Every season every NHL team plays in every other arena at least once so fans of every team can get a chance to see the superstars across the league. Last night, the San Jose Sharks traveled to Toronto to face off against the Maple Leafs. A lot of anticipation was surrounding the arrival of Macklin Celebrini with a full sea of teal 71 sweaters and signs begging the young star for a puck. However, this game was particularly interesting for the first ever matchup between the first and second overall picks of the 2026 NHL Draft, Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg.
Last night offense was not a strong suit for the Sharks, falling 3-1 to the Leafs. It always seems when one end of the ice is working, the other is in complete collapse. That was exactly the case last night, with defense and goaltending having strong nights but offense struggling. Complete lack of offensive development through the neutral zone was a major thorn in the side of the Sharks last night, totally unable to push through center ice and create meaningful development in the offensive zone. Additionally, sustained offensive pressure (which has been an ongoing issue) was essentially nonexistent.
Plus, the powerplay was a mess. With extremely limited development in any sense of the word, little time spent in the actual offensive zone, struggling to even create plays and move through the neutral zone, and frequently falling back on their heels, the Sharks’ powerplay was a must miss last night. Even stars like Stenberg and Celebrini at times somewhat struggled to make impactful movements and shots to get some sort of momentum shift.
Considering the neutral zone effectively acting as maple syrup for the Sharks, completely hindering speed and forward movement, and the lack of sustained pressure especially on the power play, it’s not surprising Ivar Stenberg did not end up on the scoresheet. His counterpart, first overall Gavin McKenna, did in the form of the game winning goal on the powerplay. Despite McKenna ending up on the scoresheet and him not, Stenberg was still noticeably strong throughout the game.
Particularly strong for Stenberg, as per usual, was his play off the puck. Stenberg is an incredible two-way forward, and last night that was on full display. Part of what made defense so effective was full participation and Stenberg was a major part of that. Aside from the offensive benefits of his positional awareness and immaculate vision, Stenberg’s backchecking is remarkably impactful. One play late in the game comes to mind, with Stenberg traveling a long distance to backcheck and completely break up a developing play. While his offensive movement and abilities, particularly getting into high danger areas (something McKenna actually struggles with as he is frequently pushed to the perimeter), are what make Ivar Stenberg a very appealing player, his defensive awareness and responsibility cannot be understated.
Ivar Stenberg not ending up on the scoresheet while Gavin McKenna did is not at all a statement on who had the better game. Despite not putting up any points, Stenberg was noticeable and strong in trying to help a struggling offensive unit. The boxscore isn’t always reflective of performance, and that is certainly true for Stenberg last night.
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