Improved Sharks not backing down from facing NHL’s best team: ‘Why not us?’

Askarov's confidence is paying off as Sharks gear up for rematch against NHL-leading Avalanche.

San Jose Sharks goalie Yaroslav Askarov has been one of the biggest reasons behind his team's resurgence this season. Three days after allowing four goals in 14 shots in a loss to the Los Angeles Kings, Askarov made 36 saves in a thrilling overtime win over the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 1. This game marked a turning point for both Askarov and the Sharks.

Since then, Askarov has gone 7-1-0 this month with an impressive .959 save percentage, second-best in the NHL among all goalies with at least five starts. His turnaround from last month's struggles to his current form is largely attributed to a mental shift, as he explained that he was previously forgetting his routine.

Askarov has been a rock for the Sharks this season, and his teammates are taking notice. "He's just been unreal," said center Macklin Celebrini. "You can't really put it into words. He's our rock every night, and he's been incredible."

The Sharks' defense, however, still needs to do a better job of supporting Askarov and his teammate Alex Nedeljkovic. San Jose has allowed an average of 33.25 shots against in Askarov's eight games this month, and their inability to manage the puck in the neutral zone has led to turnovers.

When facing off against the NHL-leading Avalanche on Wednesday, the Sharks will be up against a formidable opponent. The Avalanche has won nine straight games since their last loss to the Sharks and boasts an impressive 4.00 goals per game lead in the league. But Askarov is confident that his team can give them a run for their money.

"We're going to go out there and play our game," he said. "Why not us? It's going to be interesting."

Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky also echoed this sentiment, saying that his team is excited for the challenge and sees it as an opportunity to prove themselves against one of the best teams in the league.

"It's going to be a great challenge for us," Warsofsky said. "No one's giving us a chance. As a human being, there's nothing better than that feeling of proving someone wrong. That will be the message to the group, and I think we're all excited for the challenge."

The Sharks' success this month has been largely driven by Askarov's stellar performance, but if Tyler Toffoli is unable to play against Colorado on Thursday due to illness, San Jose may need to rely even more heavily on their goalie to make a difference.

So Askarov's confidence is looking pretty good right now , and I think it's great that he's been able to turn his season around. His mental shift has clearly made a big difference - you can tell when players are back on track like this! The way he's been playing is unreal, and his teammates are feeding off his energy. Macklin Celebrini's comment about him being "our rock every night" says it all .

The thing that does worry me a bit is the Sharks' defense still hasn't found its groove yet. They're allowing too many shots against, especially in the neutral zone, and that's where the Avalanche will try to exploit them. But Askarov's got this, and with Tyler Toffoli out, it'll be interesting to see how he handles the pressure. The Sharks' coach is right, though - proving people wrong is a great feeling, and if they can do it against one of the best teams in the league, that'd be awesome

I'm so stoked for the Sharks right now ! They've been on fire this month and Askarov's confidence is definitely paying off . I mean, 7-1-0 with that save percentage? That's crazy impressive . He seems to have found his groove again and it's awesome to see.

I love how he's talking about mental shifts too - like, you can really feel the difference when someone's got their head in the game . And his teammates are totally buying into that vibe - Macklin Celebrini is raving about him! It's great to see a goalie who's not just clutch but also has everyone else on the team on board.

Now, I know they're gonna face off against the Avalanche this week and that's gonna be a tough one . Those guys are killin' it in the league right now. But, you know what? The Sharks seem excited for the challenge . It's all about proving people wrong and having fun with it! That's some awesome team spirit .

I'm loving how Askarov's confidence is really paying off right now . He was struggling a bit last month, but it seems like he's finally found his groove and the Sharks are reaping the benefits . The fact that he was able to bounce back from that tough loss against the Kings and then go on a hot streak is just amazing - 7-1-0 with a .959 save percentage? That's some top-notch stuff .

What I think is really interesting, though, is how Askarov has been able to shift his mindset and focus on his routine. It sounds like he was getting caught up in the pressure of being a starter and losing sight of what's important - his game face . But now that he's got things back under control, the Sharks are thriving and it's no surprise why they're winning so many games.

Of course, there's still work to be done - the defense needs to step up their support for Askarov and Nedeljkovic . The Avs are a tough opponent, though, and I'm excited to see how the Sharks match up against them . It's going to be a great challenge, but with Askarov leading the charge, I think they've got a good shot at giving Colorado a run for their money

man i'm so over the shenanigans with the team pages . i mean can we just talk about the game already? askarov's been on fire lately and it's awesome to see him back in form but what's up with the article's format? it's like they're trying to cram as much info as possible into a single post . and don't even get me started on how i have to scroll through a million comments just to find the actual discussion about the game . can't we just have a clean thread like normal?

idk why everyone's so hyped about the sharks right now they're still gonna lose to the avs lol askarov's save percentage is nice and all but he's still gettin played by the league's top snipers san jose needs to step up their D if they wanna beat anyone

omg, I'm loving the turnaround of Askarov! his mental shift from last month has been insane and it's awesome to see him owning it as for the Sharks defense, they gotta step up their game and support their goalie more, especially against teams like the Avalanche who are on a hot streak askarov is saying all the right things too, "why not us?" is definitely a message to the team and fans Warsofsky's right too, it'll be amazing for the Sharks to prove themselves against the best, bring on that challenge!

think the sharks got a legit shot at beating those avs 1 of askarov's saves in the last game was insane

You know what's crazy... I was just thinking about that new coffee shop downtown and how they have the best iced lattes ever! It's like, you order it and they automatically get the ratio of coffee to milk right, no need for you to adjust anything. And then there's this one barista who always smiles at me even when I'm being super grumpy ... anyway, back to hockey... have you guys ever noticed how some teams just seem to gel instantly? Like, it's like they're speaking their own language or something

I THINK THE SHARKS HAVE A GOOD CHANCE AGAINST THE AVES!!! ASKAROV'S BEEN ON FIRE THIS MONTH ️ AND IT'S GREAT TO SEE HIM CONFIDENCE-BoostED AFTER THOSE STRUGGLES EARLIER IN THE SEASON. BUT SERIOUSLY, THEY'RE GONNA NEED ALL HANKS IF TOFFOLI CAN'T MAKE IT WITH HIS ILLNESS . THE SHARKS' DEFENSE HAS BEEN A LITTLE SLUGGY AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE A GREAT GAME FROM ASKAROV AND THE TEAM TO TAKE DOWN THE AVES, BUT FANS ARE GETTING EXCITED !

I gotta say, Askarov's confidence is legit and it's paying off big time for the Sharks . I mean, 7-1-0 in a month with a .959 save percentage? That's no joke! He's been on fire , but you can't just put all the blame on him, you know? The Sharks' defense needs to step up their game and start supporting Askarov more . They're giving up way too many shots against in his starts. Like, 33.25 per game is crazy! And if Toffoli doesn't make it back due to illness, they're gonna need Askarov to be just as clutch. This rematch against the Avalanche is gonna be hot, and I'm excited to see how it plays out

Yooo , I gotta say, Askarov is lookin' like a legit superstar out there! His mental game has been solidified and it's payin' off in a big way . I mean, the dude's gone 7-1-0 this month and his save percentage is straight fire . And what's even more impressive is that he's not just carryin' the team on his back, but the whole squad's gettin' in sync .

I love how his teammates are hyping him up, it's clear they trust him to make the saves . And yeah, maybe their defense could work on supportin' him more, but you can't take away from Askarov's confidence right now . He's got this! And I gotta give props to Warsofsky for gettin' his team hyped up about takin' on the Avalanche .

It's gonna be a wild game, and I'm here for it . The Sharks are lookin' like they're makin' a statement, and if Askarov keeps bringin' that fire , there's no stoppin' 'em . Bring it on!

I'm so stoked about the Sharks right now ! Yaroslav Askarov has totally turned his season around and it's awesome to see him feeling confident in himself . His mental shift is making all the difference, and his teammates are taking notice - he's like a rock for them every night ️. The defense still needs to step up their game though, but I'm rooting for Askarov to keep shredding those save percentages #AskarovForMVP #SharksNation #NHL

omg did u see askarovs latest game he made 36 saves in OT w/ the avs lol the guy's confidence is def paying off now Sharks are lookin like a legit contender what's ur take on askarov's turnaround tho? was it really just a mental shift or is there somethin else at play

think askarov's confidence boost is awesome... like when u finally figure out ur daily routine and life just gets better Sharks need 2 capitalize on this momentum tho gonna be tough against the avs, but i guess that's why they play hockey ️ watchin them game on nov 1 was insane lol 36 saves in OT... talk about a turning point

the sharks are lookin good right now askarov is killin it in net and the team's got his back. but they gotta work on their D if they wanna keep up with the avs. 33.25 shots against is a lot, especially when you're tryin to outscore teams like that's not gonna happen