Magnus Chrona, San Jose Sharks lose to Dallas Stars

Magnus Chrona did everything he could to lead the San Jose Sharks to a victory over the Dallas Stars on Saturday night.

But Jamie Benn spoiled the rookie goalie’s chance at his first NHL victory.

Chrona stopped five of six shootout attempts before Jamie Benn scored in the seventh round. Luke Kunin rang his ensuing shootout attempt off the crossbar, and the Sharks lost 3-2 in a hard-fought and entertaining game at American Airlines Center.

Chrona finished with 36 saves.

“I was just enjoying every second of it,” said Chrona, a fifth-round draft choice by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2018. “I was loving hockey out there. It was just awesome to be put there.”

Chrona, 23, made his first career NHL start on Dec. 28 against the Edmonton Oilers. The night wasn’t fun for anyone in teal, as the Oilers scored four times on Chrona on 12 shots in the first period before going on to a 5-0 win at SAP Center.

Saturday was a different story.

Chrona made 12 saves in the first period and had 28 through 40 minutes, and the Sharks were outshot 38-23 for the game, including a 12-0 stretch to start the second period.

“He was really good. He really was,” Sharks coach David Quinn said. “He was good when he needed to be.”

The Sharks haven’t had many feel-good moments this season. But the compete level they showed Saturday is something they hope to replicate, starting with Sunday’s game in Minnesota against the Wild.

“This is really how we need to play if we’re going to have a chance night in and night out,” Quinn said.

Still, San Jose, which has now lost six straight games, failed to capitalize on a power play in overtime after Miro Heiskanen was called for interference. The Sharks had just one shot during the 4-on-3.

“Just too slow. There wasn’t a lot of pace to what we were doing,” Quinn said of the power play. “So (the Stars were) able to stay in their lane and make it hard on us.

William Eklund and Filip Zadina both scored off assists from Kunin in the first two periods when Chrona had 28 saves, including 16 in the second period when the Sharks took a 2-1 lead.

The Sharks took a 2-1 lead at the 17:08 mark of the second period.

Zadina’s shot was deflected high over Jake Oettinger, and into the net — although it was not called a goal on the ice, An official review by the NHL, though, determined the bouncing puck completely crossed the goal line.

Zadina, playing with as much confidence now as he’d had all season, and on a line with Eklund and Kunin, has three goals and three assists in his last seven games.

“Just trying to do my job and help my linemates out,” Zadina said. “Got to keep going like that.”

Two Sharks forwards had to briefly leave Saturday’s game. Mike Hoffman had to leave in the first period for repairs after he was caught in the face by Ryan Suter’s stick on a follow-through on a shot. He returned in the second period.

Fabian Zetterlund blocked a Roope Hintz shot with his skate/ankle from the point late in the second period and had to be helped off the ice to the Sharks’ dressing room. But he returned for the start of the third period.

The Sharks, after a 0-5-0 homestand, had one of their most energetic first periods since they returned from the NHL All-Star Break and their bye week in mid-February.

Eklund scored for the second straight game and now has 10 on the season.

On the play, after the Sharks broke out of their own zone, Eklund took a pass from Luke Kunin and put a shot on Stars goalie Oettinger, who made the first save. But Eklund followed up his shot and tucked the loose puck into the net.

Eklund is the fourth Sharks forward to reach double figures in goals this season, following Tomas Hertl, Zatterlund, and Anthony Duclair.

Six of Chrona’s 12 first-period saves came on the penalty kill. His most dazzling save might have been when a deflected Esa Lindell shot from near the boards bounced past him, before he used his stick to sweep it off the goal line and out of harm’s way.

Chrona was making his second career NHL start.

“It’s going to be fun,” Chrona said Saturday morning. “I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

The Sharks recalled Chrona on Wednesday, one day after Mackenzie Blackwood was injured in a game against the New Jersey Devils. Blackwood was placed on injured reserve this week but is not expected to be out long-term.

Kaapo Kahkonen relieved Chrona after that game against the Oilers, but he and Blackwood gave him words of encouragement earlier this week.

“They gave me some advice on how to approach it,” Chrona said. “They were totally right.’

In two career NHL appearances before Saturday, Chrona, who made his NHL debut on Nov. 4 against Pittsburgh in a 10-2 Sharks loss, has a .724 save percentage and 9.50 goals against average.

Both Chrona and Sharks coach David Quinn feel the Swedish-born goalie has a better chance at success now than in the days after Christmas.