SAN JOSE – San Jose Sharks goalie Vitek Vanecek was strong in his first NHL begin in over eight months.
His new teammates weren’t practically as crisp within the offensive zone.
Vanecek made 28 saves, however Isac Lundestrom’s purpose on the 11:00 minute mark of the third interval turned out to be the winner because the Anaheim Geese handed the Sharks a 2-0 loss earlier than an introduced crowd of 17,016 at SAP Heart.
Trevor Zegras added an empty internet purpose with 1:35 left within the third interval.
Geese goalie Lukas Dostal made 30 saves for the shutout because the Sharks have been stymied at even power and likewise went 0-for-3 on the facility play. San Jose had 65 shot makes an attempt, however 15 of the crew’s photographs missed the online.
With the loss, the Sharks’ shedding streak in October stretched to 12 video games. San Jose misplaced its final recreation in October 2022, was 0-8-1 within the month final 12 months, and is 0-1-1 to this point this season.
The Sharks, who have been on the penalty kill 5 occasions Saturday, now start a three-game highway journey, which begins Tuesday towards the Dallas Stars.
Vanecek’s final NHL begin got here on Feb. 10 when he made 31 saves for the New Jersey Devils in a 1-0 additional time loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Vanecek was later placed on injured reserve and traded to the Sharks for goalie Kaapo Kahkonen and underwent groin surgical procedure within the spring.
Vanecek spent a superb portion of the summer time rehabbing in San Jose and made his first preseason begin for the reason that surgical procedure on Sept. 24, stopping 11 of 12 photographs in roughly half-hour of motion.
The Sharks have been enjoying their first recreation with out Macklin Celebrini, the 2024 No. 1 general draft choose who had two factors in his NHL debut and was positioned on injured reserve Saturday morning with a decrease physique ailment.
Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky described Celebrini as being week-to-week. He must stay off the energetic roster for at the very least seven days, which can trigger him to overlook at the very least the subsequent two video games – Tuesday in Dallas and Thursday in Chicago.
The earliest Celebrini can return is subsequent Friday when the Sharks end their three-game highway journey towards the Winnipeg Jets.
It was not instantly clear when Celebrini might need been injured, as he had two factors and performed over 17 minutes in his memorable NHL debut towards the St. Louis Blues on Thursday. Warsofsky mentioned he first realized that Celebrini had a lower-body harm after the sport, and the subsequent day, the centerman was evaluated and held out of form.
Celebrini, who turned the youngest-ever winner of the Hobey Baker Award as school hockey’s prime participant in 2023-24, additionally handled a nagging lower-body harm throughout the preseason. Nonetheless, Warsofsky wouldn’t affirm whether or not {the teenager}’s newest illness was associated to the one which typically bothered him throughout coaching camp.
In an Oct. 1 recreation towards the Utah Hockey Membership, Celebrini left halfway by the second interval with a decrease physique harm and didn’t play within the Sharks’ ultimate two exhibition video games. Celebrini was tripped on a partial breakaway, landed awkwardly and crashed laborious into the top boards.
