Sharks Win! Last-Minute Ceci Goal Beats Devils

The San Jose Sharks welcome the New Jersey Devils into SAP Center.

Nikolai Kovalenko and Macklin Celebrini and Cody Ceci scored, and the Sharks won 3-2.

Period 1

Will Smith on PP1 with Celebrini, Granlund, Wennberg, and Toffoli. Looks like Liljegren, Eklund, Zetterlund, Graf, maybe Kostin for PP2.

3 in: Man, Toffoli can shoot. Wires it off the crossbar on 2-on-1.

Then on forecheck, Toffoli steals it right by Markstrom. Stuffs it on Markstrom, gets a rebound, Markstrom vulnerable coming across, a place that Toffoli never misses…and Markstrom with a highlight-reel glove save. Just wow save. Toffoli can’t help but laugh. He’s had a great start to this game.

6 in: Ferraro switch in front, Toffoli comes in late as trailer into zone, Toffoli point shot, Ferraro in front, big save. Keefe probably won’t be happy with how the Devils are playing, but their goalie has been incredible.

7 in: Nice Rutta stretch pass to Smith, through a Devil.

8 left: Nice little sauce pass from Granlund to Liljegren. As Granlund and Warsofsky have noted, Granlund not putting up points recently, but I think he’s been much sharper last couple of games. Warsofsky suggested he might’ve been struggling with the hardest match-ups for a spell. For example, Oilers threw McDavid at him, skill vs. skill, as much as possible in Edmonton.

6 left: Pretty entry, fairly stationary, executed crisply by Kunin, Kovalenko, Goodrow, and Ferraro point shot. San Jose Sharks look on it, at least offensively, so far today.

Kovalenko goal: Off a really uninspired Sharks power play, Kunin keeps it in on a solo Eklund entry. Kunin and Kovalenko were the line change, but Dillon was literally just out of the box, so the Devils were scrambled. Nice hands from Kovy, juked Markstrom, whoa.

You wanted to see No. 15's goal again? Us too! 😉 pic.twitter.com/tLAr3JShdM

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) January 4, 2025

Stick tap to Askarov, who stopped two shorthanded Jack Hughes’s partial breakaways. A messy defensive period for both sides, I think, though Sharks had better of chances.

Period 2

Sellout this after, San Jose Sharks 0-4-1 in SAP Center sellout games so far this season. Let’s see if the Sharks can beat their performance anxiety.

Hischier goal: Eklund has a (challenging) chance to get it out on PK, doesn’t. Hughes pass to Hischier off the skate.

7 in: At least a strong power play effort from the Sharks there, both units, able to establish possession and move puck with authority.

8 in: Impressive Kovalenko shift, just won’t go down, hungry to keep the puck alive.

10 in: Back to a sloppy power play. Sharks just not valuing puck enough. I feel like Celebrini, at times, playing fast, that’s great, but he can hold instead of putting the puck where no one is yet. He’s always thinking fast and his ability to play fast is a big reason why he’s had so much success as a 18-year-old, but he needs to slow the game down a bit. Of course, you’ll take the transition from too fast (read: too good) to too slow over the more common reverse malady.

Who takes a too many men on the ice penalty…on the power play? If the Sharks lose this game, their constant inability to use their power play as a killing stroke will be a big part of it.

5 left: Hamilton gets away with a clear hook/interference on Zetterlund, I think. Love the effort though, keep pushing back on the Devils.

Period 3

Celebrini goal: Smith to Celebrini, off the rush! The stuff that San Jose Sharks fans’ dreams are made of.

And for the first time, a Smith primary assist on a Celebrini goal! Celebrini takes sole lead in the rookie goalscoring race from Michkov with his 13th

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 4, 2025

Cotter goal: Not a great angle, Askarov might want that back. Nice drag by Cotter though, more toward the middle of the ice, beats Vlasic, so not as bad an angle. Maybe both goalies have regrets over goals allowed in this period, so fair’s fair.

6 left: Bratt partial break, but Askarov so big, so quick, I think Bratt ran of options without even attempting a shot. Maybe Bratt couldn’t settle puck either. But I think Askarov deserves some credit for the non-save save too.

9 in: San Jose’s only shot this period is Celebrini goal, Sharks need to pressure, be aggressive.

8 left: Good work down low by Kostin, whipping passes low to high. Think he’s been good today.

3 left: Huge Askarov save on Palat. Wide-open net for Palat, not sure if Palat put it where he wanted, but still, Askarov so big and quick. Ferraro and Kunin thanking Askarov going to bench.

Ceci goal: Whoa! Siegenthalter had puck in corner in DZ, won it from Wennberg, but he slipped and rimmed it…off the ref. Bounces!