When the San Jose Sharks face the Edmonton Oilers tonight, they will have Magnus Chrona making his first NHL start.
When the San Jose Sharks face the Edmonton Oilers tonight, they will have Magnus Chrona making his first NHL start.
When the San Jose Sharks face the Edmonton Oilers tonight, they will have Magnus Chrona making his first NHL start.
Chrona has appeared in relief in one game this season for his NHL debut. He relieved Mackenzie Blackwood against the Pittsburgh Penguins and stopped 13/17 shots.
Chrona was forced into a challenging situation as San Jose gave up ten goals for the second straight game.
In 11 games in the AHL with the San Jose Barracuda, Chrona owns a record of 3-6-2 with a .900 save% and a 3.35 GAA.
Chrona is starting tonight because Blackwood is sick. Kaapo Kahkonen started against the Los Angeles Kings last night, and head coach David Quinn opted not to have him play on back-to-back nights.
"Stop pucks," Quin laughed about what he wants from Chrona. "Just be calm. I know it's going to be an exciting night for him and probably a little nerve-wracking all at once, but turn the nerves and excitement and feed off it."
Chrona gets a tough matchup with the Edmonton Oilers tonight. He faces the best player in the world, Connor McDavid, and arguably the second-best player, Leon Draisaitl.
"He shouldn't be [thinking about them]. But he might be," Quinn smiled.
Chrona started in a preseason game against the Kings this season and lost 2-1 in overtime on Sept. 30.
"Standing on the bench, I don't see any net. He gets to spots, and there's a calmness to him. He doesn't get rattled," Quinn said after that game. "It can get busy out there for a goalie. A lot going on around the net, and he just stays in his spot, understands where the net is."
Chrona was happy with his performance despite the loss.
"It was a perfect start to the game, and I feel like it kind of eased me into it a little bit," Chrona said postgame. "It dropped the nerves and just kind of let me play."
Chrona will need his team to do the same thing tonight. The last time these two teams played each other, the Sharks won 3-2 but were outshot 41-18.
Chrona played his minor hockey at the NCAA level with Denver University. He played 114 career games at DU with a record of 74-34-5. He had a career .914 save % and a 2.20 GAA at DU.
Tonight will be memorable for the San Jose Sharks netminder, as he will likely have friends and family in the stands. Winning tonight's game will make tonight even more special for Chrona.
Make sure you bookmark THN's San Jose Sharks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
Zetterlund Extends Point Streak to 3; Kings Beat Sharks 5-1
Sharks Lose Yet Another Player To Injury
More Draft Picks Are Needed For Sharks to Continue Rebuild
- undefined
