Cagnoni Gets 1st NHL Point, Carlsson Scores Dramatic Goal in Sharks’ 3-1 Win

The San Jose Sharks welcomed the Boston Bruins into SAP Center.

William Eklund and Lucas Carlsson and Barclay Goodrow scored, and the Sharks won 3-1.

From @SharksStats on Bluesky: “The #SJSharks defeated the Bruins for the first time since March 15, 2016, snapping a 14-game losing streak vs Boston. Entering tonight, it was the NHL's longest active win streak by one team against another, and was the longest all-time by any…

— Max Miller (@Real_Max_Miller) March 23, 2025

Period 1

Before this game, Eklund-Celebrini-Smith had played just 20:25 together at 5v5.

Per @sharkvoice, this is the first time they've started a game together as a line!

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 23, 2025

2 in: Don’t love that picked-off Kovalenko wall pass back to opposite point Cagnoni.

Goodrow 10-9 Lauko…really good middleweight scrap!

7 in: Smith able to hold off Zadorov, move the puck in the OZ. Nothing amazing, but small stuff that he’s doing better.

9 in: Very poor play by Mukhamadullin, doesn’t make the easy pass on DZ wall, no problem, but forechecker swallows him up, and he compounds the mistake by throwing it up the middle to no one in particular. That’s a red alert mistake, he’s got to be way better than that. Eat it along the wall has to be the worse thing there, you can’t make a hope pass to the middle in the DZ.

9 left: Big Georgiev save off a 2-on-1 deflection. He’s looked good so far.

8 left: Nice effort by Kovalenko, beat his man wide, drive the net, draw a penalty.

Eklund back on top PP, Cagnoni-Celebrini-Smith-Eklund-Toffoli to start, Mukhamadullin-Liljegren-Graf-Kovalenko-Wennberg are PP2. Not an impressive power play so far. PP2 at least keeps it basic and gets it on net.

5 left: Much better shift by Mukhamadullin, quick and accurate stretch to Goodrow, takes low-to-high pass and beats his check with a sweet move in OZ, then recovers defensively, clogs up the NZ middle to prevent a stretch pass.

3 left: Test for Cagnoni high, he receives the low-to-high pass from Wennberg, but Geekie just closes on him up high. Cagnoni doesn’t know what hit him. That’s an NHL close-out of the point that Cagnoni will have to learn to beat one day, or at least not lose the puck facing. You can’t win every battle, but you can’t turn it over there.

Period 2

1 in: Wennberg roasts Lohrei, nice entry feed by Graf, after Mukhamadullin and Wennberg kill a Bruins play down low in DZ.

Eklund goal: Beaut finish by Eklund, off perfect Celebrini cross-slot pass. Started with Cagnoni eliminating Mittelstadt along the wall. Then Celebrini skates it blueline to blueline, three Bruins gravitate toward him, no one marks Eklund, and a sweet finish by the Swede. Big bad team defense by the Bruins there, have to say.

6 in: Smith’s puck decisions haven’t been flawless tonight, but boy, what a pass to Celebrini in the slot. Big Korpisalo save on the shovel shot.

7 in: Wennberg loses it trying to carry through center, he usually doesn’t. That’s dangerous. Earlier, Toffoli took a hard hit by Wotherspoon, wonder if Ostapchuk or someone like that will have something to say to the Bruins defenseman. Got to protect more than the kids!

8 left: Spirited backcheck by Celebrini, turns over puck, after Smith forcefed a pass to him that was picked off and turned around for counterattack.

7 left: Great work by Graf to steal the puck, good read to jump on Zacha, big league forecheck there, leads to Grade-A Toffoli chance.

6 left: Pastrnak teaches Mukhamadullin a lesson there, one-on-one skate, though Mukhamadullin does skate with him, he just loses his balance. Georgiev should cover the puck? But he sticks it to Ferraro, who slaps it toward corner, Bruins have puck for extended shift.

4 left: Cagnoni did a good job getting under Mittelstadt’s hands along the wall. That’s how you gotta defend at his size at this level.

Mittelstadt goal: Ugh. Georgiev to Desharnais connection, should be simple, isn’t. Can’t give away goals like that. Looks like Desharnais missed an acceptable pass by Georgiev into his wheelhouse for the rim?

2 left: Would guess on that Kovalenko foray into zone, don’t just lose it behind the net. Would guess Warsofsky would want a shot attempt somewhere there. There are worse places to lose the puck, at least.

Period 3

Georgiev comes across on Pastrnak, big save. Depending on how you see the Mittelstadt goal, he’s had a real good game. Like I said, I thought Georgiev’s pass was fine there.

1 in: Good stick tie-up by Carlsson to prevent easy Bruins exit.

3 in: Really active Graf forecheck shift, forces a couple turnovers, he’s had a good game. Needs a little more quickness and strength so he can make that next play after forcing turnover, but he’s starting from a really good place with his defensive game.

8 in: Oooh you want Smith to be able to pick up that rim, instead, puck skips ahead of him, turnover. Gotta re-watch, maybe not his fault. But leads to a good 30 seconds of Bruins’ zone time.

9 in: Graf again forces a turnover on the forecheck, leads to a good minute of San Jose Sharks’ possession in OZ. Love it.

8 left: Ostapchuk beats Beecher to the puck there, key battle win there.

5 left: San Jose Sharks with just one shot in the period.

Nice soft stretch feed by Graf to Toffoli.

Carlsson goal: Lucas Carlsson’s last NHL game was in Nov. 2022 in a city that doesn’t have NHL hockey anymore, Phoenix. Right place, right time, nice touch on the backhand. Good read by him to attack as Smith fires from the point. Celebrini, as he usually does, also stays well above the puck, solid defensive position.

Goodrow goal: Big block by Carlsson, Eklund wins it to Goodrow.