Despite loss, Sharks rookie goalie shows he belongs in NHL

EDMONTON, Alberta – It sure seems like goalie Yaroslav Askarov belongs in the NHL.

Whether Askarov stays with the San Jose Sharks for the rest of the season is another matter, as injured goalie Vitek Vanecek’s short- and long-term health outlook remains unclear. But Askarov appears ready to jump full-time to the Sharks roster.

That much was made clear Saturday before a sold-out Rogers Place crowd, which saw Askarov make one brilliant stop after another in nearly leading the Sharks past the Edmonton Oilers despite the skaters in front of him giving up a tidal wave of scoring chances.

With the Sharks leading by a goal late in the third period and San Jose’s defenders looking exhausted as they tried to make a game-winning play, Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm scored with 17.3 seconds left in regulation to tie the game.

Then, just 18 seconds into overtime, Leon Draisaitl scored to hand the Sharks a 3-2 loss, their fourth one-goal defeat in six games.

Askarov, in his third NHL start this season, finished with 41 saves, including 23 in an exceptional second period when he stopped every shot he saw. That’s the second most shots a Sharks goalie has faced in a single period since Wade Flaherty made 24 on March 5, 1996, against the Colorado Avalanche.

But while the Sharks came away disappointed from recent bitter regulation-time losses to Utah, Winnipeg, and Colorado, all games in which they held a third-period lead, they had to feel like their goalie of the future had arrived Saturday afternoon as they left Edmonton and boarded a flight to Vancouver.

“He looks like he’s going to be a really good, really good goaltender in this league,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said of Askarov, who was recalled from the Barracuda on Wednesday after Vanecek was injured.

“Every game he’s been in, he’s played amazing for us,” Sharks defenseman Cody Ceci said. “That’s tough to do as a young guy, especially in this league. To play as well as he did tonight is very promising.”

The Oilers could have easily won by four or five goals. As an example of how tilted the ice was Saturday, the Oilers had 81 shot attempts to the Sharks’ 41.

“When a goalie has a lot of shots, it’s easy to play,” said Askarov, adding that since he was playing against a great team, “you need to always stay sharp, because you have a lot of shots. But I need keep control and keep (my) focus.”

Askarov, though it all, appeared calm, perhaps enjoying the moment as much as anyone on the ice.

“Looks like he’s having fun, too. He’s always smiling, making big saves and having fun out there,” Ceci said. “And I think that’s huge as a young guy, to have that confidence, it allows you to play as well as he did.”

Vanecek was considered week-to-week after being struck in the face by a puck unexpectedly redirected into the team’s bench in the second period of Tuesday night’s game with the Jets. He’s seen doctors and specialists this week, and Warsofsky said before Saturday’s game that a path forward for the injured goalie could be decided soon.

“We’re going to have probably a couple more days here to make a decision and go from there,” said Warsofsky, adding that the outlook for Vanecek appears positive.

Still, even if Vanecek returns, one wonders how much Askarov would benefit from being sent back to the AHL.

While the Sharks, now owners of a 1-6-1 record since a 2-1 victory over the Washington Capitals on Dec. 3, are out of the playoff chase, the Barracuda appear to be postseason-bound. Perhaps being part of a playoff series and going on a long postseason will help his development.

However, one also wonders how much Askarov still has to prove in the AHL. Before his latest recall, Askarov was 9-4-1 with three shutouts in 14 games. His .938 save percentage was second-best among all qualified AHL goalies, behind only Los Gatos native Devin Cooley’s .940 mark for the Calgary Wranglers.

In three games with the Sharks this season, Askarov is now 1-0-2 with a sparkling .928 save percentage. Askarov played two games for the Sharks in November when Vanecek was out with a different upper-body injury and was also solid.

The Sharks’ biggest challenge is to prevent his starts from becoming a shooting gallery for the other team. They’ll be tested again in that regard on Monday when they play the potent Vancouver Canucks.

“We need to find a way to be better throughout the whole 60 minutes, to not get that kind of heat all day,” Sharks center Mikael Granlund said.

Askarov was returned to the AHL on Nov. 26 once Vanecek was completely healthy again. The Sharks’ message at that point? Keep doing what you’re doing.

“The big thing was letting him be himself,” Warsofsky said. “We do that a lot, is we get players, and we want to change who they are and what their strengths are, and we want him to play towards his strengths.”

Warsofsky seems inclined to let Askarov carry the load or at least get a steady amount of work for as long as Vanecek remains unavailable. After Monday, the Sharks come out of the Christmas break with games against Vegas, Calgary and Philadelphia.

“Yeah, we want to clean up some things in his game,” Warsofsky said of Askarov. “But he’s a thoroughbred. We’ve got to let him run here a little bit, and I think that’s what you’ve got to do with some players.”

Askarov requested a trade out of the Nashville Predators organization this summer after he felt his path to a full-time NHL job was blocked. Now back with the Sharks, he might become front and center.

Asked if he feels ready to become a full-time NHL player, especially after a game like Saturday’s, Askarov paused.

“Just happy to be here again,” Askarov said.

Perhaps he already knew the answer.