Led by dynamic 19-year-old center Macklin Celebrini, the San Jose Sharks have been one of the best turnarounds of the season in the NHL.
San Jose, which finished just 20-50-12 and a league-worst 52 points last season, enters its Sunday game against visiting Vegas in third place in the Pacific Division with a 23-18-3 record and 49 points, just three points behind the first-place Golden Knights and two points behind second-place Edmonton.
The Sharks have won six of their last seven games, including back-to-back overtime victories in Los Angeles on Wednesday and against the Dallas Stars on Saturday. They appear to have a legitimate chance to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2019.
“We like to play good teams and we like to beat good teams, because we’re a good team,” forward Adam Gaudette said.
Now comes perhaps San Jose’s biggest test of the season.
The Golden Knights scored five goals in the first period en route to a 7-2 victory over the Sharks in their last meeting on Dec. 23 in Las Vegas. The Knights’ point streak against the Sharks stands at 12 games.
Yet thanks to the play of Celebrini, who is third in the NHL in scoring behind superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid with 70 points, and a three-game winning streak, the Sharks are a confident group heading into Sunday’s game.
“There’s a lot of belief in this locker room right now that we can win hockey games and we can play with the best of them,” San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “That’s the biggest thing we’re seeing right now is belief.”
The Sharks have twice overcome two-goal deficits against Dallas, who are tied with the Minnesota Wild for the second-most points (61) in the league. Tyler Toffoli won it with a one-timer from the high position at 1:58 of overtime. Celebrini picked up his third assist on the play.
“Even going into the third period (leading 3-2), it felt like we were going to win the hockey game,” Warsofsky said. “That was the expectation…and we went out there and that’s what we did.”
When asked if the Sharks could carry their momentum into the game in Vegas, Warsofsky simply replied: “I hope so.”
The Golden Knights also had a three-game winning streak and picked up a 4-2 win over St. Louis on Saturday night.
Mark Stone sealed Vegas’ victory with a long empty net to tie the team’s record with a goal in his seventh straight game, Mitch Marner had a goal and an assist in his 700th career game, and Shea Theodore scored what proved to be the game-winner in his first game since suffering an upper-body injury on Dec. 13.
“It’s always nice to score, and getting one back in your first game is something I’m going to try to build on,” Theodore said.
Theodore fired a wrist shot from the middle of the right circle over the left shoulder of St. Louis goalie Jordan Binnington.
“I liked his game,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said of Theodore. “We’re a much better team when he’s in the lineup. He’s a world-class player. It’s good to have him back.”
-Field level media
