Danil Gushchin wasn't sure he would get this opportunity this season. Kyle Criscuolo likely didn't think he would get this opportunity at all.
Both had a dream come true Saturday after vastly different journeys to this point.
Gushchin, a 21-year-old rookie from Russia, and Criscuolo, a 30-year-old Harvard grad and relative journeyman, both scored their career NHL goals Saturday as the San Jose Sharks beat the Arizona Coyotes 7-2 at Mullett Arena in Tempe.
Noah Gregor had his first NHL hat trick in the win, and Erik Karlsson had four assists to give him 96 points for the season.
But they shared the spotlight with Criscuolo and Gushchin, who were recalled from the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL on Saturday morning, as Oskar Lindblom remained in San Jose with an upper-body injury he suffered Thursday and Alexander Barabanov remained out with a lower-body ailment.
Criscuolo and Gushchin got an opportunity with the big club — and took full advantage.
"It felt really good to watch these guys enjoy it, no matter how old you are," Sharks coach David Quinn said. "It's a pretty special moment to watch someone score their first NHL goal."
The flashy goal by Gushchin, who was playing in his first NHL game, came at the 1:41 mark of the second period. With the Sharks on the power play, Gushchin took a pass from Karlsson and rifled the puck past Coyotes goalie Ivan Prosvetov, who could barely react.
The rebound came so far out after it hit the bar inside the back of the net that Karlsson had to grab the souvenir puck near the blue line.
"Pretty exciting moment for sure," Gushchin said. "First NHL game and first goal. Good pass by Karl. Good shot, too, I think."
Gushchin moved to the U.S. from his hometown of Yekaterinburg, Russia when he was just 16 as he began to play with Muskegon of the USHL. He dominated that league as he acclimated himself to a new continent, and was drafted by the Sharks in the third round in 2020.
Gushchin then had 71 points in 51 games with Niagara of the OHL in 2021-22, and in his first full season as a pro, has 36 points in 61 games with the Barracuda.
"Sometimes we lose sight of the impact that can make on a player and how it can affect their play," Quinn said of teenagers moving away from home. "For him to come over here and chase his dream and not be sidetracked, it's pretty remarkable, really, when you think about it."
Gushchin, who was surprised to get called up, said his father did everything to help him become a pro.
"It's exciting for me and my family," Gushchin said. "Before my first game, every coach told me, 'just shoot puck,' and it'll go in. So, I tried my best."
Since leaving Harvard in 2016, Criscuolo has 202 points in 361 AHL games with five teams. But before Saturday, he had only played in 15 NHL games, most recently with the Detroit Red Wings last season.
To bolster the Barracuda's forward depth, and to add some leadership to a largely young team, Criscuolo was acquired by the Sharks from Detroit in January, and he remained in the AHL until Saturday.
In the first period against the Coyotes, Criscuolo took a loose puck away from Nick Schmaltz in the neutral zone, raced in alone on Prosvetov, and beat him low to the glove side.
"I don't think (Prosvetov) was expecting it to happen so quickly, so he was a little deep in his net," Criscuolo said. "I just tried to go under his glove, and it was amazing when it went in."
Like Gushchin, Criscuolo, too, was thinking of his father.
"I probably watched every single first goal the NHL's ever posted, just dreaming about this day," Criscuolo said. "It's been a long journey, just super exciting.
"It's my dad's 65th birthday today, too, so, I think I'm going to cancel my gift for him and just give him the puck."
The Sharks have now won three straight games for just the second time this season, as they remain in 29th place in the NHL standings.
In other words, they haven't had many feel-good nights. This was one of them.
"You feel really good for your players," Quinn said. "It's been a tough year and to play the way we did and get rewarded on the score sheet, it feels good."
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