San Jose Sharks
Celebrini Electric, San Jose Beats LA 7-2, Askarov Earns 1st Sharks Win
The San Jose Sharks welcomed the Los Angeles Kings into SAP Center.
Nico Sturm and Fabian Zetterlund and Macklin Celebrini (twice) and Timothy Liljegren and Alex Wennberg and Luke Kunin scored, and the Sharks lit up the Kings 7-2.
Period 1
Sturm goal: San Jose Sharks get stopped up not once, but twice coming up the neutral zone. And Ferraro of all people beats that, stretch pass to Sturm for breakaway. Good pass, Mario! Askarov gets his first NHL assist.
3 left: Now Kunin with a breakaway. Looked like LA overcommitted off draw to left lane, Kunin all alone. An honestly embarrassing start for the Kings, and good on the Sharks for taking advantage at least once.
8 in: Classic Kings-Sharks battle there, Lewis sonned Goodrow in a one-on-one.
9 in: One pass too many, but credit to Toffoli for jumping on the errant NZ pass, 2-on-1 with Wennberg. Sharks starting on time, Kings asleep.
Top power play is Walman-Celebrini-Eklund-Wennberg-Toffoli. Followed by Liljegren-Zetterlund-W. Smith-Kunin-Goodrow.
9 left: That was a power play that didn’t gain momentum.
Then Zetterlund has a step trying to enter, but then tries a hope pass to the center that doesn’t make it. Love his speed winning the puck, but Sharks in general need to value the puck more in those counterattack-friendly areas. Killed them vs. Sabres.
3 left: Good hustle by Sturm, helped cover Ferraro after Jeannot escaped the defender’s close-out.
2 left: Good job by Celebrini at center ice, using his length, stopping up LA rush there.
1 left: I like Sturm there, Ferraro gives him a short exit pass, slightly dangerous because Sturm wasn’t out of the DZ yet? Maybe Sturm could’ve skated forward with it, but 30 seconds left in the period, he just made sure it got out first. Sturm’s reaction tells you a lot about the player, maybe because he had troubling handling the short pass, but he doesn’t try to collect to move forward and attack, he just bats it out, a self-pass, to get it to safety above all.
Period 2
Not a great job in a tight spot on the power play point by Walman. Couldn’t corral the puck, that happens, but his next play to Eklund, Eklund didn’t have a chance. You can’t pass your problem off. Kills a power play that got off to a good start with a Walman post.
Clarke goal: A poor PP leads to not great 5-on-5. Clarke just beats Askarov. All started with a Dellandrea turnover coming out of the zone.
7 in: Jeannot hasn’t had a productive season, but he’s been beating Sharks to space, that time getting a backhand chance ahead of Zetterlund.
Kopitar goal: San Jose Sharks getting what they deserve. Sturm doesn’t lock down the middle of the ice on the forecheck, got too aggressive on Kempe. That opens up the rush for Kings. Sturm tries to recover but no one picks up Kopitar off to the side, lots of Sharks there, no one grabs him, and he puts in the garbage. Disappointing shift.
7 left: San Jose Sharks with just three shots in the period. Forecheck a half-step behind right now.
Zetterlund goal: Speaking of the forecheck! A good FC doesn’t always have to lead directly to a chance. Celebrini on FC pressures Edmundson, he’s able to move it, but it’s not clean, and Eklund able to make it a battle for a while. So it’s not a clean and easy exit for LA, which is so important. Kings manage to muscle it out, but it’s on a hope play, Rutta gets to the puck, and Celebrini to Eklund to Zetterlund on the rush.
Celebrini penalty: The kid tries to argue, but that looks like an interference. Outmuscled Akil Thomas, unless Thomas sold it.
4 left: Good job by Walman to get low and prevent the centering pass. Askarov was out of position there.
Kings coming hard to close period, this is big boy hockey. Not an outstanding period by San Jose, but they had one good shift, that’s all you need. But they need to trend way upward to close out game.
Period 3
Celebrini goal: Whoa! Thrun does good job of evading Danault forecheck. Then Celebrini just pushes back the defense, looks off the goalie, looks off, the quick look and cranks it from a bad angle. What a shot!
Liljegren goal: There’s very little there for goalie interference, I think. Smith serves it on a plate for Liljegren. Good cycle from that line before that.
Celebrini goal: It was an ugly 5-on-3 until that. A possible video learning lesson for the PP until Eklund served Celebrini a wide-open net. Looks like Wennberg took Rittich’s eyes away and/or Eklund sold shot from center high. Celebrini smartly got wider and wider of net too, to make sure he was looking at an open net whenever the pass came.
Celebrini has been electric at home so far in his young career: He's now up to 6 goals and 2 assists in 6 games at SAP Center.
The first 3-point (and counting) night of his career tonight
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 26, 2024
Also that last Celebrini goal was officially the first scoresheet connection between Celebrini and Will Smith (secondary helper).
I still think Celebrini should've got an assist on the Toffoli goal in Pittsburgh!
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 26, 2024
6 in: Askarov quick out of his crease to stop that Kings rim. Like. His athleticism and length serve him well there.
9 in: Goodrow bowls over Spence on FC.
10 in: Askarov aggressive coming out to get the puck, nice work, hits Ferraro with the pass. Mario turns it over, but Dellandrea right there at center ice, he wins the puck, has a partial breakaway. Good job by Dellandrea to pick up his teammate.
Wennberg goal: Everything’s coming up Milhouse for the San Jose Sharks tonight! Good reward for Wennberg who has been excellent lately.
Just like the old days at SAP Center!
Crowd chants, "Beat LA! Beat LA!!"…and it's 6-2 Sharks.
Gotta feel good for a small crowd that hasn't had a lot to cheer for in recent years, to be able to beat the proverbial dead horse pic.twitter.com/thT9xa0R55
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 26, 2024
7 left: Askarov stickhandling adventure there though.
3 left: Celebrini toying with the Kings there, great pass to Zetterlund in slot.
Kunin goal: Kunin just Celebrini’d up the Kings. That’s going to be an unhappy room.
Wow. Tight games are exciting and all but I do love me a good blowout. Nothing like seeing the boys ripping goals and embarassing the kings. See if they get some more consistent scoring happening.
Mentioned it before, Celebrini has an enormous amount of deception in his game. It keeps showing up. I’m usually pretty reserved on praising younger players because they have a lot to learn. Celebrini has a lot to learn. He makes a lot of mistakes — and I’m happy about that. He’d never figure out his capability can do unless he presses the limits and fails. They may look like mistakes, but that’ part of the process. A dozen games in, I’ll go out on a limb. He was advertised as a special player. Maybe not Bedard-level special, but still, he… Read more »
Can I have some more, please? That was delicious!