The San Jose Sharks welcome the Boston Bruins into SAP Center.
Shakir Mukhamadullin and Macklin Celebrini and Collin Graf scored, and the Sharks won 3-1.
Period 1
1 in: Nice early returns for super line, Eklund leads the rush, Celebrini playing off puck, Eklund chance, then Smith follow-up.
6 in: Keegan and Zubair are right, Celebrini-Smith probably need a more physical presence on the line haha. This line has a little trouble digging the puck out of the DZ down low. Not blaming Eklund, of course. You can argue a big body winger can replace Smith on this line. That said, once they get on the rush, it’s pretty intimidating between Celebrini and Eklund, and in the OZ, Eklund is underrated in his shiftiness, of course. Celebrini draws a call.
Orlov-Celebrini-Eklund-Toffoli-Wennberg on PP1, no Smith. PP2 is Liljegren-Smith-Kurashev-Graf-Gaudette.
8 left: Eklund draws a call down low. Like I said, he’s hard to handle down low.
Mukhamadullin goal: Hopefully that gives him a confidence boost! Goodrow does a nice job twice on this shift, retrieving the puck low and distributing high.
4 left: Dickinson shows off his agility on the blueline, shaking the winger trying to close on him, then taking the middle of the ice and launching a shot.
3 left: Good job by Ferraro under heavy forecheck there, took a hit and moved it up to Gaudette.
2 left: Orlov takes it from Pastrnak. They’ve been able to keep him quiet so far.
Solid response period from the San Jose Sharks, after last night. Of course, the first period wasn’t the problem for the Sharks yesterday.
Period 2
1 in: Top line defending that whole shift, near end of it, Celebrini had full possession, but he tried to sneak a pass to Eklund going up middle for an exit, it’s intercepted. Lucky that didn’t lead anywhere. There weren’t any great plays for Celebrini there, considering end of long shift, minute shift, sure that he’s tired. But getting intercepted up the middle in the high slot is probably the worst outcome. There, young player, sometimes you just clear it out, taking the icing if you have to. I know that goes against his nature as an attacker, but I’d call it the lesser of two evils.
7 in: Interesting watching Askarov on that PK. Listen to our Kevin Woodley podcast! Was just watching Askarov, how he tracked Boston power play. Obviously paying attention to everybody, but pronounced head of a swivel for any movement by Pastrnak. Tries to stay upright until shot released. Have to compare that to earlier this season.
9 in: And Askarov just did all that on that incredible side-to-side one-timer save on Pastrnak. Looked like he moved late, but I don’t think so. Bruins coming on strong this period.
10 in: Orlov low hipcheck on Kuraly, that got the crowd going. Then Dellandrea draws a penalty on the other side with a sweet move on Aspirot. San Jose Sharks need this power play to get some momentum going, Bruins have controlled most of this period.
Celebrini goal: Now that’s how you get the momentum back. Hairy-looking entry, Orlov almost loses it on the drop, but Celebrini able to corral it and in one quick motion, sweep it from his backhand to forehand and leave Boston’s F1 in the dust. That gets them set up, and Macklin picks a corner.
5 left: Small little play from Wennberg, but something that the young San Jose Sharks can learn from. Puck bounces on Kurashev along wall in DZ, goes behind Wennberg, who was expecting to break out from the center lane. Wennberg has to turn back, flat-footed, and has to reach out for the puck behind him. Very vulnerable position. He reaches out, and instead of trying to make an outstanding play flat-footed, advance it all the way out (and potentially lose it in a dangerous area), this is turnover city, Wennberg knows he’s in trouble, he just taps the puck from the middle of the ice to the wall. Get the puck out of the most dangerous area. Sharks are able to recover defensively and get it out with no shot attempt on Askarov.
Wennberg, for better and sometimes worse, is not a greedy player. Celebrini is VERY greedy lol. They can honestly probably get better emulating each other a little haha.
2 left: Momentum swing! San Jose Sharks had an almost two-minute long 5-on-3, plenty of shots, but Swayman comes up large. Step on the throat moment lost? Then Eklund takes a penalty near the end of it, and Bruins are going to have a 5-on-4 to end period and potentially to start final frame.
Again watching Askarov to start the 4-on-4, he’s like doing little bunny hops to shuffle across, stay upright. So interesting to watch, though I confess I don’t fully understand it.
Period 3
1 in: Sneaky NZ move from Celebrini to Mukhamadullin, who makes a move himself and jumps up. Like that from him.
3 in: Another Askarov save on a Pastrnak one-timer. Then his pad stops Khusnutdinov on rebound? He’s been incredible tonight.
5 in: Love that from Graf, eat the puck down low, draw a call. Then Celebrini starts yapping at Zadorov, after a hard Z hit. Would pay money to know what Zadorov and Celebrini were saying to each other haha. Maybe repeating that epic Shesterkin quote about Celebrini, “He should be in school.”
9 in: Think that Jokiharju pick on Goodrow should’ve been called.
Geekie goal: And that leads to this…not going to kill Mukhamadullin for it, Geekie is strong, but gotta tie up the stick there. Pastrnak makes the play though, Ferraro couldn’t get puck off him as Pasta circled net.
10 in: Zadorov laid out Celebrini pretty good in corner, but Mack looks OK.
7 left: Big Liljegren stick gets it out, Sharks were in Boston spin cycle. Then Pastrnak breaks through the middle on re-group, Orlov did slow him down, and Askarov glove!
3 left: Celebrini with full possession in DZ there doesn’t force a play, pitches it out. Passiveness like that can bite you in the ass, but that was right there, he was at end of his shift.
2 left: Interesting defensive line used in OZ, killed time effectively, Wennberg with Goodrow and Dellandrea. Who do you trust? Shows there. Followed by Celebrini centering Eklund and Graf.
Graf goal: And Graf clinches it on the ENG! Celebrini backcheck forced the turnover.