In the words of Ron Burgundy, \u201cWell, that escalated quickly,\u201d as the San Jose Sharks destroyed the Anaheim Ducks 10-0 on Thursday night.<\/p>\n
Ivar Stenberg<\/a> had a hat trick, Michael Misa<\/a> had four points, and Igor Chernyshov<\/a> scored twice and added another assist to lead the Sharks to their first preseason win. The Ducks didn\u2019t really dress anyone of NHL caliber, and it showed, but still, 10-0 is impressive.<\/p>\n Here are three takeaways from Thursday.<\/p>\n 1. Stenberg and Misa are \u201cscary\u201d good already<\/p>\n San Jose Sharks forward Kiefer Sherwood<\/a> said it best postgame: Stenberg and Misa are scary good. The two displayed instant chemistry with quick passes and dangerous drives to the net.<\/p>\n \u201cScary. Obviously, you can see some of the plays that they make. Just get them the puck and get to the net,\u201d Sherwood said. \u201cI know it\u2019s preseason, but it was still a lot of good from those guys, and you see their IQ and the way that they\u2019re able to generate plays and create. It\u2019s special.\u201d<\/p>\n For the second straight game, Misa looked like a different player than he did in his rookie season. He drove play from the center of the ice and was responsible. Expectations are high for him to take a big step forward and fill the No. 2 center role for the Sharks, and now that looks possible.<\/p>\n Although Stenberg has been with Alexander Wennberg<\/a> for most of training camp, Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky<\/a> says he wants to get another look at the duo.<\/p>\n 2. Will Smith the penalty killer<\/p>\n Will Smith<\/a> got into his first preseason action on Thursday and was thrust into a new role on the penalty kill. While only playing 14:01, the San Jose Sharks winger played 1:45 on the PK. He\u2019s a smart player who has had talks with Warsofsky about increasing his role.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been a long conversation with Will and me. He really wants to get a crack at it. The one thing with Will is he\u2019s a smart player,\u201d Warsofsky said. <\/p>\n \u201cYou guys saw it with [Logan Couture<\/a>] for a long time, right? Cooch is a really smart player. A lot of times when goals are scored on the penalty kill, there\u2019s a small little breakdown, and a skill player makes a play. Usually, that skill player that\u2019s on the defensive side of it knows what that player\u2019s thinking, so he can cover really quickly. So that\u2019s kind of a little bit of our thinking with it, and just kind of get a look at it. We\u2019ll see if it happens in the regular season. But he was actually pretty good today on it.\u201d<\/p>\n Smith made plays all over the ice during his PK time, often getting his stick in the<\/a> passing lane. His improved skating was on full display as well, helping him get into passing or shooting lanes quicker.<\/p>\n Smith earned an assist on Mason Marchment\u2019s<\/a> goal, but the real story of his game was his time on the PK.<\/p>\n 3. Young defensemen stand out again<\/p>\n Eric Pohlkamp<\/a>, Nolan Allan<\/a>, and Luca Cagnoni<\/a> all had strong games once again for the San Jose Sharks. Their preseason play isn\u2019t making GM Mike Grier\u2019s job easy when it comes to filling out the rest of the blue line.<\/p>\n Cagnoni still remains in the lead to take the 6th spot on defense as he once again patrolled the top power-play unit. He wasn\u2019t as flashy as Tuesday night, but he was better in areas away from the puck. He stayed out of the losing battles and once again used his puck-moving ability to perfection.<\/p>\n Pohlkamp defended well, created offense, and was just plain solid. After a slow start, the young defenseman became more noticeable. The former DU defenseman had three shots and three blocks, which is exactly what the Sharks need him to do. <\/p>\n