Igor Chernyshov’s overtime strike lifts Sharks past Kings 5-4 after late Kings rally

San Jose built the night in the second period

The game turned sharply after Adrian Kempe opened the scoring for Los Angeles with a slap shot at 15:50 of the first period. San Jose answered quickly in the second, and the response came from several parts of the lineup. Tyler Toffoli tied it 1-1 at 1:48 on a tip-in from Ivar Stenberg and Macklin Celebrini, Kiefer Sherwood put the Sharks ahead with an unassisted snap shot at 9:52, and Nolan Allan stretched the lead to 3-1 at 12:32 with Michael Misa and Chernyshov collecting the assists.

That burst changed the shape of the night. Instead of chasing a one-goal game into intermission, the Kings had to spend the rest of the evening repairing damage from a 3-1 hole. They did salvage something before the break when Quinton Byfield scored with just two seconds left in the second period, beating the clock at 19:58 to cut the deficit to 3-2. That late goal mattered because it kept Los Angeles within one push of a reset instead of asking for a full comeback in the third.

Chernyshov finished what the Sharks started

San Jose restored breathing room early in the third. Chernyshov struck at 4:08 with a backhand finish, set up by Toffoli and Jacob Trouba, and the Sharks were back in front 4-2. For a young scorer, it was the kind of contribution that stands out beyond the winning goal alone: he helped build the cushion in regulation, then returned to decide the game in overtime.

Los Angeles still had the more sustained shot volume, and eventually that showed. Erik Haula redirected a tip-in at 10:21 with help from Erik Gustafsson and Brandt Clarke, trimming the margin to one. Then Artemi Panarin tied it at 15:00 on a slap shot off a Quinton Byfield setup. In a span of less than five minutes, the Kings erased San Jose’s second two-goal lead of the night and turned a near-loss into a fresh race to the finish.

Overtime lasted 3:18. Celebrini picked up his second assist of the game on Chernyshov’s winner, a slap shot that ended a game with more swings than either club would have preferred. Chernyshov finished with two goals and an assist, Toffoli added a goal and an assist, and Celebrini quietly drove offence with two helpers. On the Kings side, Byfield had a goal and an assist, Kempe had a goal and an assist, Panarin scored once and set up another, and Clarke contributed two assists from the blue line.

Our take: the Kings carried more of the volume, but San Jose made its chances count

The Kings will see numbers they can like and a result they will not. Los Angeles outshot San Jose 36-25, won 53.1 per cent of the faceoffs, and converted twice on three power-play chances. Those are usually useful foundations, especially on the road. But the Kings also gave the puck away 19 times and got only 20 saves from Anton Forsberg on 25 shots, a save percentage of .800. In a game that close, that gap was hard to overcome.

San Jose’s own profile was hardly spotless. The Sharks were charged with 25 giveaways, lost the faceoff battle, and allowed four goals on 36 shots. Yet they got enough from the players who mattered most on the scoresheet. Yaroslav Askarov stopped 32 shots, and San Jose’s scorers were efficient when their looks arrived. The Sharks also received production throughout the lineup: Sherwood scored, Allan scored from defence, Toffoli was involved early and late, and Chernyshov supplied the decisive touch twice.

If there is a caution for San Jose, it is obvious from the sequence rather than any grand theory: a 4-2 lead in the third still became a tie game. If there is one for Los Angeles, it is just as clear: generating 36 shots and scoring twice on the power play should have been enough to bank the extra point. Instead, the Kings left SAP Center with only the frustration of a comeback that never reached completion, while the Sharks left with the better finish and the final shot that mattered.

Scoring moments

1. 1st · 15:50

   Adrian Kempe Goal (1) Slap Shot, assists: Artemi Panarin (1), Brandt Clarke (1)

2. 2nd · 1:48

   Tyler Toffoli Goal (1) Tip-In, assists: Ivar Stenberg (1), Macklin Celebrini (4)

3. 2nd · 9:52

   Kiefer Sherwood Goal (1) Snap Shot, assists: none

4. 2nd · 12:32

   Nolan Allan Goal (1) Wrist Shot, assists: Michael Misa (1), Igor Chernyshov (1)

5. 2nd · 19:58

   Quinton Byfield Goal (1) Wrist Shot, assists: Mats Zuccarello (1), Adrian Kempe (1)

6. 3rd · 4:08

   Igor Chernyshov Goal (1) Backhand, assists: Tyler Toffoli (1), Jacob Trouba (1)

7. 3rd · 10:21

   Erik Haula Goal (1) Tip-In, assists: Erik Gustafsson (1), Brandt Clarke (2)

8. 3rd · 15:00

   Artemi Panarin Goal (2) Slap Shot, assists: Quinton Byfield (1)

9. OT · 3:18

   Igor Chernyshov Goal (2) Slap Shot, assists: Macklin Celebrini (5)