MINNEAPOLIS \u2014 In another season, this is a game that the San Jose Sharks might have given up for lost.<\/p>\n
Down 1-0 going into the third period but dominated in the middle frame by the Minnesota Wild, the Sharks looked like they were running on fumes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s something we talked about after the second period, probably in years past, we punted this game and just moved on and took the loss,\u201d San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. \u201cWhether it\u2019s 2-nothing or whatever it was.\u201d<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t years past.<\/p>\n
The San Jose Sharks now appear to have a bona fide superstar in Macklin Celebrini and they\u2019re getting elite goaltending from Yaroslav Askarov.<\/p>\n
Celebrini, in a mark of greatness, was bottled up for two periods and in the midst of one of his worst performances of the season. But the Wild gave him a sliver of space in the third period and OT, and the 2024 No. 1 pick made brilliant passes to Will Smith and Collin Graf to win the game.<\/p>\n
WILLMACK CANNOT BE STOPPED!\ud83d\udea8 \u2014 SnipeCity420 \uea00 (@SnipeCity420) November 12, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Collin Graf from Celebrini, game winner couldn\u2019t have happened to a more deserving player! \ud83e\udd88\ud83d\udea8 #SJSharks<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/dSVyhrNGiT<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 SnipeCity420 \uea00 (@SnipeCity420) November 12, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Askarov has been willing the Sharks to wins in November, 4-0-0 with a .963 Save % so far this month, and in three of his last four victories, against the Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, and Wild, San Jose has been soundly outshot.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a confidence thing, right? You have confidence that they\u2019re gonna make the save,\u201d Graf said. \u201cObviously, you\u2019re still doing everything you can defensively, but it allows us to start rolling.\u201d<\/p>\n In another season, this is a Sharks\u2019 victory\u2026a moral victory.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s over. We\u2019re done punting games. We\u2019re done [just] saying we\u2019re competitive,\u201d Warsofsky said, \u201cwe\u2019re trying to win hockey games.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s easier to say now that you\u2019ve got a superstar center, and just maybe, a star goalie.<\/p>\n The last time #SJSharks<\/a> won 4-straight games was the beginning of the 2021-22 season, when they started out 4-0-0.<\/p>\n The last time that they won 5 in a row? Nov. 2019.<\/p>\n \u2014 Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 12, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Don’t blame you if you frame this.<\/p>\n It’s felt like 84 years since #SJSharks<\/a> have been in a playoff spot, right? pic.twitter.com\/91l03ws7op<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 12, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Will Smith<\/p>\n Smith, on Askarov:<\/p>\n He was unbelievable. He\u2019s been really good for us, and we wouldn\u2019t win that game if it wasn\u2019t for him.<\/p>\n Smith, on his power play goal:<\/p>\n We\u2019re coming with a good amount of speed. The other times, it wasn\u2019t working. Luckily that one we kind of had a good rhythm, and everyone kind of stuck to their routes for that break-in and worked out.<\/p>\n Collin Graf<\/p>\n Graf, on his OT goal:<\/p>\n Yeah, just came out there and puck got to Mack and I just skated to the net with my stick on the ice. I knew he\u2019d be able to find me, and once I got it, I just tried to make a quick play, and it was fortunate to go in.<\/p>\n Graf says Goodrow played a rap song between 2nd and 3rd periods to get the guys going. Askarov says Goody has done it a couple times recently and it\u2019s worked. Neither could ID the song<\/p>\n \u2014 Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 12, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Graf, on how well the San Jose Sharks goaltenders are playing now:<\/p>\n It\u2019s a confidence thing, right? You have confidence that they\u2019re gonna make the save. Obviously, you\u2019re still doing everything you can defensively, but it allows us to start rolling.<\/p>\n Yaroslav Askarov<\/p>\n Askarov found out just a couple hours before puck drop that he was starting. <\/p>\n He smiled big, when asked how locked in he is now, “Feels good.”<\/p>\n He’s 4-0-0 in November with a .963 Save %<\/p>\n \u2014 Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 12, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Ryan Warsofsky<\/p>\n Warsofsky, on how long that Nedeljkovic will be away from the team: “We don’t think it’s too long”<\/p>\n \u2014 Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 12, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Warsofsky, on song that Barclay Goodrow is playing between periods to get the San Jose Sharks going:<\/p>\n No, I don\u2019t know the name of it. It\u2019s happened a couple times this year. We\u2019ve had some slow starts, and I think Barclay Goodrow is the one that puts the music on, to get the guys going. Hey, whatever it takes. I\u2019ve always said that I don\u2019t really care what gets you ready to play a hockey game, as long as you get ready and you give us everything you got.<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udc66\ud83c\udffc\ud83e\udd5b\ud83c\udf6a\ud83d\udc66\ud83c\udffb #TheFutureIsTeal<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Pq3YT9Ewev<\/a><\/p>\n