'He's A Legend': Sharks' Askarov Saves His Best Game Of The Season Against Maple Leafs Idol Sergei Bobrovsky

TORONTO — San Jose Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov was talking to a group of reporters out in the hallway following a 3-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night, but his eyes kept darting towards the home team's dressing room, where a familiar face was waiting for him.

"Right after, I'm going to finish with you guys and talk to him," Askarov said of Maple Leafs goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. 

"He's a legend. I've been watching him a lot when I'm growing up. Something special playing against him for sure."

The two-time Vezina Trophy winner has been a mentor to all Russian goalies in the NHL. So it was not surprising that Askarov saved his best performance of the season for a game against his 38-year-old idol. While the Maple Leafs and Bobrovsky got the better of Askarov, it wasn't a total loss for the young goalie. 

For the first time this year, Askarov allowed fewer than three goals in a game. That's considered a baby step for a 24-year-old who ranks outside the top-40 with a 3.67 GAA and a .865 save percentage. 

"I played better. It feels better, yeah," said Askarov, who acknowledged his inconsistent play so far this season. "Pretty much, you're trying to do it every night, you're trying to do the same thing. You can't be tight. It's still hockey. Today was good."

The spotty play of Askarov has renewed talk that San Jose, which has all the offensive pieces to be a playoff team but is giving up far too many goals on the defensive side, should try and acquire Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck in a trade.

Whether that happens will depend on the Jets' asking price. But it will also depend on whether Askarov, who was an 11th-overall pick in 2020, can realize his potential and become a No. 1 goalie.

If so, he'll need to do it as quickly as possible.

"He's a guy who's ultra competitive and he wants the net," said Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky. "He has a lot of ability to be a really good goaltender. Just putting it all together and develop it at his rate day-to-day is the ultimate goal."

The situation with Askarov mirrors that of the entire team. No one doubts that the Sharks, who have drafted in the top-4 in each of the past four years — including No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini in 2024 — will be a very good team in the near future. The only question is when they will put it all together. 

A big part of the answer will depend on how quickly Askarov can establish himself as a No. 1 goalie. 

In his first year as a starter, Askarov ranked 64th out of 66 goalies who had played 30 or more games with a 3.80 GAA last season. This year, he has been more or less the same, prompting the Sharks to give backup Alex Nedeljkovic back-to-back starts while Askarov reset.

"He's still a young goaltender. He's still developing," said Warsofsky. "Anytime we can get him on the ice and working with out goalie coach, we'll take advantage of it."

The time off seemed to do Askarov well. While Auston Matthews and Gavin McKenna scored power-play goals in Toronto's win, Askarov stopped 29 of 31 shots to keep San Jose within striking distance. 

"He did everything he could to keep us in that game," said Celebrini. "He made some big saves when we needed them."

Despite the loss, Askarov seemed happy after the game. Maybe it was because he got to see Bobrovsky, who was waiting for him with a smile and a high five. Or maybe it was because he finally had the performance that has eluded him early on this season.

For the Sharks, it's something to build upon.

"I think confidence with every player is important," said Warsofsky. "You see that around the league. When guys have some swagger and some confidence, their game has an uptick. Askarov was good tonight. It's a step in the right direction."

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