The San Jose Sharks’ current success exemplified how far they’ve come this season.
The Sharks’ lopsided loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday confirmed how a lot they nonetheless want to enhance.
Trying listless from the beginning, the Sharks allowed 5 objectives within the first interval and by no means recovered in an ugly 8-1 loss to the Lightning at Amalie Area.
The Sharks and goalie Vitek Vanecek allowed 5 objectives on 12 photographs within the first interval, because the Lightning, in 86 seconds, turned a 1-0 lead right into a 4-0 benefit by the 8:55 mark on a objective by Conor Geekie and two from Brandon Hagel.
Vanecek was pulled after the primary interval in favor of Mackenzie Blackwood. Nevertheless, it nonetheless didn’t forestall the Sharks from enduring their most lopsided loss since a 9-2 thrashing by the hands of Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on April 15 of final season.
The Sharks had their three-game successful streak snapped and nonetheless haven’t gained 4 straight video games since going 4-0-0 to start the 2021-2022 season. San Jose entered Thursday 14th within the Western Convention in level share (.446) however was additionally simply three factors out of a playoff spot.
Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy made 20 saves for the rested Lightning, which was with out injured main scorer Nikita Kucherov because it performed for the primary time since a 5-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 30. Seven Lightning gamers had not less than two factors, with ahead Brayden Level gathering three assists.
Alexander Wennberg scored the one objective for the Sharks, who had gained 4 of 5 video games earlier than Thursday, together with a 2-1 time beyond regulation victory over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday.
The Sharks are actually 2-1-0 on this six-game street journey, which continues with video games in opposition to the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers on Saturday, the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday, and the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.
Vanecek’s final begin got here final Friday when he stopped 26 photographs within the Sharks’ 8-5 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Earlier than Thursday, Vanecek had a 3-5-1 file and a .894 save share in 11 video games this season.
Defenseman Jack Thompson was enjoying his first recreation in opposition to the Lightning since he and a 2024 third-round choice have been traded by Tampa Bay to San Jose for ahead Anthony Duclair and San Jose’s 2025 seventh-round choice.
Thompson, taken within the third-round choose by the Lightning in 2020, was paired with fellow right-shot defenseman Jan Rutta to start out Thursday’s recreation. Thompson final performed on Nov. 23 and has 5 factors in 13 video games for the Sharks this season.
Rookie heart Macklin Celebrini was swarmed by the Lightning and held off the scoresheet for the primary time because the Sharks’ 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 23.
A number of NHL coaches have sung the praises of Celebrini in current days, and the Lightning’s Jon Cooper was no completely different Thursday morning, saying he was trying ahead to watching the teenage sensation play.
Earlier than Thursday’s recreation, Celebrini had a five-game level streak with 4 objectives and 4 assists. Since his return to San Jose’s lineup on Nov. 5 after he missed 12 video games with a hip damage, Celebrini has 13 factors in 15 video games, with the Sharks proudly owning a 7-5-3 file in that point.
“Celebrini has really added a dimension they haven’t had in some time, and I think the (12) games he missed probably hurt their team a little bit,” Cooper stated. “But with him back, and for that young of age to be doing what he’s doing, really bodes well for that organization.
“It’s impressive to watch him.”
On Tuesday, Celebrini assisted on William Eklund’s game-winning power-play objective, driving into the Capitals zone with the puck and backing off defenders earlier than he discovered Mikael Granlund with a behind-the-back cross. Granlund then slid the puck over to Eklund for a one-timer that received previous Capitals goalie Logan Thompson.
Celebrini additionally drew the four-minute high-sticking penalty to Capitals ahead Tom Wilson, giving the Sharks an important late energy play.
“He’s a young player, and so he’s still learning this league, and there’s a skill to learning the league,” Cooper stated of Celebrini. “Until you start playing all the teams, and you start getting a feel for the pace of the game and what you can and can’t do. But to me, he seems like somebody that’s got it way before most players in this league have been able to grasp that.”
