CPF Hockey

Thursday, April 2, 2026

Sharks 2025-26 Game 74 Recap: Sharks 4, Maple Leafs 1 (4/2/26)

Team Teal continues to roll and has now won four in a row, as they take down the Maple Leafs 4-1 to sweep their season series with Toronto.

The Sharks struck first early in the opening period on Zack Ostapchuk’s fourth goal of the season, assisted by Barclay Goodrow and Dmitry Orlov. Later in the first period, the Sharks extended their lead to two when a behind-the-back pass from Michael Misa perfectly set up Collin Graf to score his 20th goal of the season. Tyler Toffoli also factored in on this second goal with the secondary assist.

San Jose made it 3-0 early in the second period on William Eklund’s 13th goal of the season, which took a few lucky deflections off of the backboard and Anthony Stolarz before finding the back of the net. Alex Wennberg and Kiefer Sherwood assisted on the Sharks’ third goal of this contest by Eklund. Later in the middle frame, the Maple Leafs got on the board on a power play goal by John Tavares.

Early in the third period, both Michael Misa and William Eklund were presented with golden scoring opportunities on a mostly wide open net, but were shockingly denied every time by Anthony Stolarz or, in one instance, the stick of Simon Benoit. This sequence had me thinking, “How did the Sharks not score there?!?” in disbelief. Fortunately for Team Teal, these missed opportunities would have no impact on the end result of this game, as they put this one away for good on an empty-netter by Adam Gaudette in the final minute of the contest. This empty-netter was Gaudette’s 17th goal of the season, assisted by William Eklund and Zack Ostapchuk.

Alex Nedeljkovic was back in net for the Sharks in the second of back-to-back home games and was absolutely fantastic, recording 18 saves on 19 shots against. In addition, Igor Chernyshov was back in the Sharks lineup tonight after missing last night’s game against the Ducks, while Ty Dellandrea was a scratch as a result.

Unlike the Sharks’ past few wins, the Sharks were in complete control in their win tonight over the Maple Leafs. Also, unlike their victory over the Ducks last night, the Sharks’ secondary scoring came up huge over Toronto, as each of their goals scored tonight came from their second, third, and fourth lines. Two other major factors tilting this game in favor of the Sharks are the Maple Leafs currently having a down year and the Sharks historically dominating the Maple Leafs whenever they have faced each other in the regular season in the past decade. The Sharks had to take care of business against a struggling Maple Leafs team, and I am so thankful they were able to do so. Next up, San Jose hosts the Nashville Predators in the Sharks’ biggest game of the season to date on Saturday at 7 pm PT.

Update: The Sharks moved into the second wild card spot in the Western Conference at the conclusion of this game, but it all depended on the final result of Predators-Kings in LA in the final game of the night in the NHL to determine if the Sharks still retain their playoff spot. Fortunately for the Sharks, they still hold onto the Western Conference Wild Card 2 spot after the Predators 5-4 shootout victory over the Kings and control their own destiny in this race going forward.

Sources: NBC Sports California, NHL App, Curtis Pashelka via X

Discover your next favorite outfit at the CPF Store! With our wide selection of stylish and comfortable clothing, you can express your unique style while feeling amazing. Shop now and elevate your wardrobe with the latest trends and timeless classics. Don't miss out - embrace fashion that speaks to you at the CPF Store by clicking the link here: CPF Store

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Sharks 2025-26 Game 73 Recap: Sharks 4, Ducks 3 (4/1/26)

Team Teal earns a huge third consecutive win in which they scored the game-winning goal in the final two minutes of the contest, taking down the Anaheim Ducks by a score of 4-3.

The Sharks got off to a great start to this one, scoring first on a power play goal from Will Smith for his 22nd goal of the season, assisted by Macklin Celebrini. The assist on this first goal gives Macklin Celebrini 102 points on the campaign and moves him into sole possession of the second-most points scored by a Sharks player in a season. Later in the opening period, Ryan Poehling scored to even the game at one for the Ducks. Anaheim went ahead late in the second period on a goal from Alex Killorn to grab its first lead of the night.

The dynamic duo of WillMack struck again early in the second period, as Will Smith fed Macklin Celebrini to score his 39th goal of the season to even the game at two. Collin Graf assisted on this equalizer as well. However, this tie did not last for long, as the Ducks went back ahead soon after when Troy Terry scored on the rebound from the initial save by Yaroslav Askarov. Moments later, Zack Ostapchuk and Jeff Viel dropped the gloves and fought in a pretty evenly-matched tilt, which was initiated by Ostapchuk in response to Viel’s hit on Tyler Toffoli. With less than two minutes to go, Macklin Celebrini scored a massive equalizer for his second goal of the game and 40th goal of the season, assisted by Dmitry Orlov and Will Smith. The Sharks then followed that up with Alex Wennberg’s 17th goal of the season with 31 seconds remaining to pull off another miraculous victory for the Sharks. Macklin Celebrini and Sam Dickinson assisted the game-winner by Wennberg, capping off an MVP performance by Celebrini with four points on the night.

Yaroslav Askarov put up another quality start for San Jose, recording 28 saves on 31 shots against. In addition, Ty Dellandrea was activated off of injured reserve prior to this game and made his return to the Sharks lineup in place of Igor Chernyshov, the latter of which was out with an illness.

Overall, this is a complete victory for the Sharks, and it might be one of their best games of the year to date. Macklin Celebrini was certainly the best player on the ice tonight, putting the Sharks on his back and carrying them to victory over the Ducks, and bringing his point total to 105 in his sophomore campaign. The Sharks also now find themselves one point out of the second wild card spot in the West with 77 points. They are right behind the LA Kings, who currently occupy the second wild card spot in the West with 78 points. How this Sharks team is able to string together wins in this critical stretch of games for them in their push for the playoffs is nothing short of incredible. They are back at it tomorrow night, hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Sharks’ final game against an Eastern Conference opponent this season at 7 pm PT.

Sources: TNT, NHL App, Curtis Pashelka via X

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Sharks 2025-26 Game 72 Recap: Sharks 5, Blues 4 (3/30/26)

The Sharks earn a huge 5-4 victory and avoid getting swept in their season series with the St. Louis Blues to begin their last prolonged homestand of the season.

The Blues struck first early in the opening period on a goal from Theo Lindstein, while the Sharks responded about three minutes later on the power play via Alex Wennberg’s 15th goal of the season, assisted by Macklin Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli, to even the game at one. Later in the opening period, the Sharks went ahead on a power play goal by Macklin Celebrini for his 37th goal of the season, assisted by Dmitry Orlov and Alex Wennberg. The Blues then tied the game at two on a goal from Pavel Buchnevich a few minutes later. With about a minute remaining in the first period, the Sharks went back ahead on Macklin Celebrini’s second goal of the game and 38th goal of the season, assisted by Nick Leddy and Will Smith.

The Sharks extended their lead to two on Alex Wennberg’s second power play goal of the night and 16th goal of the season, assisted by Tyler Toffoli and Will Smith. The Blues followed that up with two power play goals of their own via Philip Broberg late in the second period and Cam Fowler in the later half of the third period to even things up at four. With 21 seconds remaining in the contest, Adam Gaudette scored the game-winning goal for his 16th goal of the season, assisted by Mario Ferraro and Vincent Desharnais, to seal a huge victory for the Sharks over the Blues.

Yaroslav Askarov returned from injury and started tonight at home against the Blues, recording 22 saves on 26 shots against. As a result, Laurent Brossoit was sent back down to the Barracuda.

Overall, this was a massive, crucial win for the Sharks in keeping themselves within reach of a playoff spot in the Western Conference Wild Card race. Macklin Celebrini, Alex Wennberg, and Adam Gaudette each had amazing performances and were the main factors driving the Sharks to victory tonight. Celebrini also made some history tonight with his three points tonight in San Jose’s win over the Blues, becoming the sixth teenager in NHL history and third player in Sharks history to record at least 100 points in a season. Team Teal hosts the Anaheim Ducks in its next game on Wednesday at 6 pm PT, which will be nationally televised on TNT.

Sources: Sharks Audio Network, NHL App

Saturday, March 28, 2026

Sharks 2025-26 Game 71 Recap: Sharks 3, Blue Jackets 2 (3/28/26)

The Sharks snapped their six-game losing streak and ended their current three-game road trip on a high note in a 3-2 victory over the Blue Jackets in Columbus.

The Blue Jackets scored the first goal of the game via Denton Mateychuk roughly 30 seconds into this game, while the Sharks evened things at one with a few minutes remaining in the opening period on Igor Chernyshov's fourth goal of the season, assisted by Will Smith. The Blue Jackets went back ahead in the second period on a goal from Cole Silinger to make it 2-1. With about a minute into the third period, the Sharks tied the game at two on the power play on Macklin Celebrini's 36th goal of the season, assisted by Dmitry Orlov and Alex Wennberg. In the final minute and a half of this contest, the Sharks scored the game winner on Igor Chernyshov's second goal of the game and fifth goal of the season, assisted by Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini. The secondary assist on the game-winning goal by Chernyshov was Celebrini's 100th career assist, and Macklin became the fifth teenager in NHL history to record 100 career assists.

Alex Nedeljkovic was outstanding against the Blue Jackets in Columbus, compiling 22 saves on 24 shots against. In addition, Yaroslav Askarov's latest injury is an upper body one, and Laurent Brossoit is back up from the Barracuda as a result.

Heading into this contest, I expected this road trip finale to favor the Blue Jackets, especially since Columbus has been performing well as of late and currently occupy a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. However, I am surprised and thrilled that the Sharks were able to pull off an incredible victory against a tougher opponent on the road to snap their lengthy six-game losing skid. The Sharks' top line of Will Smith, Macklin Celebrini, and Igor Chernyshov had its best performance in a while, and they carried the Sharks to victory to send them home happy. Next up, Team Teal begins its last major homestand of the season on Monday against the St. Louis Blues at 7 pm PT.

Sources: NHL App, Curtis Pashelka via X, San Jose Sharks via X

Thursday, March 26, 2026

Sharks 2025-36 Game 70 Recap: Blues 2, Sharks 1 (OT) (3/26/26)

It was a close and winnable contest for the Sharks in their second matchup against the St. Louis Blues this season, but the Sharks’ losing streak is now at six as they fall 2-1 in overtime to the Blues.

Early in the second period, the first and only fight of this contest occurred between Zack Ostapchuk and Logan Mailloux. This was initiated by Ostapchuk in response to Mailloux sending Adam Gaudette dangerously into the boards on a hit. Yaroslav Askarov was back in the crease for the Sharks tonight and started in his first game since March 10, but had to exit the game in the middle of the second period after getting reinjured on a collision. Vincent Desharnais shoved Nathan Walker into Askarov, and Walker landed on Askarov. Alex Nedeljkovic was forced to enter the game as a result, and Askarov finished his evening having stopped all 11 shots he faced against the Blues. Late in the middle frame, the Blues scored the first goal of the game via Dalibor Dvorsky to break the scoreless tie.

The Sharks got back into this game early in the third period, tying it up at one on Alex Wennberg’s 14th goal of the season, assisted by William Eklund and Kiefer Sherwood. This would ultimately force overtime, where Dylan Holloway scored in the final seconds of the bonus period to win it for the Blues.

Alex Nedeljkovic compiled ten saves on 12 shots against in relief for Yaroslav Askarov. In addition, Tyler Toffoli is back in the Sharks lineup after missing the previous game in Nashville due to an injury.

Despite being unable to snap their current skid, the Sharks put forth their best effort in a game since their last win in Montreal. While it was unfortunate that Yaroslav Askarov got reinjured, Alex Wennberg scored a huge equalizer to inject more life into this Sharks team and give them a chance to win in St. Louis. Also unlike their past five games, San Jose earned a point in the standings by getting to overtime in this one, and they displayed signs throughout this game that they are closer to snapping out of their skid sooner than later. The Sharks close out their three-game road trip in the Midwest in Columbus against the Blue Jackets on Saturday at 2 pm PT.

Sources: NBC Sports California, NHL App, Sheng Peng via X

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Sharks 2025-26 Game 69 Recap: Predators 6, Sharks 3 (3/24/26)

The Sharks fell behind early against a streaking Nashville Predators team and never fully recovered in a 6-3 loss to begin their current three-game road trip.

The Predators struck first via Filip Forsberg early in the opening period. A few minutes later, the Sharks tied the game at one on Adam Gaudette's 15th goal of the season, assisted by Shakir Mukhamadullin and Mario Ferraro. This even score did not last for long, as the Predators went back ahead moments after via Matthew Wood. Later in the first period, Nashville extended its lead to two via Roman Josi, the third goal scored by the Predators off of a Sharks turnover in this contest. The Predators then made it a three-goal lead on a goal from Luke Evangelista, causing this game to escape further away from the Sharks in only the opening frame. Nashville was not done yet in the opening period, as they put up a five-spot on a goal from Brady Skjei to close out a monster first period for the Preds.

The Predators resumed their scoring barrage later in the second period, this time on a power play goal by Steven Stamkos to make it 6-1. With a few minutes remaining in the middle frame, the Sharks lessened their deficit to four on a 5-on-3 goal by Will Smith for his 20th goal of the season. Early in the third period, Will Smith scored his second goal of the game and 21st goal of the season to lessen the Sharks’ deficit to three, assisted by Igor Chernyshov and Vincent Desharnais.

Alex Nedeljkovic compiled 13 saves on 19 shots in the Sharks’ first matchup against the Predators this season. In addition, the Sharks got some reinforcements in the return of Igor Chernyshov and Vincent Desharnais, and Laurent Brossoit has been sent back down to the Barracuda, indicating that Yaroslav Askarov is now available to at least back up Nedeljkovic in net. Alex Wennberg was named the Sharks’ nominee for this year’s King Clancy Trophy as well.

A mistake-riddled first period for the Sharks led to a massive five-goal first period for the Predators. While the Sharks were able to manage a few goals in this contest, the damage was already done and the game was practically decided by the end of the opening period. The biggest positive aspect for the Sharks in this loss in Nashville was Will Smith breaking out of his scoring slump, recording two of the Sharks’ three goals tonight. With this loss, the Sharks now find themselves seven points behind the Predators and behind three other teams for the second wild card spot in the West, putting a larger dent in the Sharks’ playoff hopes this season. Team Teal travels to St. Louis to face the Blues in their next game on Thursday at 5 pm PT.

Sources: NBC Sports California, NHL App, Sheng Peng via X

Sunday, March 22, 2026

My 18th NHL Game: Flyers 4, Sharks 1 (3/21/26)

I have returned to the SAP Center to catch my ninth Sharks game this season and my first game in two weeks. It is also the Sharks’ last afternoon matinee game of the season and my first time seeing the Philadelphia Flyers play in person. The ever-important promotional theme to this particular game is Barbie Game Day, and the free giveaway item to everyone in attendance was a Sharks & Barbie cross-body bag, available in either teal, magenta, or pink. SJ Sharkie was dressed as Ken from the Barbie Movie for this occasion. I can tell that the Sharks tried hard to appeal to a certain target demographic with this particular promo theme. As for souvenirs I purchased at this game, these were a Michael Misa t-shirt and a box of Upper Deck 2025-26 Series 2 hockey cards, both of which were purchased separately.

The first two minutes of this contest featured the first fight I have seen in a while at a hockey game I attended, which occurred near center ice between Ryan Reaves and Garrett Wilson. It was a solid, likely pre-coordinated, tilt, but Wilson appeared to have earned the decision there. The Flyers struck first early in the second period via Owen Tippett, while the Sharks evened things up at one later in the middle frame on a power play goal by Dmitry Orlov for his third goal of the season, assisted by William Eklund and Macklin Celebrini. With just under three minutes to go in the second period, the second fight of the contest broke out, this time between Barclay Goodrow and Noah Cates.

Early in the third period, the Flyers went ahead via Christian Dvorak on a power play goal that would ultimately stand as the game-winner. Despite taking this costly penalty, it was great to see Mario Ferraro stick up for Macklin Celebrini after Garnet Hathaway laid a shoulder-to-shoulder check on Celebrini. In the final two minutes of this contest, Philadelphia finished this one off on two empty-netters from Travis Sanheim and Noah Cates. Alex Nedeljkovic bounced back from his previous start the other night against Buffalo, recording 24 saves on 26 shots against. However, the Sharks were unable to solve Flyers goalie Dan Vladar for the most part.

On the other hand, I tried a new food item at SAP Center for the first time: the teriyaki chicken karage rice bowl from Sushi Confidential, and I certainly enjoyed it. At one point during the game, I noticed Yaroslav Askarov and Igor Chernyshov sitting in a suite above and not far from where I was seated inside the arena, both of whom are day-to-day with injuries. I didn’t expect Tyler Toffoli to play in this game due to injury, and I had also found out the morning of that Vincent Desharnais was out due to an injury.

Overall, this was a tough loss for the Sharks, as it was a close contest that they had a chance to win until the very end. Most notably, I am officially halfway through seeing all 32 NHL teams play in person, and this major milestone towards achieving one of my top life goals was enough to make this latest game absolutely worth it. Regular game reviews resume on Tuesday, when the Sharks visit the Nashville Predators for the first time this season in the first of three consecutive road games at 5 pm PT.