San Jose Sharks
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.
What a game!!!!! That was amazing to see! Smith and Celebrini’s games have grown so much, and tonight was amazing. Personally, I ‘love to hate’ on Fleury cuz his Vegas days, and it was badass the see him cough up a huge lead in a crucial game against the Sharks one last time! Just wish we could of won it in OT. Btw, did you all know that Vancouver needed us to win to stay alive in the playoff hunt? The Canucks scored 3 goals in one minute last night vs Dallas to miraculously stay alive, and they must of… Read more »
Fleury can’t help but choke when he sees the color teal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL0TwaQJcU0
When MAF hangs ’em up that’ll be the play I remember most.
I dunno, Couture shot it in his glove. Better to be lucky than good on some plays. Mine will be how he looked after Goody undressed him in OT.
saw that one from section 217. It was loud that night. Really really loud 🙂
I really cannot wait for next season and this season isn’t even over yet. Cannot wait to see what the year brings us. Celebrini, Smith, Eklund, Graf, Muk all a year older. Askarov in net. Hopefully a couple of defenseman brought in through trade/FA. I’m really for a push towards the mushy middle and hopefully we can jump to like 30 wins next season.
I have opened my mind a little bit recently to the possibility they could be legit good next year. Like actually in the playoffs good. I checked out how things have gone for the elite players who were on really bad teams. They’re generally good quick. Maybe they need 5-6 years to get a Cup, but they’re playoff teams quickly. For the most obvious example, the Penguins were legit good in Crosby’s second season. They added Malkin and Staal, sure. But not a whole lot else. Mark Recchi came on, but he just replaced John LeClair, basically. Penguins went from… Read more »
There are many potential catalysts but one of the biggest could be smith becoming a consistent offensive force with Celly. If he adds 10-15lbs works on his first step, the Sharks may have either an elite top line or two great top 6 centers. Give Smith more offensive zone starts and a big winger who can shoot (Musty?) and he could be a terror.
I don’t think I can see a playoff push next year unless they were very busy in the offseason. I could see a jump to like 75-80 points though. I think if they were to push for the playoffs you’d need to add 1 Top 6 level forward, 1 Middle 6 level forward, a 4th line C, and 2 Top 4 D. In addition to that you’d need Askarov to be a Top 10-ish goalie in the league next year with guys like Celebrini, Smith, Eklund, Muk, Graf as a whole taking a step forward. Just seems like way too… Read more »
I just go off what Grier said. Not sellers and kind of in the conversation. It’s really hard to guess just how good or bad they’ll be until we see what Grier has up his sleeve this off season. Whether they buy out Couture and Vlasic or not they could make some significant moves this off season. They have a ton of ammo for trades and a ton of cash for UFAs.
The Sharks kind of have to have a big offseason just to get to the cap floor.
Sure but they are $20M from the floor. $20M isn’t getting you a Top 6 F, Middle 6 F, 2 Top 4 D, and a qualified backup G.
I was entertained
7 goals and no power plays.
Not many times I guy gives up 8 and really wasn’t that bad.
The Celebrini hat trick goal, he makes a subtle deceptive move to get Erickson Ek to turn the wrong way. Macklin’s deception is off the charts.
Recall another Sharks game where both teams hat hatties — Pavelski for us Martin St. Louis had 4 for Tampa. Sharks won that game iirc
Oooh I got one: Cheechoo for us, Smyth for Edmonton. Sharks lost.
Anyone else know of other matching hattie games for the Sharks?
Rob Gaudreau and Scott Young (Nordiques) Dec 12, 1992
8-7 Nordiques win
Alexei Yegorov and Gary Roberts (Flames) Feb 20, 1996
5-3 Flames win
Selanne and Kariya!!! March 29, 2001
7-4 Sharks win
Hertl and Ovechkin Jan 22, 2019
7-6 Sharks win
I’m surprised I don’t remember that one! That’s awesome that Ovi & Hertl got hat tricks in the same game. Did you really remember all these instances, and just had to look up the specific numbers? That’s impressive dude
No, I am not that good. I was a really insane hockey/Sharks encyclopedia a couple decades ago, but that brain is long gone.
Hockey Reference has a page with all the hat tricks. Didn’t take that long to sift through box scores since I only had to check games where the opponent scored at least three goals.
I meant without googling it! C’mon man!
I didn’t Google it! I had to put the work in going through all the Sharks hat tricks on Hockey Reference.
I don’t know if I had to, but I did.
I didn’t stop anyone from remembering Alexei Yegorov-Gary Roberts, man.
Oh dam! I’ll take your word for it
Alexei Yegorov was one of the very few Sharks 3rd round picks to score a goal. The only one to have a hat trick.
iirc, he had 6 goals in total, returned to Russia and died in his 20’s.
I remembered the name but not much else. That hat trick was actually the only three goals of his career. That is CRAZY. He’s gotta be the only player in history to do that.
That’s so nuts that the Sharks should talk about it all the time. Like, every broadcast, at the beginning, Randy Hahn should say “The Kings are tonight’s opponent for the Sharks, who once had a player named Alexei Yegorov who scored three goals in the NHL, all as a hat trick in one game.”
You’re correct. Wrote about it a few years back. He had 6 pts in 11 games, but just the 3 goals.
https://thehockeywriters.com/san-jose-sharks-draft-third-round-bad/
The only one I can pull out of memory was when 2 sharks had hat tricks vs the oilers I think? Friesen and Turcotte.
Friesen and Nolan against the Blackhawks. Oct 4, 1999
Oh dam that’s awesome. Jeff Friesen was one of my favorite players, and he had such a unique stride. I think he went on to score the Stanley Cup winning goal for the Devils soon after leaving the Sharks.
He was bowl legged. That’s why he skated that way. 😀 Yeah he was great for the Devils in that cup run playing on the 3rd line. He was miscast as a top 6 center/winger.
Georgiev was brutal man.
Any semblance of NHL level goaltending and the Sharks win this by 4.
the defense in front of him was more brutal.
They weren’t great but there were at least 4 he should have had. The disparity in offensive chances could easily be chalked up to the brutal disparity in PP opportunities.
They were bad. Bad is the word you’re looking for.
Sheng’s descriptions of the 7 regulation goals:
-Good shot just beats him though.
-That paves way for Boldy to set up Faber, who no one picks up.
– It turns everything into a fire drill, and the San Jose Sharks can’t figure it out.
-Kaprizov goal: Just a perfectly-placed shot.
Eriksson Ek goal: Another power play goal.
Eriksson Ek goal: Another power play goal.
-That was not attentive slot coverage by Kovalenko … Kovalenko is covering the point, but he needs to be more alert and slide over. That’s really bad,
Still need to make a save. Good goalies do.
I will do a more detailed breakdown today of every goal and post it in a few hours, because that’s an incomplete picture at best.
Beautiful. Maybe the Calder trophy isn’t a lock just yet?
Thrun was simply awful. He needs a year in the AHL and grier can sign a veteran to replace him.
Since the break Will Smith is arguably a top 3 rookie in the league. He’s going to be Celebrini’s Malkin.
Scooooop! Are you a real person? I thought you were like an A.I. troll bot or something like that
I dunno, this comment wasn’t all that bad.
I know, I was taken aback, like hearing the dog talk or something!
I am a dogg. A typing dogg with sharks fins. A dogg shark. Or shark Dogg. Or Dhark or Shogg.
he’s a ghost of his former self …
I did a spit take at that one. Dude… 😀 😀
🤣🤣
Thrun is probably still injured. He was playing very good prior to injury. He doesn’t need to go to the AHL, he needs to be a 3rd pair D-man instead of 1st pair.
Him playing good was still a fringe NHL level performance. He’s just not good. He plays way smaller than his size. He’s pushed around on the boards. He isn’t good defensively or offensively. If Sharks want to make a step forward next year Thrun should not be penciled into anything more than a depth defenseman role.
Thrun playing better wasn’t like Muk playing better where Muk clearly looked like he belong on the NHL ice. Thrun has never been able to do that for more than a period or so at a time let alone a multi-game stretch.
That’s just not true. But his partner can’t be Ferraro.
His future is as a 7th d-man/call-up with injury. I don’t write off d-men until about 25 (he just turned 24), but there’s so little to his game that its hard to see where he really makes it. Not fast, not strong, not aware. He doesn’t see the ice that well, etc.
There’s time, but not that much.
Strong will come. He has the size just needs the pro summer workout. He sees the ice fine but he needs to play with someone like Shak probably. Someone better offensively. He’s significantly faster than last season. I’m reserving judgment until I see how he does next season if he’s even here. I could see him getting traded if they decide to keep Ferraro and Dickinson stays in the NHL.
Will have to respectfully disagree there. Thrun needs a year in the A on top of the added muscle. Even still, his ceiling is 7th defenseman on a contender. Sharks can find better in UFA. He’s had his chance and even when he was ‘good’ he wasn’t very good.
“A year in the A” is the standard cat call of people with no imagination. You’re now saying a 7th D man on a contender? Why on earth would they look elsewhere then? He’s cost controlled. I think it’s too early to limit his possibilities.
Thrun is absolutely not significantly faster than last season.
2023/2024 max speed – 22.04mph
2024/2025 max speed – 21.19mph
Thiugh I guess it’s hard to skate fast when you’re constantly hemmed into your own zone because you aren’t good.
How many points does Celebrini need to get back into Calder conversation?
With the Canadiens making the playoffs, it’s over.
probably but if Celly surpasses him in points I think it’s a toss up. Way harder matchups and less games.
Both teams were trying to play Brazilian hockey,
You will score as many as you can, and we will score as many as we want.
I’m actually really excited to watch the Barracuda hopefully make a decent playoff run. With Musty and Chernyshov eligible, guys like Graf, Thompson, Ostapchuk (I think he was in the AHL at the eligibility deadline), Carlsson going back to the Cuda and Askarov in net, I think they could actually make a decent playoff run.
It ought to be fun. There isn’t going to be much chemistry between anybody which may be a problem.
Depends how much run guys like Musty and Chernyshov get in the playoffs.
At C – Poturalski, Bystedt, White, Giles, Ostapchuk as options
At W – Graf, Cardwell, Bordeleau, Gushchin, Regenda, Duehr, Chernyshov, Musty is 8 wingers but that’s before you get to the Cuda’s bottom 6 wingers like Vincent, Vanroboys, Houle, Sabourin
Honestly looking at their defense I feel like they are going to need Askarov to dominate to make a run because outside of Cagnoni, Thompson, Schuldt, and Thrun it’s pretty barren.
I don’t think Thrun is eligible to play in the AHL playoffs is he?
Whoops meant Carlsson not Thrun.
I wouldn’t be shocked to see the forwards just outscore their problems.