SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks are nonetheless coping with a handful of issues this preseason, not the least of which is a lower-body harm to No. 1 general choose and top-line heart Macklin Celebrini.
Celebrini was injured Tuesday evening within the second interval of the Sharks’ preseason sport in opposition to the Utah Hockey Membership at SAP Heart.
Whereas skating towards the Utah internet on a partial breakaway, Celebrini acquired a shot away on the 13:45 mark earlier than he appeared to lose an edge, inflicting him to slip onerous into the top boards.
Celebrini acquired up, skated on his personal towards the Sharks bench, and took yet one more shift shortly after on a Sharks energy play. However he later went to the workforce’s dressing room for additional analysis.
Earlier than the third interval, the Sharks introduced that Celebrini had a lower-body harm and wouldn’t return. First-year coach Ryan Warsofsky mentioned after his workforce’s 3-1 loss to Utah that he didn’t have a well being replace on the 18-year-old wunderkind.
San Jose Sharks’ Will Smith (2) waits for a face-off in opposition to the Utah Hockey Membership within the first interval on the SAP Heart in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
Extra data may grow to be out there on Wednesday when the Sharks return to follow.
“I can’t tell you how, when, or why guys get hurt,” Sharks goalie Mackenzie Blackwood mentioned. “There’s certain things you can do to prevent soft tissue injuries, but just as far as bad luck stuff, I just think there’s really nothing you can do. Just have to hope that you stay lucky and dodge it.”
Dropping Celebrini for a major period of time might harm the Sharks’ probabilities of making strides this season after they went 19-54-9 final yr. The Sharks felt they made upgrades all through their roster, and do have improved heart depth, however had been assured Celebrini may very well be a distinction maker as a rookie contemplating his compete stage and well-rounded sport.
“Of course, he’s a good player. When he leaves the game, it’s not easy,” Sharks winger Fabian Zetterlund mentioned of Celebrini. “But other guys, we have to step up. You feel for him, it’s going to happen during the season a lot, and we just (have to) keep playing with those guys we have on the bench.”
The Sharks have two extra preseason video games, on Friday and Saturday this week, and it’s clear they’ve a number of work to do earlier than they open the common season at house on Oct. 10 in opposition to the St. Louis Blues.
After Matt Benning scored on the 12:33 mark of the second interval for a 1-0 Sharks lead, Utah responded with three unanswered objectives.
San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky retains a watch on the sport throughout their sport in opposition to the Utah Hockey Membership within the second interval on the SAP Heart in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
Sean Durzi scored on the ability play close to the top of the second interval, and Kailer Yamamoto added two even-strength objectives within the third, together with his second, a backdoor tap-in off a go from Clayton Keller, giving Utah a 3-1 lead.
Nonetheless, the Sharks had an opportunity to attain the primary purpose of the third interval. As an alternative, they managed only one shot on purpose within the first eight minutes and 5 pictures for the whole interval.
“We’re going to be here at some point this year,” Warsofsky mentioned of his message on the second intermission. “We’re going to be in this moment – 1-1, just an OK period. We’re going to be in this moment, and we need to continue to push forward. We had a chance to win a hockey game.
“We’re going to get over that mindset of the give in our game, and we’re not there yet as a group. We had to be a little bit better in a lot of situations.”
The Sharks are actually 1-3-0 within the preseason. The report doesn’t matter, however constructing good habits is necessary.
The Sharks need to keep away from the disastrous begins they’ve had every of the final two seasons, together with an 0-10-1 mark final yr, and Warsofsky’s workforce has a number of particulars to wash up in every week’s time.
Zetterlund mentioned the Sharks have to do a greater job of closing down on pucks, taking away time and area from opposing gamers. Warsofsky agreed, including that the opposite difficulty is “we’ve got to break out pucks.”
“We’ve got to execute our breakouts,” he added. “The reads are sometimes fine. It’s our execution. It’s tape-to-tape passes. It’s being ready, demanding the puck, wanting the puck, all those things, and then that trickles into our D zone and not closing quickly.”
Celebrini, chosen first general by the Sharks throughout June’s NHL Draft, was enjoying in his second preseason sport. He began Tuesday because the Sharks’ top-line heart with William Eklund and Tyler Toffoli on the wings, and in 10:54 of ice time, received 4 of 5 faceoffs and was credited with two pictures on internet and two takeaways.
After Celebrini left the sport, Will Smith, San Jose’s different high prospect, took over because the Sharks’ top-line heart.
San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini (71) controls the puck in opposition to the Utah Hockey Membership within the first interval on the SAP Heart in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
“I think got better as the game went on, for sure,” Warsofsky mentioned of Smith.
On the brilliant aspect for the Sharks, Blackwood stopped 22 of 25 pictures and was labeled the workforce’s greatest participant by Warsofsky.
“Felt pretty good tonight. Maybe a couple little details, little baby mistakes I made,” Blackwood mentioned, “but overall, I liked the base of my game, felt good tonight. A good sign.”
The Sharks will see one other NHL-caliber lineup on Friday once they host the Geese. By then, there ought to be a a lot clearer thought of Celebrini’s standing.
“We’ve got to keep practicing our details,” Warsofsky mentioned. “We’ve got to keep executing, keep playing within our system. It needs to be every single guy in that locker room doing it consistently. We do it at moments, good moments in the second period there. We were pushing after we scored the goal, had some momentum. We need to get back to that quicker, is the biggest thing.”
Initially Printed: October 1, 2024 at 11:18 p.m.
