{"id":135608,"date":"2026-01-16T03:40:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T03:40:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/135608\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T03:40:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T03:40:16","slug":"san-jose-sharks-macklin-celebrini-earn-win-over-washington-capitals-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/135608\/","title":{"rendered":"San Jose Sharks, Macklin Celebrini earn win over Washington Capitals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thanks in part to a revamped top line, the San Jose Sharks<\/a> quickly turned a one-goal deficit into a two-goal lead in a dominant second period to help earn an impressive 3-2 road win over the Washington Capitals on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Trailing by 1-0 on Dylan Strome\u2019s power play goal with 9:02 left in the second period, the Sharks got even-strength goals from Zack Ostapchuk,<\/a> Collin Graf, and Pavol Regenda<\/a> in a span of 2:46 to take the lead for good as they began a four-game road trip on a positive note.<\/p>\n

Regenda\u2019s goal gave the Sharks a 3-1 lead at the 16:13 mark in the second period and came after a dazzling play and assist from Macklin Celebrini.<\/a><\/p>\n

Working behind the Capitals\u2019 net, Celebrini stole the puck from forward Nic Dowd, lost it briefly, then stole it from Dowd again. He then sent a blind, between-the-legs pass to Regenda, who shoveled it past goalie Logan Thompson from the side of the net for his seventh in nine games this season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was yelling to (Celebrini) for like, 10 seconds, and he finally found me,\u201d Regenda said with a smile on NBC Sports California after the game. \u201cI just tried to be in front of the net, and players like (Celebrini and Graf), they can just put it there. It worked out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both Regenda and Graf finished with a goal and an assist, and goalie Alex Nedeljkovic<\/a> finished with 21 saves, including 13 in the third period, as the Sharks won for the seventh time in nine games.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe played so well,\u201d Celebrini said of Nedeljkovic. \u201cA brick wall back there, and he made a couple of timely saves.\u201d<\/p>\n

After Strome\u2019s goal, Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky tweaked two of his forward lines, dropping Igor Chernyshov to the third line with Michael Misa and Adam Gaudette and moving Regenda to the top line with Celebrini and Graf.<\/p>\n

Best player in the league \ud83e\udee1 pic.twitter.com\/mos3341wcC<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) January 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The move paid immediate dividends.<\/p>\n

After the Sharks created a neutral zone turnover, Regenda took the puck into the Capitals\u2019 zone and sent a pass toward the front of the net, where Graf tipped it past Thompson for his 13th goal of the season with 5:07 left in the period.<\/p>\n

Celebrini\u2019s assist on Regenda\u2019s goal gives him 71 points, including 50 even-strength points, in 46 games this season.<\/p>\n

The Sharks, now 6-1-0 in their last seven games away from home, continue their road trip on Friday in Detroit against the Red Wings.<\/p>\n

Thursday\u2019s game was the final regular-season meeting between the Sharks and Capitals, and potentially Alex Ovechkin\u2019s last against San Jose unless the two teams meet in the Stanley Cup Final in June.<\/p>\n

Ovechkin, the NHL\u2019s all-time leading goal scorer with 917 goals, is in the final year of a five-year, $47.5 million contract and has not said whether he\u2019ll return in 2026-27 for a 22nd season.<\/p>\n

Although Ovechkin turned 40 in September, age hasn\u2019t slowed down his production as he entered Thursday as the Capitals\u2019 second-leading scorer. With his assist on Strome\u2019s goal, Ovechkin has 20 goals and 21 assists in 48 games this season.<\/p>\n

Ovechkin now has 33 points in 31 career games against the Sharks. In the Capitals\u2019 7-1 win over the Sharks in San Jose on Dec. 3, Ovechkin scored twice and had four shots on goal in 16:33 of ice time.<\/p>\n

Thursday\u2019s game also marked Nedeljkovic\u2019s 200th game and 177th start in his nine-year NHL career. He came into the game with a career record of 81-68-29, a .902 save percentage, and a 3.01 goals against average.<\/p>\n

SMITH TO RETURN<\/p>\n

Forward Will Smith is expected to return to the active roster on Friday when the Sharks face the Red Wings. Smith was a full participant in Wednesday\u2019s practice in Washington and took part in the team\u2019s morning skate on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Smith sustained an upper-body injury in the Sharks\u2019 Dec. 13 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He has 29 points in 33 games this season and, before Thursday, was the Sharks\u2019 fourth-leading scorer despite missing the last 12 games. The Sharks are now 8-5-0 in his absence.<\/p>\n

The Sharks on Thursday afternoon cleared a spot on their 23-man roster for Smith\u2019s return, placing center Ty Dellandrea on IR. Dellandrea sustained a lower-body injury on Jan. 6 in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets and is considered week-to-week. He will be reevaluated before the Olympic break in early February.<\/p>\n

Smith and forward Philipp Kurashev have been on injured reserve since Dec. 15.<\/p>\n

After Friday, the Sharks finish the challenging trip with games against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Monday and the Atlantic Division-leading Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

BYSTEDT NAMED AHL ALL-STAR<\/p>\n

Center Filip Bystedt, the Sharks\u2019 first-round draft choice in 2022, was named the Barracuda\u2019s representative for the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic in Rockford, Ill., next month. Bystedt, one of 12 players on the Pacific Division team, has 10 goals and leads the Barracuda with 28 points in 32 games so far this season.<\/p>\n

The Barracuda (20-11-1-2) are in fourth place in the division and play their next three games on the road, starting with games on Friday and Saturday against the Tucson Roadrunners.<\/p>\n

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