Sharks' Yaroslav Askarov: Fends off Ducks

Askarov stopped 38 of 42 shots in Monday's 5-4 win over the Ducks.

It wasn't the prettiest performance, but Askarov was able to hold off the Sharks' in-state rivals in a thrilling game between two teams on the rise. This was Askarov's second win in a row, though he gave up three-plus goals for a ninth straight outing. He's up to a 14-10-1 record, but his GAA rose to 3.38 with an .898 save percentage over 25 starts. The 23-year-old continues to function as the Sharks' top goalie, and it looks like head coach Ryan Warsofsky is going to let Askarov play through his recent struggles. The Sharks have another big test coming up when they host the Wild on Wednesday in a New Year's Eve matinee game.