Macklin Celebrini did his part, and then some, but the San Jose Sharks still came up short again.
Celebrini finished with three points as the Sharks pushed the Dallas Stars hard and nearly pulled off a comeback, only to fall 4-3 and drop their fifth straight game. San Jose had one of its better stretches of the night early, and it paid off when the top line put together a long, relentless shift that ended with Michael Misa redirecting a Celebrini pass for a 1-0 lead. It was only the fifth time this season the Sharks had scored first.
That lead didn’t last long. Right after the goal, Mikko Rantanen and Mason Marchment were both sent off at the same time, with Rantanen getting tripping and Marchment drawing a controversial embellishment call. Dallas then found itself on a 4-on-3 after Jacob Trouba was whistled for interfering with Roope Hintz, and Hintz made the Sharks pay by scoring his seventh goal of the season to even the game.
Special teams kept tilting the night toward Dallas from there. Thomas Harley ripped a one-timer from the point past San Jose while Will Smith was in the box for too many men on the ice, giving the Stars a 4-2 edge. That goal also pushed Dallas to three power-play goals on four chances.
San Jose did get one back before the second intermission. On a 5-on-3, Will Smith scored to trim the deficit to one and keep the Sharks within striking distance.
They kept pressing late, too, with sustained pressure in the final period. But the equalizer never came, and the Sharks walked away with another loss despite a strong night from Celebrini and a late push that had them right there.
In Other News...
Sharks Young Scorers Offered Hope Before Another Brutal Late Collapse
The Sharks got exactly the kind of jolt they have been waiting for in Dallas, where Michael Misa, Ivar Stenberg and Will Smith all found the net in a game that briefly looked like it might tilt San Joses way. For a team searching for offense and confidence, the sight of three young scorers contributing in the same night was a welcome change, especially against a Stars club that has usually made life difficult at American Airlines Arena.
But the encouraging start did not survive the finish, and the latest loss fit too neatly into a frustrating pattern for San Jose. The Sharks have now dropped seven of their last eight, and while the goals from Misa, Stenberg and Smith showed there is some promise in the groups emerging talent, the late collapse left the bigger question hanging: how long can those flashes matter if the points keep slipping away? [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Need Alexander Wennberg Back More Than Ever Right Now
Alexander Wennberg is inching closer to a return, and the Sharks could use the help. The center has been on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, but he has been skating with the team and was recently moved from week-to-week to day-to-day, a sign that his comeback is getting closer. For a San Jose group that has struggled without him, his presence would be a welcome boost as the schedule shifts into an important homestand.
The timing matters because the Sharks have been trying to steady themselves without one of their more reliable two-way options in the middle of the ice. Wennbergs return would not solve everything overnight, but it would give the lineup more structure and experience at a time when the team needs both. There is still a little waiting to do before the next update, and the Sharks will be watching closely to see how soon they can get him back in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Young Core Finally Sparked The Offense But One Problem Won Again
The Sharks finally got a little life from their young core in Dallas, scoring three goals for the first time since Oct. 29 and getting contributions from rookies Michael Misa, Ivar Stenberg and Macklin Celebrini. Even in a 4-3 loss to the Stars, there were signs of the offense starting to find some rhythm again after a rough stretch, and Alex Nedeljkovics return in goal gave San Jose a chance to hang around with 26 saves in his first start since Oct. 31.
Still, the same issue that has haunted this team kept dragging it back under. San Joses penalty kill was beaten repeatedly, and a night that could have been a reset instead became the Sharks fifth straight loss and a frustrating finish to a three-game road trip. The young talent is starting to show up on the scoresheet, but until the special teams clean up, those flashes are going to keep getting buried. [Read more 🡒]