Sharks Locker Room: Celebrini, Smith Talk NHL Debut

A night that began with so much promise ended in a familiar pain for San Jose Sharks fans.

It was the beginning of a new era, led by 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini and 2023 fourth-overall Will Smith. There was an energy in SAP Center that we haven’t seen since the last time that the Sharks were in the playoffs in 2019.

But San Jose, as they have so often in the last five years, snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, blowing a 4-1 third period lead to the St. Louis Blues and losing 5-4 in OT.

Celebrini, Tyler Toffoli, Fabian Zetterlund, and Barclay Goodrow scored in a heartbreaking defeat.

Of course, Celebrini and Smith were the headliners, and both made very promising NHL debuts. Celebrini had a goal and a spectacular assist, while Smith was involved in a noticeable number of scoring chances.

But for the San Jose Sharks, every period seemed to be its own game, and represented a direction where the young season and team could go.

In the first period, the Sharks were sloppy and thoroughly dominated, despite coming out of the period with a 2-1 lead. Mackenzie Blackwood was besieged but unfazed, turning back 21 of 22 shots, while San Jose had just nine.

This looked like the Sharks from last year, just thoroughly overwhelmed, but saved by their goaltending.

But in the second period, San Jose pushed back, showing signs of a forecheck that was all too rare last year, and also enjoyed a complete special teams success that also eluded them last year. Zetterlund tallied on the power play and Goodrow scored a short-hander, and the Sharks enjoyed a 17-8 shots advantage.

New San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky agreed that this was what the team could be: “We got to bottle that second period up.”

The third period, however, was same ‘ol Sharks. Blackwood faltered, and while San Jose wasn’t run out of the building like they were in the opening frame, they played timid and stopped being the aggressive team that Warsofsky is hoping that they’ll become.

“We just sat back in the third period,” Warsofsky said of the Blues’ four unanswered goals. “That’s what you get.”

It’s a new season, which road will this year’s Sharks choose? Overwhelmed, aggressive, or afraid to lose?

After the game, veteran Toffoli spoke on what the Sharks could learn from this loss. Celebrini reflected on the highs and lows of his NHL debut. Smith touched on what the fan excitement has meant to him and Celebrini. Warsofsky talked about Celebrini, Smith, and Danil Gushchin’s performances, and more.

Tyler Toffoli

Toffoli, on what San Jose Sharks can learn from loss:

It’s not easy to win. We had a really good opportunity. I thought we really relied on Blacky in the first period, obviously, and in the second, I thought we did a really good job, played the way that we wanted to play. We just got to realize it’s not an easy league.

Toffoli, on if he’s expecting passes like that from Macklin Celebrini now:

Definitely. He did the same thing first game preseason we played together. He’s an incredible, incredible talent. Works extremely hard, and like I said, at the end of the day, he wants to win games too, and he’s going to do whatever it takes.

Macklin Celebrini

Celebrini, on the energy in his first NHL game:

Yeah, it was awesome. It’s everything I thought it would be for my first game, and it was an amazing experience, and one I’ll cherish for my whole life.

Celebrini didn't know his scored his first NHL goal, Eklund told him: "I was like nice goal, and he was just like, I didn't score, you did. I thought he was just super excited that he scored, but I guess he was happy for me." (H/T @hockeyshots) pic.twitter.com/PsjijikwMB

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 11, 2024

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

I got a pass entering the zone. Didn’t see a lot of options. They had a couple guys back, and I saw Eky driving the net, and I thought he had to step on the defenseman, so I just tried to fake up and then just throw into the middle, see if he could get a stick on it. But it was just a lucky bounce off the D skate.

Celebrini, on getting first goal and first assist in his first game: "It's cool to get the first of both for my career. But we lost, so it sucks."

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 11, 2024

Celebrini, on what worked for the San Jose Sharks in the second period:

[Sturm], his line. We had all four lines going on the forecheck, turning pucks over, getting behind them. We put a lot of pressure on them, and we capitalized on a couple opportunities that were huge for us. Goody on that PK, it was a great play by him, just to disrupt that pass. Just all throughout our lineup, we just played good hockey.

Celebrini, on what he’ll remember most from his NHL debut:

I think just the whole process going up to it. All my teammates, going through with Smitty too, that was really cool. All those memories, just those plays, first shift, the warm-up, rookie lap, I tried to soak up as much as I could.

Will Smith

Smith, on making his NHL debut:

It was a dream come true, definitely a special night for my whole family. Obviously, it was a tough outcome, but still dream come true.

H/T @hockeyshots

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 11, 2024

Smith, on his first game:

I had a bunch of chances. They’re going to keep coming, so just bear down and put them in. But overall, I thought it was a good game.

Smith, on how #TheFutureIsTeal fans have embraced he and Celebrini: "It means a lot. To come to an organization year one and be treated like that, it's pretty special. We're trying to bring energy back here, and I think it's working."

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 11, 2024

Ryan Warsofsky

Warsofsky, on why the San Jose Sharks blew a three-goal lead:

We just sat back in the third period. That’s what you get.

Warsofsky, on Celebrini and Smith’s NHL debuts:

It was good, he was really good. Obviously, points is one thing, some things that he needs to learn [about] without the puck and Will. But I thought they were both solid.

Just play away from the puck [can improve]. It’s not just Will. It’s our whole team. It’s just young players at this level. The game is extremely, extremely fast, and you got to be able to think and react really quickly.

Warsofsky, on Danil Gushchin’s performance:

I thought he was a little inconsistent at times, trying some things. Had a good second period. I thought he was solid.

Warsofsky, on what team did in second period:

We were managing the puck through the neutral zone, good breakouts, we were holding on to pucks down low.

And guys started, I thought maybe gripping their sticks a little too tight in the first and kind of just played a little bit more looser in the second.

We got to bottle that second period up.

Warsofsky, on why Sharks sat back in the third:

Just a young group that’s going through some experiences together, a lot of new faces in there, a lot of scar tissue from the last couple years of how to win. It’s hard to win in the league. It’s all the little things. It’s not the big things, not the points, not the goals and the assists. It’s the little things, stopping up pucks. It’s playing without the puck, being underneath in battles, playing on the defensive side. All those things that we saw kind of spun out of control during the third period.

Warsofsky, on the contributions that he got from the PK and bottom-six:

I thought PK was good. Bottom-six was good. I thought [Kunin] and Goodrow’s line was solid.