Sharks Locker Room: Officials Didn’t Lose Game

Cody Ceci is right.

The officials did miss obvious and pivotal calls on Utah Hockey Club in the San Jose Sharks’ 4-3 loss, from Kevin Stenlund boarding Macklin Celebrini to Logan Cooley hitting Mikael Granlund’s head.

Close up of the hit that sent Celebrini headfirst into the boards.

Luckily he avoided injury. If anything he came out fiery the very next shift fueled by frustration of the non-call.#TheFutureIsTeal pic.twitter.com/RAO4IEhJpQ

— SnipeCity420  (@SnipeCity420) December 15, 2024

Here's another look at the uncalled Cooley shot on Granlund that got #SJSharks heated at the end of the game.

Looked worse on first view, it wasn't an elbow, but still a head shot. pic.twitter.com/EEGVxKEYN0

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) December 15, 2024

But it wasn’t the refs that outshot the Sharks 16-2 after Fabian Zetterlund gave San Jose a 3-2 lead.

Utah scored two late goals to wrestle the lead away.

“The biggest thing for us was we were a little too much on our heels, I think, in the third and allowed them to get their chances and find their way in, back into the game. So I think that’s the biggest takeaway from the game,” 12-year NHL veteran Ceci said. “Officiating, yeah, it’s quick, and it goes either way sometimes. So we’re not going to blame too much on that.”

It’s a hard truth for a young, understandably emotional San Jose Sharks team to learn.

“Next step would be to get the killer instinct in the third and not be on our heels too much and try and survive games,” Ceci, who went to the Stanley Cup Final with the Edmonton Oilers last year, said.

A better team takes control of its destiny, instead of leaving it in the hands of others.

The Sharks are getting there, but not today.

After the game, Ceci talked about standing up for Celebrini, while Celebrini talked about standing up for the team.

Zetterlund discussed his in-game promotion from fourth to first line.

Warsofsky spoke on the team’s response to the hits on Celebrini and Granlund.

Cody Ceci

Ceci, on his response to Kevin Stenlund after Stenlund boarded Celebrini:

I didn’t like just the way he pushed him in from behind. Would have liked to see a call maybe there. I was first one there, so just trying to get him off him, and that was it.

Ceci, on if he was frustrated with the officiating tonight:

Yeah. I mean, it’s a fast-paced game. Last call there, I felt like my stick was lifted. Like I said, just out of our control. We got to find a way to kill it off and then get a point out of the game.

Again, that’s out of our control. The biggest thing for us was we were a little too much on our heels, I think, in the third and allowed them to get their chances and find their way in, back into the game. So I think that’s the biggest takeaway from the game. Officiating, yeah, it’s quick, and it goes either way sometimes. So we’re not going to blame too much on that.

Ceci, on what happened in the third period:

They definitely had a push in the third. We tried to handle it. I think going forward, we’ll try and get more of a killer instinct than we have in the past. Now we’ve taken a big step to be in these close games and get wins now, so I think next step would be to get the killer instinct in the third and not be on our heels too much and try and survive games.

Macklin Celebrini

Celebrini, on Ceci stepping up for him after Stenlund board:

I mean, I appreciate Cec stepping in there. That’s why he’s one of the leaders on this team. I mean, the refs didn’t think so. So I don’t know.

Celebrini, on what refs said to him after the boarding:

Nothing.

Celebrini, on what set off scrum at the end of the game:

I don’t know. I don’t know what set it off. But if any of my teammates are in a scrum, I’m gonna go help. I can’t leave them out to dry. So I just saw Eky kind of get jumped and just stepped in.

Fabian Zetterlund

Zetterlund, on Cooley high hit on Granlund:

We stick up for each other. Someone gets hit bad, we have to step up and be there. We can’t just leave it. Doesn’t matter what the score is, what time it is in the game, we just have to step up for each other.

Zetterlund, on his game:

I would say I played better than I have [recently]. So yeah, gonna move forward.

Ryan Warsofsky

Warsofsky, on tonight’s officiating:

I’m not going to talk about the officiating.

Warsofsky, on if there could’ve been more of a response to the board on Celebrini and hit on Granlund:

No, it was a good response. I know Dellandrea was trying to mix it up with Stenlund. That’s just the way the game is. I thought when there was scrums, there was five guys in there, and we were protecting each other. I didn’t mind our response.

Warsofsky, on what happened to the San Jose Sharks after the Zetterlund goal:

We just stopped playing. We look for someone else to do each other’s jobs, instead of just worrying about what our job is.

Warsofsky, on the message to Zetterlund:

You need to skate and go, go out there and get on the attack. And I thought he did a really good job tonight. That’s why I moved him back up.