Five things we learned in 4-3 opening win vs. Jets

Brodie Brazil’s five takeaways from Sharks’ season-opening win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea

Nobody is planning the parade route in downtown San Jose just yet, but the Sharks started their 31st season of hockey with a bang Saturday night.

Here are some of my takeaways from San Jose’s season-opening 4-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets at SAP Center.

That was the exact kind of game the Sharks lost last year and the year before. The Sharks trailed by two within the first 21 minutes, and the outcome was looking bleak. Not to say they were playing poorly, but they clearly weren’t the better team. And recently, that’s usually when things would further unravel.

However, this time, the Sharks turned the tide with statement moments: Andrew Cogliano’s short-handed goal to get them on the board, and a response fight that somewhat felt like a precursor to the next three San Jose goals.

Last year, the Sharks didn’t record their first fighting major until 20 games in.Jake Middleton didn’t even get halfway through Saturday’s game before he squared up with Logan Stanley after Rudolfs Balcers absorbed an unfavorable hit. Dropping the gloves isn’t necessarily tied to just one situation, but the fact that the Sharks of old let so many things go could have been a bigger-picture indication of their allegiance to one another.

During preseason games, it was widely observed and noted: This team carried a little more confidence and cohesion as a group, and that already seemed to be on display in the season opener.

The youthful contributions were hard to miss.From Jasper Weatherby’s first NHL goal to William Eklund’s first NHL assist, to Jonathan Dahlen almost getting one past Connor Hellebuyck’s glove, it was rewarding to see San Jose’s youthful core experience instant success.

Story continues

It still will be a long season and playing the long game 81 more times for all the rookies in teal, but an early dose of confidence could go a long way toward how they establish…