The Sharks gassed up the bus and hit the road for Elmira, NY, for a two-game series against the Buzz Hockey Club. Heading into the weekend, the Buzz sat just ahead of the Sharks in the East Division standings, giving Long Beach extra motivation to close the gap on this crucial road trip.
Newly acquired goaltender Will Zinnen got the start in net for both games and made an immediate impact.
In Friday’s matchup, the Buzz struck first, but the Sharks quickly answered back when Ryder Pisiak danced around the Buzz defense and lifted a shot over the goalie’s shoulder off a perfect breakout pass from Brady Gatchell. Just a minute later, Elmira regained the lead, but it didn’t last long. Jace Tourtillott intercepted a Buzz pass in the Sharks’ zone and converted on a breakaway to tie the game. With just one minute remaining in the first period, Wyatt Strahan took advantage of a bad bounce off the boards and buried one to send the Sharks into the first intermission up 3–2. Strahan scored again in the third, but the Buzz rallied with two late goals to edge out the Sharks 5–4. Zinnen made an impressive debut, turning aside 54 of 59 shots.
On Saturday, the Sharks were determined to bounce back, and they did just that. In a tight, penalty-filled contest, the game remained scoreless until the second period when Jack Plummer tipped a James Steinberg shot past the Buzz goaltender on the power play. Plummer sealed the win late in the third with an empty net goal, securing a 2–0 victory. Zinnen was outstanding once again, stopping every shot he faced to record his first shutout as a Shark.
The Sharks return home this Wednesday, October 29th, for a midweek matinee in Long Beach against the New Jersey Titans. Puck drop is at 1:00pm.
