The Sharks continue to enjoy 2025. Two games
into the year, the Sharks are playing their best hockey of the season. After
beating Tampa Bay on Thursday to snap an 8-game losing streak, they knocked off
the New Jersey Devils 3-2 on a late Cody Ceci goal on Saturday afternoon at SAP
Center. The Sharks still have some work to do to crawl out of the Western
Conference basement, but the last two games are hopefully a preview of more to
come from the young Sharks.
Ceci blasted a puck from the blueline with
24.2 seconds left in regulation. Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom got a piece
of the shot, but it carried enough momentum to flip past the netminder's
outstretched left pad.
After all the 3rd period collapses in the
December, the Sharks enjoyed flipping the script on an opponent.
Yaroslav Askarov made 29 saves to earn his 3rd win as a Shark.
There
was no shortage of quality scoring chances in the first 8 minutes of the game,
but both Markstrom and Askarov were up to the test. Markstrom stoned Tyler
Toffoli on multiple tries from the doorstep and Askarov snuffed out a 2-on-1
short-handed chance after the Sharks turned the puck over in the offensive zone
after Jonas Siegenthaler was sent off for high sticking just 26 seconds into
the contest.
The second half of the period was a wide open affair. The
two teams combined for 23 shots in the frame, but it was Nikolai Kovalenko's
chance in at the 17:40 mark that counted.
After Askarov made a nice
save from in tight, the sharks moved the puck up ice, gaining the Devils zone.
Luke Kunin made a nice play to keep the puck from exiting the New Jersey zone
and was able to move the puck to the right corner. William Eklund collected
Kunin's feed then fed Kovalenko who was breaking toward the net from the slot.
Kovalenko collected Eklund's feed then switched it to his forehand in the blink
of an eye before lifting it past Markstrom for his 1st goal as a Shark.
Macklin Celebrini was called for high sticking at 2:32 of the 2nd
period, which setup an equalizing goal from Nico Hischier on the ensuing power
play. The Devils worked the puck over to the left side when Jack Hughes put a
puck to the top of the crease. The puck deflected off Hischier's skate and past
Askarov for his 19th of the season.
The Sharks had their opportunities, especially on
the power play. San Jose enjoyed a two power play chances in each of the first
two periods, but couldn't solve Markstrom on the man advantage. They nullified
the end of their second chance in the period by getting caught for too many
men.
Will Smith narrowly missed on an opportunity in the final 30
seconds of the period when he pulled a shot wide from the goal mouth after
Markstrom was forced to cover the weak side of the net.
The Sharks
reclaimed the lead 1:53 into the 3rd period when Celebrini, Will Smith and
Collin Graf worked the puck up ice to beat Markstrom. Celebrini finished the
rush with a shot from the inside of the left circle for his 13th goal of the
season.
Paul Cotter re-tied the game 3 minutes later after he
side-stepped Marc-Edouard Vlasic on the right wing and lifted the puck over
Askarov's right shoulder.
The Sharks netminder made a game-saving save
on Jack Hughes with 3 minutes remaining in the game. That allowed Ceci to work
his magic in the final minute.
Game Notes: * Nico Sturm
was scratched to nurse an injury he sustained on Thursday. The Sharks forward
blocked a shot with his foot late in the contest which hobbled him.
*
William Eklund made his return to the ice after missing the last 4 games.
Eklund earned an assist on Nikolai Kovalenko's goal.
* Jake Walman and
Carl Grundstrom have officially been moved to the injured reserve.
*
Macklin Celebrini's 3rd period goal was assisted by Will Smith and Collin Graf.
All three players were in college a year ago and all three were top 10
finalists for the Hobey Baker Award last year. Incredible that all three are
skating on the same line in the NHL a year later.
* Former Sharks Timo
Meier finished the game with 2 shots on goal and 2 hits in 15:31 of ice time.
Meier skated on the Devils 2nd line, but is not part of New Jersey's power play
or penalty kill units.
