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Sharks Locker Room: Best Game of Celebrini’s Career…So Far?

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1 month ago

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ST. LOUIS — This might have been the best game of Macklin Celebrini’s career…so far.

Not only did the 18-year-old score two goals and add an assist in the San Jose Sharks’ 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues — head coach Ryan Warsofsky reported Celebrini’s second goal was “one of the best shots I’ve ever seen” — but also?

“He’s not just offensively gifted,” Jake Walman, who scored the game-winner, said. “He’s defensively gifted too.”

It wasn’t just the obvious defensive plays either. It’s something that’s been said about Celebrini well before the 2024 Draft: He thinks defense-first, rare for such a talented offensive player.

For whatever reason, Celebrini (71) in the corner can’t come up with the Cody Ceci (4) high-to-low pass.

Most super-skilled teenagers would try to chase that puck: Celebrini doesn’t.

There isn’t even a second of hesitation on Celebrini’s part to get back in good defensive position, above the puck, and because the centerman is set on D, Dylan Holloway (81) and the Blues can’t counterattack, eventually just dumping it back to the Sharks.

Imagine Celebrini chases the puck, even for a second, that could put two forecheckers, including Tyler Toffoli (73) on one Blue in Holloway, and with the right pass up — Robert Thomas (18) looks like he’s waiting on it — St. Louis could be off on the rush.

Big plays and little plays, this was one of the best two-way games that Warsofsky has seen Celebrini play.

“For sure,” Warsofsky said, “not even close.”

After the game, Celebrini had tons of praise for new linemate Nikolai Kovalenko, who had three assists.

Walman talked about setting a career-high 22 points in just 27 games.

Alexandar Georgiev enjoyed his first win as a member of the San Jose Sharks.

And Warsofsky heaped praise on Celebrini, Kovalenko, and Shakir Mukhamadullin.

Macklin Celebrini

Celebrini, on his two-way game tonight:

I was pretty happy with how I played defensively. That’s important to me and my game, and felt like I did a good job, breaking up some plays.

Jake Walman

Walman, on scoring the game-winner over his old team:

Feels good. Any hockey player coming back to a place that they once were…little extra motivation, you know?

Walman, on setting a career-high with 22 points in just 27 games:

Just confidence is everything for me personally. It’s always been there, just got to go out there and do it. Getting the opportunity, like you said. It’s easy to play with the guys that I got around me. It makes it fun

Walman, on Celebrini:

There’s so much I can say about this guy. It’s unreal. It’s just such a treat to play with him. He’s not just offensively gifted. He’s defensively gifted too.

That’s something that people are taking note of now. He’s a 200-foot player. Anybody can kind of try and play offense, but he plays both, both ends, as hard as he can, and he competes.

He’s a workhorse for our team. He’s the engine. When he’s out there, just good things happen. I can’t say enough good things.

Alexandar Georgiev

Georgiev, on his performance:

I’m pretty happy with the effort. Need to check the goals on video, but felt like I was in the right places a lot, and they just managed to getsome good goals. Try to forget about them and keep going.

Ryan Warsofsky

Warsofsky, on Georgiev:

It was really solid. Obviously, some of the goals and chances, he was fighting a lot of traffic, so he’s trying to navigate his way through some bodies. And I thought he did good job.

Warsofsky, on Shakir Mukhamadullin:

I thought he was good. He was calm, he was poised with the puck, didn’t look out of place whatsoever. I think his game is just going to go up from here.

Warsofsky, on how Celebrini has gotten better on this road trip:

Defending. I’ve seen him get better, one-on-one defending. Without the puck in the defensive zone, the way he closes in the defensive zone is remarkable for an 18-year-old.

And then obviously the shot, obviously the first goal, and then the second goal is one of the best shots I’ve ever seen. Just the release that he has, put our whole bench in awe.

Obviously, a special player.

But I think he’s grown a lot, not just with the puck, but without it.

Warsofsky, on if this is one of the better two-way games that he’s seen Celebrini play:

For sure, not even close.

 

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