There are a couple of explanation why Macklin Celebrini must be thought of for the Hart Memorial Trophy this season if the Sharks by some means make the NHL playoffs for the primary time since 2019. However right here’s one:
When Celebrini has had no less than one level in a recreation, the Sharks have gained nearly twice as usually as they’ve misplaced. When Celebrini has been held off the scoresheet, not solely have the Sharks didn’t win a recreation up to now this 12 months, however their offense has usually gone utterly silent.
Such was the case once more Friday as Celebrini and the Sharks’ prime line had been principally held in test in a 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars. Collin Graf continued his strong play of late by scoring his fourth aim of the season within the second interval, however San Jose didn’t do a lot in any other case in what was its fifth straight loss on the highway.
Celebrini thought he had a aim within the third interval as he ripped a one-timer previous Stars goalie Jake Oettinger that might have minimize Dallas’ result in 3-2 with 2:20 left in regulation time. However after a coach’s problem by the Stars, Sharks ahead Philipp Kurashev was dominated to have been offside 24 seconds earlier than the aim.
That’s 5 straight highway losses by the Sharks, who, going into Sunday’s recreation in opposition to the Carolina Hurricanes, are 13-7-1 this season when Celebrini has a degree. When he doesn’t, they’re now 0-6-2, managing solely eight targets.
“We had some trouble,” winger Jeff Skinner stated of Friday’s first interval, when the Sharks managed simply three pictures on web. “Clearly, it’s a great group. There’s not loads of house. Couldn’t actually get to the within a lot, and so they closed the lanes up and had been blocking pictures.
“I thought as the game went on, we got better. We had some (power play) looks, just couldn’t find one when we needed it.”
All through the season, and particularly on the highway, Celebrini and his line have normally needed to go in opposition to the opposing group’s prime protection pair.
On Friday, that always meant skating in opposition to the Stars’ Miro Heiskanen, a attainable Norris Trophy candidate, and Esa Lindell.
Celebrini, Will Smith and Tyler Toffoli all had one shot on aim, and after they had been all on the ice collectively at even energy, they had been out-chanced 5-1, per Pure Stat Trick.
That’s going to occur sometimes in opposition to elite groups, and the Sharks have one other one on faucet Sunday in Raleigh, because the Hurricanes are one of many league’s stingiest by way of permitting even-strength scoring probabilities. The Sharks already know this, as they had been flattened 5-1 by Carolina in San Jose on Oct. 14.
However when the Sharks play these groups, it’s incumbent now, and for years to return, that they get some secondary scoring to assist the highest line.
Going into Sunday’s recreation, the Sharks have scored 82 targets this season with Celebrini, Smith and Toffoli accounting for 33 of them, or roughly 40% of the group’s whole. Going into Saturday, San Jose, now eleventh within the Western Convention, is twenty fifth within the NHL at 2.79 targets per recreation.
The issue for the Sharks is that their secondary scoring points may not be solved this season. So whereas persevering with to construct out the protection corps will doubtless be common supervisor Mike Grier’s prime precedence subsequent offseason, including some scoring depth may not be far behind.
Adam Gaudette and William Eklund have seven targets every, and Philipp Kurashev has six. Gaudette and Eklund are each signed previous this season, and Kurashev might be a restricted free agent.
Prospects like Michael Misa, Igor Chernyshov and Quentin Musty may not be far faraway from serving to the large membership, however some roster holes will nonetheless doubtless must be stuffed by way of commerce or free company.
For now, it’s simple to see that if Celebrini isn’t producing, the Sharks are in all probability not successful.
So if the Sharks can keep within the playoff image, defy the prognosticators and get in, then Celebrini ought to little question be thought of for the Hart, given to the participant adjudged to be essentially the most worthwhile to his group. Throughout the league, on the subject of Celebrini, there doubtless wouldn’t be an argument.
SHOT SUPPRESSION
The Stars’ 24 pictures on aim Friday had been truly the fewest that Sharks goalie Yaroslav Askarov has confronted in a recreation that he has completed this season. It was additionally tied for the second-fewest San Jose has allowed all season.
In fact, the Stars, after Friday’s video games, had been tied for first within the NHL with a 13.3 capturing share.
If the Sharks can do one thing related on Sunday, that might be fairly an accomplishment. The Hurricanes are second within the NHL in common pictures per recreation (33.2).
It was unclear whether or not Warsofsky would begin Askarov or Alex Nedeljkovic in opposition to the Hurricanes. Nedeljkovic was a second-round decide by Carolina in 2014, and performed 29 video games with the group from 2017 to 2021 earlier than he was traded to the Detroit Pink Wings for Jonathan Bernier and a 2021 third-round draft decide.
