Sharks Locker Room: How To Make Last Place Feel Like a Win?

It’s been a tough week for Team Teal.

On Jan. 30, the San Jose Sharks’ last game, they put forth a “downright embarrassing” effort in a 6-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken.

Two days later, they traded leading scorer Mikael Granlund and their top shutdown defenseman Cody Ceci to the Dallas Stars for draft picks.

Tuesday’s effort, even in a 4-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, was an encouraging response.

Macklin Celebrini, Collin Graf, and Tyler Toffoli scored. For just the 12th time this season, San Jose outshot their opponent, 30-20.

We know the truth: The last-place Sharks aren’t going to win a lot of games the rest of this season.

Despite what the players say, and they have to say it, the bar isn’t wins and losses here. They need to keep the bar high, I don’t.

Two things stood out to me tonight, if San Jose is consistent in these two areas, the last third of the season will be a victory. And they will run into a few actual wins here and there, and maybe another No. 1 pick too.

First, the Sharks simply need to compete, which they did for most of tonight.

“I liked our effort,” head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “I thought our guys competed, we skated, did some things that we’ve talked about the last couple days.”

San Jose is going to be outgunned every night the rest of the way, they just need to go down with a fight.

Second, the Sharks’ youth needs to continue to show promise, which they did.

Macklin Celebrini continued to add to his Calder Trophy favorite campaign with a goal and an assist. Collin Graf notched his first NHL goal. Warsofsky also had praise for Will Smith and Shakir Mukhamadullin’s performances.

Do those two things, another last-place finish will truly feel like a step in the right direction.

Ryan Warsofsky

Warsofsky, on if tonight was a good response game from the San Jose Sharks after their disappointing effort in Seattle:

I liked our effort. I thought our guys competed, we skated, did some things that we’ve talked about the last couple days. Just sucks, getting the result.

Warsofsky, on Will Smith’s effort:

Smitty looks really good. He’s playing some really good hockey. He’s helping us create some offense. He looks comfortable. Our power play was good tonight, especially that first unit.

Warsofsky, on Collin Graf’s game:

Smart player. Was skating tonight. Smart guy. Teach him and coach him on things. Picks it up extremely quickly, which is impressive.

Warsofsky, on Shakir Mukhamadullin’s game:

He did some good things. Was trying to be more assertive with his body and his positioning. Gotta simplify his game at times, it’s going to take some time for him to figure that out.

But I’d rather him being ultra-aggressive and have to reel him back a little bit than to have to push him to get him going.

Collin Graf

Graf, on his first NHL goal:

It was really exciting. It’s a dream come true. I was fortunate enough for my parents to be here. My dad actually called me when he landed, and he was like, if I flew all the way out here, you better score. So I made sure that his trip out here was worth the money, so it’s good.

Graf, on his parents happening to be out here:

My mom was actually out here for the last couple AHL games, and then we were planning on doing something during the [AHL All-Star] break. Obviously, got called up, so that’s better. Then my dad just flew out here today, so my little brother’s just left alone at the home right now.

Graf, on San Jose Sharks organization’s message to him when they sent him down recently:

When I got sent down two weeks ago, management wanted me to be more offensive. I made sure that I obviously played responsible defensively but when there’s opportunities in the offensive zone to hold on to the puck, to try to make a creative offensive play, I made sure I did that.

Graf, on what he saw on his first NHL goal:

I got it, and I was just thinking, I have to shoot this puck. I told [Luke Kunin] sorry after, but he was like, you know what? It’s good.

This was awesome.

Collin Graf gave a touching tribute to his dad Robert, describing all the sacrifices that his dad made for him & his hockey career growing up.

Fantastic that both parents, Robert & Terri, were on hand to see Graf's 1st NHL goal: pic.twitter.com/s1x94cDZXC

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) February 5, 2025

Graf, on scoring one for his dad Robert and mom Terri:

It’s everything.

Like you look back at it, and all those practices where it’s after work, and you’ve got to work a whole day, and then, obviously my mom helped too, but my mom probably would spend a little bit more time with my brother. My dad was mostly with me, just the way it worked out, in timing and stuff.

He drives me to practice for all those years when I couldn’t drive, he drives me back.

And then, as a young kid, like you guys know, games are not at good times. On the weekend, it’s 8 AM and he’s worked a hard, long week, and he’s waking up at 6 AM, he’s making sure I have breakfast. He’s making sure that everything’s ready for little 10, 12-year-old me, make sure that I can go out there and keep getting better at hockey.

Those are just a couple things I can think about, and then obviously helping me find skills coaches and stuff like that as a kid.

It’s great that I was able to get a goal and give them the puck.

Macklin Celebrini

Celebrini, on his goal:

lt was an amazing five-man goal…I don’t think anyone stickhandled. Like it was Wally bump to Smitty to Eky to Toff back door to me, and I had the whole net. If there were four assists that could be added to the goal, I think that would be a goal you do it for.

Celebrini, on Sam Montembault’s big third period power play glove save on him:

I got [the shot] up. There’s a reason that he’s on the 4 Nations team. A good goalie. He made a great save.

Celebrini, on Smith's recent uptick in play: "There's a reason he went 4th-overall & there's a reason he had 71 points last year and was like one of, if not the best player in college hockey. He's so smart, skilled, his playmaking is off-the-charts. He can also shoot the puck.…

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) February 5, 2025

Celebrini, on the Sharks’ power play tonight:

I felt like that was probably the best our PP has looked this year, which is encouraging.

Tyler Toffoli

Toffoli, on seeing 31-year-old Andrew Poturalski get a shot in the line-up:

It’s good to see. I think a lot of the guys in the American League are going to get an opportunity. And like I said, it’s one of those things where they get the opportunity, they got to take advantage of it and try and establish themselves as an NHL player.