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San Jose Sharks

Preview/Lines #40: Celebrini & Askarov Praise Michkov, Graf Recalled

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2 weeks ago

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Credit: Dean Tait/Sport Shots

Macklin Celebrini is facing his closest Calder Trophy competition in consecutive contests. And he had plenty of nice things to say about them.

On Tuesday, the San Jose Sharks star is taking on perhaps his chief rival, Matvei Michkov of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Michkov leads all rookies with 29 points in 35 games; Celebrini is right behind him with 27 in 27 games. Both are tied for the rookie lead with 12 goals apiece.

“He’s really good, he’s very talented, competitive. He’s got like that fire in him,” Celebrini said. “He’s a really good player.”

“Pretty sneaky player, really good hands,” countryman Yaroslav Askarov said of Michkov. Askarov has met Michkov, but says that he doesn’t know him too well.

Last Saturday, Celebrini scored a goal on Dustin Wolf, in a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames. It was San Jose’s seventh-straight loss.

“He’s a stud too. He obviously made some huge saves against us. He’s a great goalie,” Celebrini said. “I think his stats speak for themselves.”

Wolf is 11-5-2 with a .912 Save %.

Celebrini’s other major Calder competition is Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson, who’s racked up 26 points in 36 games.

The Sharks don’t see the Habs until February.

For what it’s worth, Celebrini was happy to talk up his fellow players, but had no interest in the Calder Trophy itself.

“It’s cool for the outside people that kind of look at it and compare,” Celebrini said. “But I want to stop losing, and I just want to kind of keep playing the way I’m playing. [The Calder Trophy] doesn’t really affect anything.”

San Jose Sharks (11-22-6)

Head coach Ryan Warsofsky says that Alexandar Georgiev will start.

“Our schedule is going to pick up a little bit,” Warsofsky explained on Tuesday afternoon. “We got to get Georgie playing. I think he’s been playing pretty solid. I know probably some saves he’d want back here and there, but he’s given us a chance, so we got to get him going.”

This is how the Sharks lined up for practice on Monday:

But…

Graf will slide in if Fabian Zetterlund (upper-body) doesn’t play. Zetterlund is a game-time decision.

Zetterlund has an iron man streak in the balance:

William Eklund (upper-body) and Jake Walman (lower-body), both out with day-to-day injuries, skated after practice on Monday.

But Eklund was placed on IR for Graf.

Warsofsky actually said on Tuesday afternoon that Eklund is closer to return than Walman.

Carl Grundstrom (upper-body) did not skate.

Warsofsky ruled out the injured trio for Monday’s game.

Philadelphia Flyers (16-17-4)

This is how Philly lined up in their last game on Sunday:

Where To Watch

Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and Philadelphia Flyers is 5 PM PT at SAP Center. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.

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Ty Comes

So awesome to see him be so humble! Should’ve asked him his thoughts about his former BU teammate Lane Hutson too!

1
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SJShorky

Hey Sheng, Is Graf playing tonight?

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Cheechoo

Will the homies play with a goalie?

1
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jodv

Really hope Georgiev starts to get it together a bit. He’s been hard to watch.

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BugsyBoy

I don’t understand WHY HC Wars after mildly criticizing Georgiev still play him after admission that the team doesn’t have trust in much of his play. Askarov needs mor exposure and practice, so that would be a perfect time. Unless they want to keep Askarov stats fairly decent. I just signed up to this blog after being the original Sharks fan from their inception and have many points to share but not this time. Too soon.

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Rothgar

WTF is Warso doing starting Fourgiev against a tired Philly team? This is Philly’s 3rd game in 4 nights w/ travel so they are ripe for a beating & Warso starts Fourgiev? DUMB, DUMB, DUMB! This is the only game on the Sharks schedule that they SHOULD win yet the coach starts the worst G possible. F’n STUPID! This game that should have been a W, will now be a guaranteed L because Warso started the WRONG G. Asky would have given the Sharks a better chance but w/ Fourgiev in net, the game is already lost before the puck… Read more »

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BugsyBoy

I’m really afraid that Sharks and the coach do not pay any attention to Cellebrini’s mental side. He’s only 18 and loves winning, yet I see a visible drop-off in his play in last 3-4 games. How many times can this young man bang his head against the wall to get some message across? Lack of “team culture” gets to his head quickly when he sees that nobody wants to fight to protect him which goes back to Thorntons’s time. All his enthusiasm is disappearing quickly as a result of injuries to Eklund, Walman, Granlund, etc. Many NHL teams have… Read more »

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Rothgar

Guaranteed Michkov goal tonight w/ Fourgiev in net, maybe even a hatty because it is Fourgiev, right?

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