CPF Hockey

Thursday, March 19, 2026

Sharks 2025-26 Game 67 Recap: Sabres 5, Sharks 0 (3/19/26)

The Sharks were no match for the Buffalo Sabres in their second matchup in just over a week in a 5-0 shutout loss for San Jose.

The first period was scoreless, and it was a decent period for Team Teal, but there was one scoring opportunity for Macklin Celebrini where he was checked to the ice from behind. I mention this because there was no call from the officials when this should have resulted in either a Sharks power play or a penalty shot for Macklin Celebrini, but the refs must have seen something else on that play.

The Sabres scored three quick goals via Noah Ostlund, Sam Carrick, and Rasmus Dahlin within a span of a minute and 43 seconds in the middle of the second period, digging a deep hole for the Sharks to climb out of. To make matters worse, the three goals scored by the Sabres in the second period were on their only three shots generated in the second period. Buffalo then made it 4-0 via Tage Thompson on the first shot to start the third period. With about three minutes remaining in the contest, the Sabres put this one to bed on Sam Carrick’s second goal of the game, which went off of Dmitry Orlov’s skate and into the back of the net, to make it 5-0 Buffalo.

Alex Nedeljkovic had a subpar performance at home against the Sabres, recording 11 saves on 16 shots against. The biggest lineup change from the other night in Edmonton for the Sharks tonight was Shakir Mukhamadullin back on the blue line in place of John Klingberg. In addition, Tyler Toffoli exited the game during the second period and did not return due to an undisclosed injury.

Team Teal was doing okay from the start of this game until nine minutes through the second period. When the Sabres scored three consecutive goals on three shots in the second period, they took complete control over this game and never looked back, fully demonstrating why they are one of the best teams in the NHL as of late. The Sharks host the Philadelphia Flyers in their last afternoon matinee home game of the season on Saturday at 1 pm PT. This next game will also my ninth game at the Shark Tank this season, so I plan to provide a personal experience post from Saturday’s Sharks-Flyers game on here as soon as I can.

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

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Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Sharks 2025-26 Game 66 Recap: Oilers 5, Sharks 3 (3/17/26)

The Sharks close out their current five-game road trip with a 5-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

The Sharks strike first relatively early in the opening period on a great sequence that led to Dmitry Orlov scoring his second goal of the season, assisted by Alex Wennberg and Kiefer Sherwood. At the ten-minute mark of the first period, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored a power play goal to tie the game at one for the Oilers. Soon after, Edmonton gained its first lead of the night on a goal from Connor Murphy. Later in the opening period, the Oilers extended their lead to two via Vasily Podkolzin. The Sharks got back within one in the second period on a deflection by Pavol Regenda for his ninth goal of the season, assisted by Mario Ferraro and Adam Gaudette. Later in the second period, Kiefer Sherwood scored on a breakaway to tie the game at three, his 21st goal of the season and assisted by Dmitry Orlov. Early in the third period, the Oilers went back ahead on goals from Max Jones and Zach Hyman to make it 5-3.

Alex Nedeljkovic was back in the crease for the Sharks tonight in Edmonton, compiling 31 saves on 36 shots against. In addition, Alex Wennberg returned from injury, and Nick Leddy was inserted onto the Sharks blue line in place of Shakir Mukhamadullin. This notable change on the Sharks blue line was certainly a questionable one, and while Leddy performed better than anticipated, he was by no means a difference-maker in this one.

Despite the Sharks scoring the first goal and performing well in the second period, poor puck management doomed them for a second consecutive contest, and it was another missed opportunity for them to gain ground in the Western Conference Wild Card race. On a more positive note, Dmitry Orlov, Kiefer Sherwood, and Pavol Regenda each had solid performances against the Oilers in this road trip finale, and it was great to see Alex Wennberg return to the Sharks lineup after missing their previous game in Ottawa due to injury. Team Teal returns home for its next two games starting on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres at 7 pm PT.

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

Sunday, March 15, 2026

Sharks 2025-26 Game 65 Recap: Senators 7, Sharks 4 (3/15/26)

Team Teal started off well but kept getting in its own way later on, as they fall 7-4 to the Ottawa Senators.

The Sharks got things going early in this one, scoring the first goal of the game via Mario Ferraro’s sixth goal of the season, setting a career high in goals for him and assisted by Shakir Mukhamadullin. Soon after on the Senators’ power play, Ottawa ties the game at one on an own goal by Mario Ferraro that was credited to Drake Batherson. Later in the opening period, the Sharks went back ahead on a tip-in by Tyler Toffoli for his 18th goal of the season, assisted by Ferraro and Mukhamadullin for each of their second points of the day.

Early in the second period, the Senators scored via Warren Foegele to even the game at two. Later in the middle frame, the Sharks went back on top when Collin Graf found the back of the net after taking a few whacks at it. This was Graf’s 19th goal of the season, assisted by Macklin Celebrini and Sam Dickinson. Celebrini’s primary assist on this goal pushed his point streak to nine games and set the Sharks franchise record for most road points in a season with his 50th road point this season. The Senators responded by scoring the next two goals via Fabian Zetterlund and Tyler Kleven to gain their first lead of the day.

Towards the beginning of the third period, the Sharks tied the game at four on a great shot by Michael Misa for his seventh goal of the season, assisted by Tyler Toffoli and Vincent Desharnais. Later in the final frame, the Senators put their stamp on this contest, finishing it off with three consecutive goals from Drake Batherson, Dylan Cozens, and Brady Tkachuk to seal the victory.

Laurent Brossoit made his sharks debut today in Ottawa, recording 18 saves on 23 shots against. In addition, Pavol Regenda was back in the Sharks lineup in place of the injured Igor Chernyshov, and Alex Wennberg did not play in today’s game in Ottawa due to an upper-body injury.

Overall, this was a tough and disappointing loss for the Sharks in Ottawa after getting the start they wanted. With the conclusion of tonight’s slate of games around the NHL, the Seattle Kraken have reclaimed the second Wild Card spot in the West with their 6-2 win over the Florida Panthers. San Jose rounds out its current five-game road trip in Edmonton against the Oilers on Tuesday at 6 pm PT.

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

Saturday, March 14, 2026

Sharks 2025-26 Game 64 Recap: Sharks 4, Canadiens 2 (3/14/26)

The Sharks overcome early adversity and roll past the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 thanks to a three-point performance from Macklin Celebrini and more great goaltending from Alex Nedeljkovic.

Just 28 seconds into this game, Igor Chernyshov was hit by Mike Matheson and had to exit his first game since his recent recall from the Barracuda due to an upper-body injury. This hit left Chernyshov bleeding from the head, falling awkwardly to the ice, and falling down twice as he tried to get up. Soon after, the Canadiens had initially scored the first goal of the game via Lane Hutson, but after further review, the Sharks caught a huge break after the officials wiped that first goal off the board due to their intent to blow the whistle prior to Lane Hutson scoring. However, the Canadiens redeemed themselves later in the first period, scoring the official first goal of the game via Cole Caufield. The Sharks responded with just under seven minutes remaining in the opening frame on Macklin Celebrini's 34th goal of the season, Assisted by Collin Graf and John Klingberg. This goal also extends Macklin Celebrini's point streak to eight games.

Early in the second period, the Sharks initially went ahead on what would have been Macklin Celebrini's second goal of the game, except the Canadiens challenged it for offsides and were able to get that goal successfully overturned. Team Teal redeemed themselves later in the second period, when Mario Ferraro scored his fifth goal of the season and tied his career high in goals, assisted by Alex Wennberg and William Eklund. The Sharks then extended their lead to two on a redirection by Collin Graf for his 18th goal of the season, assisted by Macklin Celebrini and John Klingberg. With just over two minutes remaining in the middle frame, Nick Suzuki scored to make it a one-goal game once more. Late in the third period, the Sharks sealed this one on an empty-netter from Macklin Celebrini for his second goal of the game and 35th goal of the season, assisted by Collin Graf and Barclay Goodrow.

Alex Nedeljkovic was great in the crease for the Sharks once again, recording 25 saves on 27 shots against. In addition, Laurent Brossoit was recently recalled from the Barracuda, indicating that Yaroslav Askarov will miss some time due to his injury that he is currently dealing with. In other news, the Sharks re-signed Ty Dellandrea to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $1.625 million. Prior to suffering an injury that has kept him out for the past two months, Dellandrea has two goals, nine assists, and 11 points in 42 games this season. I don't see this contract extension as a huge deal and more as a take it or leave it type transaction, but I am curious what this might mean for the Sharks re-signing and/or adding other depth forwards in the near future.

This was another great road win for the Sharks to sweep the season series over the Montreal Canadiens. With this victory, the Sharks now have 70 points and are back in the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference with the Los Angeles Kings' 6-4 loss to the New Jersey Devils. Team Teal is back in action tomorrow afternoon, when they visit the Ottawa Senators for their next game at 2 pm PT.

Sources: NBC Sports California, NHL App, Sjsharks.com, Locked on Sharks, Curtis Pashelka via X

Thursday, March 12, 2026

Sharks 2025-26 Game 63 Recap: Sharks 4, Bruins 2 (3/12/26)

The Sharks earn a huge win on the road in Boston by a score of 4-2 over the Bruins to snap their three-game losing streak.

The Sharks struck first early in the opening period on a very well-executed play, where Tyler Toffoli and William Eklund set up Michael Misa for an easy tap-in for his sixth goal of the season. San Jose extended its lead to two late in the second period on a power play deflection goal from Tyler Toffoli for his 17th goal of the season, assisted by Macklin Celebrini and Dmitry Orlov. Early in the third period, the Sharks make it three consecutive goals on a shorthanded tally from Collin Graf for his 17th goal of the season following a terrible penalty call to Barclay Goodrow for hooking, assisted by Alex Wennberg. The Sharks followed that up with a goal-of-the-year candidate by William Eklund in which he bats the puck out of mid-air while tumbling to the ice for his 12th goal of the season to break his lengthy goal drought and make it a four-goal lead, assisted by Sam Dickinson and Michael Misa. On the next shift, the Bruins got on the board via Fraser Minten on a goal that most players on the ice at the time did not see coming. The Bruins added one more goal via David Pastrnak in the final minute of this contest, but it would not matter as the Sharks had secured the victory at that point. In the final moments of this game, Charlie McAvoy laid his shoulder and elbow on the head of Kiefer Sherwood in a collision, prompting a large scrum between both teams.

Alex Nedeljkovic was absolutely fantastic tonight in Boston, compiling 39 saves on 41 shots against and being a huge factor in getting the win for the Sharks in Boston. In addition, Yaroslav Askarov was dealing with a minor injury, so University of New Hampshire goalie Kyle Chauvette backed up Nedeljkovic in the crease in Boston. Igor Chernyshov was recalled from the Barracuda but did not play in tonight's game. Ryan Reaves was back in the Sharks lineup, while Philipp Kurashev was a healthy scratch as well.

What a massive victory for the Sharks to earn the season sweep over the Boston Bruins and two critical points in the wild card race. Their depth scoring came up big in this one, especially the second line of William Eklund, Michael Misa, and Tyler Toffoli. Eklund's goal in this victory was not just a goal of the year, but it was absolutely unreal, gave off shades of Bobby Orr's iconic game-winning goal, and will be talked about for several years to come. Alex Nedeljkovic continued to perform amazingly in the crease as well. At the time of this victory, the Sharks have officially moved into the second wild card spot in the West with a few games in hand. Next up, the Sharks travel to Montreal to wrap up their season series with the Canadiens on Saturday at 4 pm PT.

Sources: NBC Sports California, NHL App

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Sharks 2025-26 Game 62 Recap: Sabres 6, Sharks 3 (3/10/26)

It was a tough one for the Sharks from the get-go against a red-hot Buffalo Sabres team, as the Sharks drop the first of five consecutive road games by a score of 6-3.

The Sabres jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on goals from Jack Quinn and Alex Tuch. Later in the opening period, Macklin Celebrini got the Sharks on the board with his 33rd goal and 90th point of the season, assisted by Will Smith. With this goal, Macklin Celebrini became the fourth player in Sharks history and ninth teenager in NHL history to score 90 or more points in a season. A few minutes after, two separate fights occurred: the first one at center ice between Zack Ostapchuk and Logan Stanley, followed by the second of two between Barclay Goodrow and Beck Malenstyn after Malenstyn took a cheap shot at Celebrini.

Early in the second period, the Sabres scored twice more on goals from Beck Malenstyn and Jason Zucker to extend their lead to three. Later in the middle frame, Dmitry Orlov laid a great hip check on Tage Thompson, and a massive scuffle involving every skater on the ice at the time ensued. With about 30 seconds remaining in the second period, the Sharks cut their deficit to two on Kiefer Sherwood's career-best 20th goal of the season, assisted by Mario Ferraro and Alex Wennberg.

The Sabres began the third period with Jack Quinn's second goal of the game to make it 5-2. San Jose followed that up with Alex Wennberg's 13th goal of the season to make it a two-goal game once more, assisted by Tyler Toffoli. With about a few minutes remaining in this contest, Buffalo finished this one off with an empty-netter from Jack Quinn to complete his hat trick.

Yaroslav Askarov recorded 20 saves on 25 shots against to begin this five-game road trip for the Sharks. In addition, Philipp Kurashev was back in the Sharks lineup tonight in Buffalo, while Ryan Reaves came out of the lineup as a result. Nick Leddy was recalled from the Barracuda to ride the bench as the seventh defenseman, while Nolan Allan was sent down to the Barracuda.

Regardless of how good the Sharks and Sabres are during any given season, the Sharks have often struggled when facing the Sabres in Buffalo, and this was especially the case tonight. With the Sabres firing on all cylinders, riding an eight-game win streak, and finding themselves atop the Atlantic Division, I did not expect the Sharks to pull off a victory in this game. On a more positive note, a few important Sharks player milestones were accomplished: 90 points for Macklin Celebrini and 20 goals for Kiefer Sherwood this season. The Sharks travel to Boston to face the Bruins in their next game on Thursday at 4 pm PT.

Sources: NBC Sports California, NHL App

Sunday, March 8, 2026

My 17th NHL Game: Islanders 2, Sharks 1 (OT) (3/7/26)

I am back at the Shark Tank for the second consecutive week, and this time it is to see the Sharks take on the New York Islanders for the second time in person. The biggest addition on the Islanders this year compared to my first time seeing them play in person around this time last year that I was looking forward to viewing the most was their rookie defenseman phenom Matthew Schaefer. Like with this matchup last year, the promotional theme surrounding Sharks-Islanders at the Tank this year was Women of Teal night, and everyone in attendance and I received free insulated bucket hats. Since I arrived at the arena later than I would normally, I missed warmups as a result, bur it was not a huge deal since I did not miss any of the game itself. It is worth noting that Ryan Reaves was back in the Sharks lineup against the Islanders, Nolan Allan was called up from the Barracuda to be the Sharks’ seventh defenseman, and Philipp Kurashev was a healthy scratch for this game.

Prior to the official start of this contest, the Sharks brought out Canadian three-time Olympic gold medalist Rebecca Johnston for the ceremonial puck drop. The Sharks gave up the first goal of the game for the fourth consecutive contest, this time via Tony DeAngelo in the first period. The Sharks responded 33 seconds into the second period, when Macklin Celebrini picked the corner for his 32nd goal of the season, assisted by Will Smith and John Klingberg. Team Teal generated plenty more great scoring chances throughout the night, but were unable to get any others past Ilya Sorokin. There were a few scuffles and some inconsistent officiating mixed in as well. Things stayed even at one until overtime, where the Islanders would win it in the final minute of the bonus period on a goal from Bo Horvat. Yaroslav Askarov performed well despite not getting the win, compiling 32 saves on 34 shots against.

Lastly, I visited the team store after the game, where I bought a collectible mini helmet. Overall, it was a good and close game for the Sharks against the Islanders, but it could have been better. On a more positive note, Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith each bounced back from their performances against the Blues the night before, and the Sharks earned a very important point in the Western Conference Wild Card race. Their record now falls to 7-5-4 when I am at their games, and I am pretty sure I will receive at least one or two more opportunities to attend Sharks games before the end of this season and officially be halfway through seeing all 32 NHL teams play in person. Next up for the Sharks, they hit the road for their next five games starting on Tuesday in Buffalo against a resurgent Sabres team at 4 pm PT.