Big Sharks winger overcomes tough times, shows he belongs: ‘You feel like you’re still alive’

SAN JOSE – Sharks forward Klim Kostin spent the first part of his North American professional career trying to prove that he was more than just a fighter. Then, in recent years, he’s had to demonstrate that he deserves a full-time NHL role.

Without question, Kostin has had some difficult and emotional moments, which have continued into this season. But if he continues to play like he did Friday, Kostin will leave no doubt that he belongs.

In his best game of the season, the Russian-born Kostin had a goal, an assist, and a fight for his second career Gordie Howe hat trick in a wild 8-5 win by the Sharks over the Seattle Kraken before a boisterous matinee crowd of 14,795 at SAP Center.

Jake Walman had two goals, and Mikael Granlund, Macklin Celebrini, Timothy Liljegren, Will Smith, and Ethan Cardwell each added one for the Sharks, who had their highest-scoring game of the season and finished their homestand with a 2-2-0 record. Cardwell’s goal was the first of his NHL career.

Kostin’s goal, his first of the season, came at the 16:25 mark of the first period. He also assisted Granlund’s goal, giving the Sharks a 5-4 lead at the 13:10 mark of the second period.

Kostin added six hits for San Jose, which faces the Kraken again on Saturday to begin a lengthy six-game road trip.

“Klim was awesome,” said Granlund, who spent some time as Kostin’s linemate late last season. “When he’s skating, he can be a really, really effective player in this league, and he was going tonight. It’s fun to play with him when he does that.”

The Sharks acquired Kostin at last season’s trade deadline in March, picking him up from the Detroit Red Wings for defenseman Radim Simek. After Kostin’s arrival, he had 10 points in 19 games for San Jose, compared to four points in 33 games for the Wings.

“I got the chance to play with him last season, quite a few games, so I know that guy is a hockey player,” Granlund said. “When he’s moving like that, he’s a really good player.”

The 6-foot-4, 232-pound Kostin, a first-round pick by the St. Louis Blues in 2017, came to North America in 2017 and racked up 231 penalty minutes and four fights in his first three professional seasons, all with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage.

But Kostin, who was only 18 when he came to North America, wanted to show he could do more than drop the gloves and rough up opponents.

“At some point in your career, when you look back and all you do for seven years, you just fought,” Kostin said. “(I’m) a first-rounder, so I’m just trying to play hockey, to enjoy hockey.

“You have to enjoy what you do every day, and if you’re not enjoying your job, you’re unhappy, like, 24/7. Fights (are a) part of the game, but (if I) get into a fight, it has to be for a reason, not just to entertain the fans.”

Kostin would get into seven more scraps between the AHL and NHL from 2021 to 2023, so it’s not like he hates fighting. But he prefers doing it when there’s a reason, like when he sees an injustice or an opponent takes liberties against a teammate.

Kostin found a reason in the third period Friday, as he saw Kraken defenseman Will Borgen deliver a hard hit from behind to Granlund.

Kostin then stepped and fought the 6-3, 204-pound Seattle blueliner, giving him his second Gordie Howe hat trick in the NHL. He also had one with the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 7, 2022, against the Arizona Coyotes (now the Utah Hockey Club).

On Friday, Kostin was excited to play with Granlund and Will Smith, who each had a goal and an assist. He added that his teammates have helped him through some tough times this season.

“I just realized one thing, not that long ago, that when you go through some tough moments in your career, that’s when you need your teammates the most,” Kostin said. “Obviously, on the ice, but off the ice, too.”

Friday’s game was Kostin’s 14th of the season, as he had been a healthy scratch 10 times. He was held without a point in his first 12 games before he collected an assist on a Mario Ferraro goal against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday.

Kostin had dressed for six of the last seven games before Friday, so in the eyes of the Sharks’ coaching staff, his game has been trending in the right direction. If he can regularly replicate what he did against the Kraken, coach Ryan Warsofsky will have another dangerous player at his disposal.

“He’s been good the last three or four games here,” Warsofsky said. “He’s skating. He’s confident. It’s amazing what confidence can do for a player, right? He’s had some good games. He’s strung them together. Next thing you know, you can get moved up, playing the second power play (unit) there. He’s doing some really good things.

‘He’s given us another element of our team, which is huge, and that’s what we saw when we traded for him.”

It was one game, but it was memorable for Kostin.

“That game was just a little sip of fresh air. You can feel like you’re still alive,” Kostin said. “You can feel that when you go through some tough moments in your career, like 10-15 games, you’re not scoring, you’re not helping your team, no effort. You’re a low-minute player; you’re just hard on yourself.

“But games like that remind you, ‘Hey man, you’re still alive.’”

Cardwell, recalled from the San Jose Barracuda on Thursday after Barclay Goodrow was placed on injured reserve with an upper-body ailment, started Friday’s game on a line with Nico Sturm and Ty Dellandrea.

His goal came on a partial breakaway, as his shot went off the glove of Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer and into the net, setting off a memorable celebration for the 22-year-old rookie, who said he kind of “blacked out” after the puck went into the net.

“I was just super excited,” Cardwell said. “Like I said, I don’t really remember, so I’ll go watch it on video, relive it. It was a great moment and super exciting.”