SAN JOSE – Will Smith arrange the primary aim with a fairly go, fellow ahead Macklin Celebrini helped his workforce retake the lead — one-upping Sidney Crosby within the course of — and goalie Yaroslav Askarov made some clutch saves to assist all of it lead to a badly wanted two factors.
The three rookies all performed important roles within the Sharks’ 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night time that ended the workforce’s six-game shedding streak.
“Great effort for all those three guys,” stated Sharks heart Mikael Granlund, whose second interval aim was assisted by Smith. “They already are great players, but they’re going to be even better players in this league in the future. So good for us that we’ve got those guys.”
Now it’s a matter of what’s in retailer for Celebrini, Smith, and Askarov for the remainder of the season.
Smith will take a career-long five-game level streak into Thursday when the Sharks journey to play the Seattle Kraken. Since being benched on the finish of the Sharks’ 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild, Smith has responded with two targets and 5 assists in his final eight video games in his best stretch as knowledgeable.
After some tough patches, Smith now has 21 factors, fifth most amongst all rookies.
“Just trying to get better every night,” Smith stated after the Sharks misplaced 7-2 to the Florida Panthers on Saturday, including that he continues to realize confidence “knowing that I can make plays.”
Celebrini lived one other dream Monday night time as he took the opening faceoff in opposition to Crosby, his childhood hero and one of many NHL’s most adorned gamers over the past 20 years.
What felt higher to Celebrini was scoring a 3rd interval go-ahead aim that gave the Sharks the lead for good early within the third interval.
Crosby scored his fifteenth aim of the season 24 seconds after the second intermission tie to the sport, doubtlessly laying the groundwork for an additional San Jose collapse within the third interval. However simply 3:17 later, Celebrini took a go from Tyler Toffoli, who had created a turnover deep contained in the Pittsburgh zone, and beat Penguins goalie Alex Nedeljkovic from in shut that put the Sharks forward to remain.
“Obviously, my favorite player growing up and I used to watch him before I went out and played minor hockey games,” the 18-year-old Celebrini stated of Crosby, who’s now 37. “Anytime you get to share the ice with one of the best to ever play the game, it’s a really cool experience.”
Celebrini now has 16 targets and 39 factors, three factors behind Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson, his former Boston College teammate, for the scoring lead amongst all rookies.
Definitely it’ll be a race price watching, as these two, together with Philadelphia Flyers ahead Matvei Michkov and Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf attempt to stand out within the competitors for the Calder Trophy because the NHL’s prime rookie.
No matter occurs, the Sharks teaching workers needs to do what it may possibly to maximise the expansion of their two youngest forwards, together with others like William Eklund.
“I think each of them are in a little bit different situations,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky stated. “I hope (Eklund) takes two steps forward. Mack might hit a wall, and Will may hit another wall in game 60-65, so we’re going to manage those things that come up.”
Eklund has 37 factors in 48 video games and is on monitor to simply surpass the 45 factors he had in 80 video games as a rookie final season.
“He kind of knows what’s coming,” Warsofsky stated of Eklund. “So I would say each of them are on a little bit different plan as far as development and what we’ll see. But we want to continue to push the envelope here with these guys and challenge them to be better than they believe they can be.”
Askarov was stellar Monday as he made 29 saves, together with stopping a penalty shot by Penguins ahead Drew O’Connor with 9:41 left in regulation time.
“Woah, woah. woah, no, no, no. It is what I felt in that moment,” Askarov stated about dealing with a penalty shot, drawing laughs. “But he didn’t score obviously, so.”
It’s unclear how lengthy Askarov may stay with the Sharks. He was recalled from the Barracuda on Dec. 18, someday after goalie Vitek Vanecek suffered a fractured cheekbone. Vanecek, although, has been skating with the Sharks in latest days and, per coach Warsofsky, is now thought of day-to-day,
As soon as Vanecek comes off injured reserve and is deemed match to play once more, the Sharks may preserve Askarov within the NHL, and, assuming everyone seems to be wholesome at that time, carry three goalies on their roster. An alternative choice is to assign Askarov again to the AHL, the place he would presumably help the Barracuda in its pursuit of a playoff spot.
Basic supervisor Mike Grier has different alternate options if the Sharks have three wholesome goalies by the point Vanecek is sweet to go. However sending Askarov, who has a 4-5-2 file and a .905 save share in 12 video games, again to the AHL seems to be probably the most believable choice.
Regardless, that is in all probability Askarov’s final season within the AHL, as he’s proven he able to take the following step.
“He’s showing time and time again … why he’s so important to our team and our future,” Celebrini stated of Askarov. “He’s one of a kind, he’s awesome in the locker room and obviously, what he shows on the ice, it’s special.”
Initially Revealed: January 28, 2025 at 2:49 PM PST
