Sharks Locker Room: Celebrini’s Hatred of Losing Will Lead to More Winning

VANCOUVER — A distraught Macklin Celebrini took seven questions post-game.

Four of them, at times unprompted, he referenced his turnover that led to Elias Pettersson’s first goal.

Vancouver goal!

Scored by Elias Pettersson with 02:52 remaining in the 2nd period.

Assisted by Jake DeBrusk and Conor Garland.

Vancouver: 3
San Jose: 1#SJSvsVAN #Canucks #TheFutureIsTeal pic.twitter.com/RmmtJzD72w

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) December 24, 2024

When asked about his season so far, at the holiday break — he’s scored 25 points in 25 games, a point per game, as an 18-year-old — he turned the focus on his own mistakes.

“I feel like I’ve played some good hockey, but I’ve been making mistakes that kind of cost our team against some of these good teams,” he said, “just those turnovers, can’t keep doing them.”

For the San Jose Sharks…this is good?

Celebrini will learn not to be so hard on himself.

“That’s one of the things that makes him great, he’s got high expectations of himself,” Henry Thrun said.

Celebrini will learn to manage the puck better.

“He’s learning all those things, and not just him, our whole group, Will [Smith], our younger players, because that’s the difference of winning and losing, what it usually comes down to,” San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “He’s gotten better, him and our group. But we have to have a little bit more focus level of certain situations that are happening during games. I’m not gonna take the stick out of his hand. He’s gotta be able to go make plays, but he has to be smart.”

But what’s clear in this emotional display? Keeping in mind that Celebrini is just 18 and had just completed his hometown NHL debut? The future of the franchise really hates losing.

That hatred of losing will lead to more winning for the San Jose Sharks one day, just not today.

William Eklund, Cody Ceci, and Luke Kunin scored in a 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, San Jose’s fifth in a row.

Barclay Goodrow

Goodrow, on why he fought Tyler Myers:

His hit on Eky.

Goodrow, on if this fight was a team response to what happened against Utah Hockey after Celebrini got boarded:

No, not really. I think anyone in the room would stand up for a teammate like that, and just something we would all do for each other.

Macklin Celebrini

Celebrini always takes losses hard, but maybe this one, just a little more?

Without prompting, he mentioned the "mistake" and "bad play" and turnover he made, that led to the first Pettersson goal, on multiple occasions.

"It starts with me. I made a bad play. They go down and…

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) December 24, 2024

Celebrini, on what he was trying to do on his turnover that led to Elias Pettersson’s first goal:

I thought Will [Smith] was coming more towards me. I just tried to make a play. Split-second decision.

Celebrini, on his hometown NHL debut:

It was exciting, pretty packed building in my home city, it was a cool game to play.

Celebrini, on his season so far:

I feel like I’ve played some good hockey, but I’ve been making mistakes that kind of cost our team against some of these good teams… just those turnovers, can’t keep doing them.

Henry Thrun

Thrun, on Celebrini being too hard on himself:

That’s one of the things that makes him great, he’s got high expectations of himself. He’s a leader in his own way, in his first year.

He’s someone that wants to drive play for our team and be a difference-maker. That’s one of those things where he’ll kind of learn to find a balance, how hard to be on yourself. End of the day, you want to lean towards demanding a lot out of yourself and going from there.

He’s a hell of a player. He’s honestly one of our best, if not the best player every night. So if a play like that happens, it’s unfortunate, but he’s going to make many more good plays than bad ones. He’ll be fine.

Thrun, on the puck that hit him high: "Couple inches there, could have been pretty bad. So got pretty lucky. Honestly, didn't really see it, just kind of felt it, pretty scary, but ended up being okay."

Nasty cut on his forehead because of it. pic.twitter.com/g05soOZ3vt

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) December 24, 2024

Thrun, on his season:

I feel like it’s turning the right direction. Happy from an individual level, just some of the games I’ve put together recently, feel like a much different player this year compared to last year. Just trying to be consistent every night, be someone that’s relied upon playing all situations. And I like the way it’s trending and try to keep it going now.

Ryan Warsofsky

Warsofsky, on Celebrini’s turnover:

You gotta learn from it. You gotta move forward and he will. He understands the importance of making mistakes and learning from them, we’ve seen that all year, so I’m not too worried about it.

He gives you everything he has every time he’s on the ice. And that’s a special player that’s learning how to play. He’s 18 years old in his hometown, was probably a lot that goes into playing tonight.

You have to understand what’s going on in the hockey game. You have to understand where you are in your shift. You have to understand who you’re up against. You have to feel the momentum of hockey games.

And he’s learning all those things, and not just him, our whole group, Will [Smith], our younger players, because that’s the difference of winning and losing, what it usually comes down to.

He’s gotten better, him and our group. But we have to have a little bit more focus level of certain situations that are happening during games. I’m not gonna take the stick out of his hand. He’s gotta be able to go make plays, but he has to be smart.

Warsofsky, on losing goaltender interference challenge:

I just took a big fine, so I don’t know if I should say anything too crazy…I need a clarification as to why, because we have it as goal interference.

Should add, Warsofsky confirmed that Eklund left the game because of the hit

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) December 24, 2024

Warsofsky, on San Jose Sharks needing to learn to keep mistakes from piling up, like it did when they gave up three goals in 1:10:

Yeah, and like, massive mistakes. We give up the breakaway to JT Miller, we haul him down, 5-on-3, they score. Right after that, we give up a 2-on-1, he misses. Those are massive mistakes, and we got to have some mental toughness to push through those times.

That’s going to happen again. We’re going to challenge a call and it’s not going to go our way. And we got to find some mental toughness to push through and stick together and do things and clamp it down and keep it simple.

Warsofsky, on Shakir Mukhamadullin:

He was more assertive. He’s gonna get better and better skating pucks. Wants the puck on his stick. He was closing quicker. It was a good game for him tonight.