The Sharks made some progress in their recent doubleheader against the Rangers and Devils. The Sharks split the games, getting their first win against the Rangers but falling to the Devils. Neither game was pretty, but there were positive takeaways as we head into the weekend.
First things first, we have to talk about the performances of Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith against the Rangers. The young duo combined for 9 points in a 6-5 win Thursday night. Celebrini netted his 2nd career hat trick, while Smith scored the game-winner in overtime. Both Celebrini and Smith have been good in moments throughout the season, but this was the first game of the year they really took over the game for 60 minutes. It’s a lot of pressure on two second-year players, but the Sharks will likely need more of these efforts on a consistent basis to rack up some more wins.
Celebrini picked up an assist against the Devils and now has 12 points (5G, 7A) in 8 games, tying him for 6th in league scoring, and is currently on a 50-goal, 123-point pace on the season. It is inflated by one game, but it is still impressive nonetheless for the 2nd-year star, who looked sluggish to start the season after missing almost all of camp due to illness.
Looking at the Devils game, the Sharks did not have a consistent effort through 60, and were held without a shot in the 2nd period. However, the Refs played a part in that with some questionable calls. The Sharks also had two goals called back, neither of which was very controversial. The Biggest positive from this game was in net. Yaroslav Askarov was brilliant, stopping 26 of 28 shots, including multiple highlight-reel robberies. The Sharks got the Askarov they traded for, and saw at points last season at the NHL level. His performance kept the Sharks in the game, and the team put together a strong rally in the 3rd. Unfortunately, Jake Allen also made his share of excellent saves to shut the door.
The Sharks were not perfect, but in the back half of a back-to-back after an emotional win against a top contender in the east, they kept themselves in the game and gave themselves a chance. Overall, a positive for a growing Sharks team despite the result.
The Sharks will look to continue their improvement as they head to Minnesota to take on the Wild Sunday night.