Celebrini Scores 1st-Ever Hat Trick, Smith Has 4 Points, But Sharks Lose 8-7 in OT

The San Jose Sharks are at Xcel Energy Center to take on the Minnesota Wild.

Tyler Toffoli and Macklin Celebrini (hat trick) and Carl Grundstrom and Nikolai Kovalenko and Will Smith scored, but the Sharks lost 8-7 in OT.

Period 1

7 in: Watching Kovalenko and Ostapchuk close again tonight. Best I can on TV, at least. For example, Brodin might have just beat Kovalenko down the slot, but most of that was off-screen until they entered OZ. But then, Kovalenko with a clever stationary backhand pass for Celebrini entering zone.

10 in: Good NZ step-up by Ostapchuk, carries it in and shoots it.

Toffoli goal: One away from 30. Just a goal-scorer’s confidence there. Eklund puts it in an area that Toffoli can catch it. Toffoli has space at the top of the slot, dusts it off, just beats future Hall of Famer Fleury. That’s classic Toffoli.

Johansson goal: Georgiev had got off to a good start. Good shot just beats him though.

3 left: Good speed by Gregor, flags it down on wing, almost hits crashing Lund for a good chance.

Faber goal: Not a great shift off DZ draw loss, Ferraro and Liljegren get tangled up, Boldy has clear path to net. Post. Then Liljegren, granted not a lot of help, but his clear, as Remenda notes, isn’t very assertive, and it doesn’t get out. That paves way for Boldy to set up Faber, who no one picks up.

Second half of period, Sharks icing it too much, they’re not breaking it out with any flow.

Period 2

1 in: Good basic play from Kovalenko. Gets it going wrong way in DZ, doesn’t make a guess play, like some backhanded flip pass to his center. He takes a hit, gets it to his defenseman behind the net. Do that 9 out of 10 times, mix some flash plays, he’s going to have an NHL career.

3 in: Vlasic almost tricks Fleury with that shot. That’s fun, one great French-Canadian player to another.

Celebrini goal: Impressive Celebrini shift in a couple ways. Loses it to Gaudreau I think on exit, but he gets it right back. He actually influenced three Wild to lose the puck coming up the ice. Then he holds off Faber, one of the best defensemen in the league, to put it past Fleury.

Eriksson Ek goal: Not a customary Wennberg mistake, he chases puck down in corner, good, but his touch is a turnover. It turns everything into a fire drill, and the San Jose Sharks can’t figure it out.

Drew mentions that Wennberg has struggled with his puck protection the last two games, worth mentioning, a couple times in the last couple weeks, Wennberg has been requested to talk post-game, but didn't make it because he was undergoing treatment.

Everybody's playing hurt at…

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) April 10, 2025

Grundstrom goal: Just a great individual effort. Goodrow does his area clear, he likes that play, creating a 50-50, since he isn’t skating it out and there aren’t any great pass options. But this time in NZ, Grundstrom and Dellandrea able to jump Foligno fumbling the flip.

Celebrini goal: Pretty 2-71 connection. Earlier in shift, Celebrini looked to be in trouble along wall, but he held off a couple Wild impressively. What a pass from Smith.

7 left: Toffoli should’ve drawn two calls there in the last couple minutes, but he also got lucky not getting called for showing up the ref after the ref missed another call on him.

5 left: Grundstrom got called for doing his job? Puck was loose. He went for it. Good effort for him, and hopefully, this carries over to next season.

Eklund penalty: Agree with Drew there, I like Eklund tracking back hard, but he can’t use the stick like that there. Too much, not a good penalty.

Kaprizov goal: Just a perfectly-placed shot on PP.

3 left: Beaut Smith stretch to Celebrini, who wires hat trick bid. Fleury glove save!

Eriksson Ek goal: Another power play goal.

Period 3

Eriksson Ek goal: Another power play goal.

Eriksson Ek goal: That was not attentive slot coverage by Kovalenko. Celebrini goes to close on the pass by the net, Kovalenko is covering the point, but he needs to be more alert and rotate. That’s really bad, and representative of why Kovalenko hasn’t secured an NHL job. Will say, Kovalenko has been better tonight than the last game, better puck touches in general.

Kovalenko goal: Credit to Kovy though, there’s that offensive talent. Actually started with his nice weakside pass on the rush to Celebrini, good vision, nothing happened though, Celebrini got stopped up. But later on rush, tap Kovalenko pass to Smith, who makes stretch pass to Celebrini, Celebrini then with a gorgeous feed to Kovalenko in slot, who pumps it by Fleury.

Celebrini has 60 points, passing Pat Falloon for most-ever by #SJSharks rookie

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) April 10, 2025

9 in: That’s a Kovalenko NZ pass that he has to clean up. Along wall, he makes bid to center lane, turnover, counterattack. Have to be sure there.

Celebrini goal: But again haha it’s Kovalenko along the wall again, this time, he just chips it into zone. Smith gets it, he makes this play, holds off the defense, finds Celebrini! Mack’s first-ever hat trick.

8 left: Remenda says it, Kovalenko needs to make the simple play there on entry. Do like him playing with some confidence now. But that’s one, you don’t need to highlight-reel the Wild on entry.

4 left: Beaut rush Kovalenko set-up for Thompson. Celebrini led the rush.

Smith goal: Holy shit! The future is teal. The future is fun. Most fun last-place team ever! Haha. Celebrini has five points.

Also! Will Smith's first-ever 4 (and 3) point night. Has had a bunch of 2-point nights

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) April 10, 2025

OT

Smith-Celebrini-Liljegren to start.