Catfished! Sharks Blow 5-1 Lead, Lose 7-5

NASHVILLE — San Jose Sharks visit Bridgestone Arena to take on the Nashville Predators.

Macklin Celebrini and Luke Kunin and Mikael Granlund (twice) and Jake Walman scored, but the Sharks lost 7-5.

Period 1

Celebrini goal: Snipe! Great pass by Ceci.

2 in: Here’s a foot on throat moment, San Jose Sharks power play. Granlund-Celebrini-Wennberg-Zetterlund-Eklund on PP1 and Walman-Liljegren-Smith-Kunin-Graf PP2.

Just an OK power play, feel like PP1, and Preds PK is aggressive, doesn’t do enough to put fear in opponents. That’s just the reality of where the individual players are. Zetterlund does have a great slot chance.

5 in: Thrun a couple chances to make next play, execution not there. Too hard, then too soft with passes. That’s important. Not an attack, but those little things keep the opponent in your zone. Being consistent on those little plays is often the difference.

Kunin goal: Nice keep-in by Ceci and a good shot.

Granlund goal: Can’t keep up with the Sharks offense! Like Smith’s patience, looks off Blankenburg who backs off him, Smith just waits out until passing lane opens. Preds forgot Granlund.

Granlund makes it back-to-back goals for Team Teal 👏 pic.twitter.com/jfinz2Oyvm

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) January 22, 2025

Novak goal: Quick point shot, Thrun can’t react to rebound and tie up Novak’s stick.

8 left: Like that from Celebrini on exit, for once, he just dumps it out. Not asking him to change his game, just sometimes you gotta do that.

6 left: Smith steal on forecheck, almost leads to Granlund Grade-A. Good to see Smith continue that, making a defensive impact, skating and anticipating, good defense creating offense.

4 left: Georgiev big glove restores order, fourth line was struggling there, bending not breaking. Faceoff.

Third line doesn’t win the draw, and lose Josi in slot, another big-time Georgiev glove.

Off another draw, San Jose Sharks exiting, but bad Kunin turnover on exit, that can’t happen.

3 left: What a shift by Wennberg. Such an overall talented player. Takes control of puck in NZ, protects it, high dumps it in to place where he can retrieve. Then perfect kick pass to Celebrini in NZ for easy entry. Then dangerous tip in front off Celebrini shot-pass. When he’s good, you have no idea why he isn’t a more prominent player.

Walman goal: Now what a shift from Celebrini! Defensively, stops up O’Reilly trying to enter. Then on forecheck, he just, I dunno, scares Barron into a turnover. Wennberg and Walman 2-on-0, sweet backhand finish.

My takeaway from this period, credit to the San Jose Sharks for executing, but the Preds are really terrible. They’re letting Sharks run layup lines on them. I think the hardest type of team to cover is one with sky-high expectations that learns through the season that they’re not who they thought they were.

Period 2

Annunen in.

Not a good power play to start for Sharks, Walman sent off. Big momentum swing here maybe, need a big kill. Bad as Preds are, they shouldn’t be first period bad.

3 in: Nice wall work by Goodrow on PK to come up with puck through two Preds, that’s professional work, Goodrow at this best.

Granlund goal: There you go! Use the PP to bury the opponent. Pretty tic-tac-toe between Celebrini, Eklund, and Granlund.

5 in: Another great Wennberg shift, takes it with ease from Sissons on forecheck, then a beaut pass to Ferraro coming down.

10 in: Learning moment for Graf, loses position on Stamkos in NZ, Stamkos off on 2-on-1. Georgiev!

Smith penalty: Learning moment for him too.

Svechkov goal: Passing lanes too open, let’s see how Sharks respond.

8 left: Eklund is really good at picking off passes along the wall. Getting it in or whatever he needs to do.

Barron goal: Uh oh. Gut check time. Looks like Smith loses Barron. Yup Smith puck-watching, doesn’t skate with his guy. Remenda being nice, I think, that’s Smith’s guy 100 percent. Don’t watch, skate! Sharks showing who they are now too, can they make the bleeding stop?

4 left: Smith looked like he was out of options there, a too much confidence play on entry and holding, but credit to him, keeps puck alive to Rutta who gets tripped.

3 left: Walman replaces Zetterlund on PP1, I assume protecting lead. Pretty good power play.

Period 3

Marchessault goal: Like I said, gut check time. Walman fronting shot-pass, puck behind him, easy for Marchessault.

Eklund penalty: Blankenburg might have sold it, but not a good penalty by Eklund. Free arm in NZ? Just skate! Young mental mistake.

Josi goal: Kunin tried to go for the breakaway pass to Goodrow. I mean, you want to make plays, and Goodrow was ahead of play, the play was there to be made. But didn’t execute, and now we’re here.

UPDATE: Kunin said he was just going for the clear.

Sharks just get a long break on Schenn review, no penalty, no problem. Get back to playing smart but aggressive hockey.

7 in: Not a strong play by Smith on the wall. There’s a moment, get it out for sure!

Blankenburg goal: Wennberg had control on wall, lost it. Needed a play there. Blankenburg jumped ahead of Ferraro for 2-on-1, bad sign. In defense of Ferraro there, Ferraro was playing forward along wall, Blankenburg made aggressive read. Then Blankenburg shot slips through, needed a save there. But Sharks too passive defensively.

9 left: Good forecheck by Smith along wall. Zetterlund chance.

8 left: Preds aren’t letting Sharks make the easy plays anymore, Sharks turnovers all over the place. You want to make plays, sure, but they’re forcing pucks, not holding, trying too hard to play fast.