Sharks Edge Capitals 3-2 Behind Grit, Growth, and a Little Celebrini Magic
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The San Jose Sharks walked into Capital One Arena with something to prove, and they walked out with a hard-earned 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals. After a rough outing against Vegas, this was the kind of bounce-back performance that speaks volumes about where this young team is headed.
Let’s break it down.
First Period: A Rocky Start, Then a Rally
The opening minutes were rough for San Jose. Washington came out flying, especially targeting rookie Macklin Celebrini, who had a couple of uncharacteristic turnovers early.
One of those miscues nearly turned into a 2-on-0 for the Caps, but Alex Nedeljkovic came up huge with a pair of early saves to keep things level. It was a shaky start for Celebrini, but he didn’t stay down for long.
The Sharks’ retooled second line was buzzing from the get-go, generating the bulk of the team’s early offense. Thomas Bordeleau and William Eklund were active on the puck, and Eklund nearly cashed in on a one-timer midway through the period, only to be denied by Hunter Shepard.
Defensively, Henry Thrun and John Klingberg held strong under pressure. Klingberg, in particular, had a smart read to break up a net-front feed to Hendrix Lapierre, showing some of the poise the Sharks hoped they were getting when they brought him in.
Late in the period, Celebrini started to find his rhythm. He drew a penalty on John Carlson, showing off the kind of shiftiness that makes him such a matchup nightmare. The Sharks began to tilt the ice in their favor, and by the end of the period, they were dictating pace and winning puck battles.
Second Period: Sharks Find Their Bite
The middle frame was where San Jose really took control.
Despite being stung by a Dylan Strome power-play goal early in the period-capitalizing on a friendly bounce off the end boards-the Sharks didn’t blink. They were doubling Washington in shots and dominating possession. It was only a matter of time before the scoreboard caught up to the gameplay.
And then it did.
Zack Ostapchuk got the Sharks on the board, thanks to some relentless forechecking by Dmitry Orlov. Orlov beat Jakob Chychrun to a puck down low, and when it popped out front, Ostapchuk crashed hard and buried it. That kind of net-front presence is exactly what the Sharks have been trying to build into their identity.
Just minutes later, Collin Graf made it 2-1. Pavol Regenda forced a turnover in the neutral zone, and Graf did the rest-beating John Carlson to the front of the net and finishing with confidence. It was a textbook transition goal, the kind that shows how much speed and structure this team is starting to play with.
Then came the highlight.
Pavol Regenda capped off the period with a beauty, courtesy of a no-look feed from Celebrini that had eyes in the back of its head. Celebrini drew two defenders down low, then spun and delivered a ridiculous pass right on Regenda’s tape. Just like that, it was 3-1 Sharks.
Celebrini wasn’t done, either. Moments later, he absolutely overpowered Nic Dowd in a puck battle behind the net-Dowd’s no pushover, but Celebrini made it look easy. That’s the kind of shift that makes you pause and say, “Yeah, this kid’s different.”
Third Period: Holding On Under Pressure
The Capitals came out desperate in the third, and the Sharks had to weather the storm.
A key early penalty kill-after Tyler Toffoli was whistled-set the tone. The Sharks kept their structure, blocked shots, and got timely saves from Nedeljkovic, who was steady all night.
Washington did claw one back when John Leonard cashed in after a long shift by San Jose’s fourth line. The Sharks got caught deep and couldn’t clear the puck, and Leonard made them pay.
But to their credit, San Jose didn’t crumble.
They got a spark from the kids again-Matvei Michkov and Michael Misa nearly connected on a gorgeous rush chance that had the bench fired up. And when the Caps pushed late, Mario Ferraro and Graf gutted out a long shift, and Celebrini came up with a massive shot block in the final minutes to help seal it.
Final Thoughts: Growth in Real Time
This wasn’t just a win-it was a statement.
After getting thumped by Vegas, the Sharks responded with a performance full of grit, structure, and flashes of brilliance from their young core. Celebrini shook off a rough start and took over the game.
Regenda continues to make a case for why he belongs in the NHL full-time. And Graf is showing he’s more than just a depth piece-he’s a gamer.
The Sharks are starting to believe in themselves, and it’s showing in how they play. If they keep trending like this-and if Celebrini stays healthy-this team could be knocking on the playoff door sooner than anyone expected.