts praise Celebrini’s leadership at age 20. Leading by example on the ice through work ethic and heavy minutes, he has established the standard for the locker room.
- Development Philosophy: Developing an NHL core takes patience. Rushing rookies into every high-leverage defensive situation risks destroying confidence; steady insulation from veterans remains vital until Wennberg and Chernyshov return from injury.
Upcoming Schedule & Show Programming
The Sharks return to SAP Center for an extended homestand:
- Monday, Nov 9: vs. New York Islanders (Matthew Schaefer vs. Michael Misa)
- Wednesday, Nov 11: vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
- Saturday, Nov 14: at Utah Hockey Club (6:00 PM)
- Sunday, Nov 15: vs. Nashville Predators (6:00 PM)
- Tuesday, Nov 17: vs. Calgary Flames
- Saturday, Nov 21: vs. Seattle Kraken
(Note: The Fin Factor will be off next week while Super Producer Jason takes a vacation. A special behind-the-scenes episode covering the SAP Center construction will air in the interim, with the live show returning Sunday, November 22nd.)
