The San Jose Sharks were in complete control-until they weren’t. Up 3-0 heading into the third period, it looked like they were cruising toward a statement win over the Edmonton Oilers. But then the wheels came off in stunning fashion, and the Sharks found themselves on the wrong end of a 4-3 overtime loss at Rogers Place.
Let’s break down what happened.
A Collapse That Stung
The Sharks were up three goals with 20 minutes to go. That’s usually a safe cushion.
In fact, San Jose had only lost once all season when leading after two periods (19-0-1). But Thursday night became the second.
It started early in the third. Just 1:34 in, Leon Draisaitl got Edmonton on the board.
That goal cracked the door open. And once it was open, the Oilers didn’t waste time barging through.
Draisaitl assisted on two more-Connor McDavid’s goal with 3:05 left to make it 3-2, and Evan Bouchard’s rocket from the blue line that tied it with just 59 seconds remaining. Both of those came with goalie Connor Ingram pulled for the extra attacker.
Momentum had officially flipped.
The Overtime Heartbreaker
In the extra frame, the Sharks had a chance to regroup-but a costly mistake sealed their fate. Timothy Liljegren tried to send a pass across the ice to Alex Wennberg, but mishandled it, handing possession back to the Oilers.
Moments later, Liljegren was shoved into goalie Yaroslav Askarov by Zach Hyman, who then took a feed from McDavid and buried the game-winner just 1:06 into overtime. It was Hyman’s 22nd goal of the season.
Liljegren owned the mistake postgame: “I made a bad turnover. I was trying to get it over to (Wennberg) and kind of fanned on the puck a little bit.
Bad way to end it. I thought we played a good 40 minutes and then didn’t have a good third.
They got three goals, and that’s what you get.”
Coach Ryan Warsofsky didn’t mince words either when asked about the final sequence: “We turn it over, and then (Liljegren) gets pushed into our goalie.”
Early Dominance, Then Disbelief
It’s tough to overstate how good the Sharks looked early. They came out flying, scoring three goals in the opening period and setting a team record in the process-marking the first time in franchise history they’ve scored three first-period goals in three straight games.
Collin Graf opened the scoring just 26 seconds in, capitalizing off a turnover he helped create at the Oilers’ blue line. Adam Gaudette followed just over a minute later, and Michael Misa added his second career NHL goal at 11:40 to make it 3-0.
They nearly made it 4-0 in the second period, but Barclay Goodrow’s goal was waved off due to goalie interference by Zack Ostapchuk. The Sharks opted not to challenge the call.
Goaltender Yaroslav Askarov did his part early, stopping 12 shots in the first period and finishing with 28 saves overall. But the late-game surge by Edmonton proved too much.
Familiar Struggles vs. the Oilers
This wasn’t just a one-off meltdown-it’s part of a troubling trend. The Sharks have now lost 15 of their last 16 meetings with the Oilers, dating back to the start of the 2021-22 season. Edmonton seems to have their number, and Thursday night’s loss only deepened that pattern.
Celebrini vs. McDavid: A Glimpse of Olympic Gold?
There was a little extra buzz around this one, thanks to the presence of Macklin Celebrini and Connor McDavid-two of the 25 players named to Team Canada for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Italy. While fans were hoping for fireworks between the two, the matchup offered more of a tease than a full-on show.
Still, Celebrini made his presence felt. He assisted on Graf’s opening goal and extended his point streak to three games.
He now has 79 points on the season, including seven in his last three games. McDavid, for his part, added a goal and an assist to bring his season total to 94 points.
“Just the way (McDavid) plays the game, it’s special,” Celebrini said. “The way he skates. Every time he’s on the ice, he makes special things happen.”
The mutual respect was clear-but so was the competitive edge. “Tonight, I hope he doesn’t do anything,” Celebrini joked before the game. “And in a week, I hope he does a lot.”
What’s Next
Despite the loss, the Sharks are now 1-0-1 on their current road trip, which continues with stops in Calgary, Chicago, and Colorado. There’s no time to dwell on the one that got away-they’ve got to regroup quickly.
Thursday night was a reminder of how quickly things can change in the NHL. The Sharks were 20 minutes away from a signature win. Instead, they left Edmonton with a lesson in finishing-and the sting of one that slipped away.