San Jose Sharks’ David Quinn has religion in Kaapo Kahkonen, for now

Kaapo Kahkonen entered coaching camp this fall with the aim of turning into the Sharks’ No. 1 goaltender. He had been given job safety with a brand new two-year contract and had completed the mandatory work within the offseason to take what he felt was the following logical step in his NHL profession.

However the season hasn’t gone as Kahkonen or the Sharks had hoped. Regardless of some terrific particular person begins of late – to go along with a few shaky ones – rather than the injured James Reimer, Kahkonen’s particular person statistics stay close to the underside of the league.

Kahkonen shall be on the bench Friday, because the Sharks begin rookie goalie Eetu Makiniemi towards the Anaheim Geese at Honda Middle. It’s the first NHL begin for Makiniemi, who got here on in aid of Kahkonen on Wednesday within the Sharks’ 6-5 extra time loss to the Vancouver Canucks.

“It’s by no means good, clearly, however that’s the coach’s determination,” Kahkonen mentioned Thursday of being pulled. “With what he sees, he’s going to combine up strains, d-pairs, and generally he’s going to tug a goalie. It’s not an excellent feeling, however you’ve simply acquired to maintain working.”

Does Kahkonen must earn some belief again with the teaching workers?

“Each participant is all the time incomes kind of belief (with) a coach and he’s no completely different, he’s a goalie,” Sharks coach David Quinn mentioned. “I’ve made it clear how I really feel about him. I believe he’s a legit goalie on this league and he needs to be higher. We wish him to be higher and there are peaks and valleys while you’re a younger goalie within the Nationwide Hockey League.

“Asking him to make some additions to the best way he performs generally takes a bit of longer for a goalie.”

Something particular?

“I’d moderately maintain that between he and I and the opposite coaches,” Quinn mentioned.

Kahkonen, the proprietor of a .887 save share, mentioned wasn’t positive if he wanted to earn some belief again with the Sharks teaching workers. For now, he simply needs to regulate what he can together with his work ethic and preparation.

“It’s you doing all of your job after which trusting that the following man goes do the identical factor — and that different guys are going to do the identical factor,” mentioned Kahkonen, who had not talked to Quinn as of early Thursday afternoon about being pulled the evening earlier than.

“Truthfully, I don’t actually care who trusts me or not. I believe I’ve to belief myself that I do the job and belief that the following man does his job. That’s the best way a crew works for my part.”

Kahkonen stopped 15 of 19 photographs by way of two intervals Wednesday, however Makiniemi was advised throughout the second intermission that he was beginning the third interval. Makiniemi stopped six of eight photographs by way of the ultimate interval and extra time, sufficient to warrant one other look from the Sharks’ teaching workers.

Requested Friday morning if a part of the rationale to start out Makiniemi was to additionally give Kahkonen an opportunity to reset after Wednesday, Quinn mentioned, “no, we’ve acquired a goalie we like rather a lot, too, and we like Kaapo rather a lot, however we misplaced the opposite evening 6-5 and we need to give the child an opportunity.”

After Wednesday’s begin, Kahkonen has a 3-6-2 document with a save share that ranks forty second out of 45 goalies who’ve performed not less than 10 video games. His targets saved above anticipated per 60 minutes, per moneypuck.com, is -1.019, which additionally ranks close to the underside of the league.

“Clearly it hasn’t been nice,” Kahkonen mentioned of his recreation. “There are issues that I want to enhance on, so we’re going to try this each day. Concentrate on these belongings you see on video and that’s all you are able to do.

“I don’t assume there’s one other manner round it. It’s simply laborious work each day.”

That is the primary time in Kahkonen NHL’s profession that his save share has dipped beneath .900 and his goals-against common has risen above 3.00.

Let’s face details, too. The Sharks are simply inferior to the playoff-caliber Minnesota Wild groups that Kahkonen performed for from 2019 to 2021. They have been an exceptionally younger crew towards the tip of final season and have been extra vulnerable to catastrophic errors early this season.

They’re simply not as structurally sound because the Wild.

Nonetheless, for Kahkonen, there have been vibrant spots. He made 37 saves within the Sharks’ 5-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 21 and had a 28-save shutout of the Montreal Canadiens per week later. So he hasn’t forgotten methods to play the place.

However the system he had with the Wild is completely different from what he’s skilled thus far with the Sharks.

“I believe I’d be mendacity if I mentioned it was the identical. It’s completely different, and that’s the details,” Kahkonen mentioned. “I don’t know why. I’m not pointing fingers, however it’s completely different. My expertise enjoying for that crew and this crew, it’s positively completely different.