Goalie Yaroslav Askarov had his finest sport of the season Friday, however the San Jose Sharks couldn’t keep out of the penalty field in a 3-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on the Prudential Heart.
The Sharks have been on the penalty kill 5 instances within the first two durations and allowed two energy play targets to Dougie Hamilton within the second interval, with the second objective giving the Devils a 2-1 lead on the 9:08 mark.
Askarov completed with 27 saves, however the Sharks misplaced for the seventh time in eight video games and fell to 1-2-0 on this four-game street journey that ends Sunday towards the Minnesota Wild.
Devils goaltender Jake Allen completed with 16 saves, together with 10 within the third interval when the Sharks pressed for the equalizer. Adam Gaudette’s likelihood from point-blank vary halfway by means of the interval was stopped by Allen, who additionally denied Collin Graf’s shot on a breakaway.
The Sharks (1-5-2) pulled Askarov with simply over two minutes left within the third interval for the additional skater, and managed a shot on objective by Celebrini, earlier than Connor Brown scored an empty web objective with 47 seconds left to seal the Devils’ win.
William Eklund scored an even-strength objective within the first interval for a 1-0 Sharks lead. However the Sharks additionally had two targets known as again, one for a excessive stick on Philipp Kurashev within the first interval and one other within the second interval after Alexander Wennberg was decided to be offside following a Devils problem, nullifying a Jeff Skinner objective.
The Sharks took three penalties within the second interval once they have been outshot 12-0. It marked the fifth time in franchise historical past, and the second time this month, that San Jose has been held with out a shot in a interval. It additionally occurred within the Sharks’ 5-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 14, when San Jose was outshot 10-0.
The Sharks opened the scoring with an influence play objective on the 2:25 mark of the primary interval.
Dmitry Orlov helped create a Devils turnover within the impartial to begin a Sharks rush the opposite approach. Within the Devils’ zone, Macklin Celebrini, 19, directed it forward to Eklund, who shortly snapped a shot previous goalie Jake Allen for his second objective of the season.
It was the ninth straight objective by which a Sharks teenager has earned a degree — the third-longest such streak in NHL historical past. Celebrini was coming off a five-point sport towards the New York Rangers on Thursday, which included an help on Smith’s additional time winner that gave San Jose a 6-5 victory.
Michael Misa, 18, additionally had an help in that sport. Celebrini additionally scored the Sharks’ remaining objective of their 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday, and Misa assisted on Gaudette’s first-period objective that tied the sport 2-2.
Askarov made eight saves within the first interval, with 4 of them coming in the course of the Devils’ energy performs. His largest save got here halfway by means of the primary, as Dawson Mercer, stationed to Askarov’s proper, despatched a go to the center of the ice that was redirected barely by Jack Hughes to Nico Hischier, whose one-timer was stopped by a sliding Askarov.
Askarov, 23, got here into Friday with a 0-2-1 file and an .838 save share by means of his first three video games. Friday, although, solely marked Askarov’s twentieth NHL sport, and Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky preached perspective.
“He’s right up there with (Celebrini and Smith) as a young player in this league that’s learning what we’re asking,” Warsofsky stated. “I believe possibly it’s the skin perspective that should carry the world on his shoulders, and he’s in all probability feeling that strain slightly bit.
“He’s hitting a little speed bump early in his NHL career. The world’s not coming to an end. He’s going to be just fine. He’s an extremely talented goaltender. We’ve got to work on some things technically, but we still have (a lot) confidence in this young man.”
LEDDY OUT
Defenseman Nick Leddy is out indefinitely after he sustained an upper-body damage within the first interval of the crew’s sport towards the Rangers.
Leddy was injured on a success by Rangers ahead Will Cuylle behind the Sharks’ web simply over three minutes into the sport at Madison Sq. Backyard. Leddy left the ice shortly afterward, went again to the Sharks’ dressing room, and didn’t return.
Warsofsky stated Leddy will probably be reevaluated after the crew returns to San Jose following Sunday’s sport, including that he was not “totally sure” whether or not the veteran defenseman can be out long run. The Sharks face the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday to start a four-game homestand.
DICKINSON RETURNS
With out Leddy, Warsofsky reinserted Sam Dickinson, the crew’s solely different wholesome defenseman, into the lineup for Friday’s sport. The Sharks are solely carrying six wholesome defensemen proper now as John Klingberg stays out with a lower-body damage, and Shakir Mukhamadullin (higher physique) will probably be on injured reserve till not less than early subsequent week.
Warsofsky stated there’s an opportunity Klingberg, who was injured within the Sharks’ sport towards the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 14, might return for Sunday’s sport. It’s unknown when Mukhamadullin may return.
Initially Revealed: October 24, 2025 at 6:37 PM PDT
