SAN JOSE – Rookie centerman Macklin Celebrini led the San Jose Sharks to their most lopsided win of the season on Monday.
Celebrini scored two of the Sharks' five third-period goals and had an assist in a 7-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings before an announced crowd of 10,713 on the SAP Center.
The Sharks scored three goals in the primary 3:43 of the third period. Celebrini's goals got here on the 1:03 mark, breaking a 2-2 tie, and at the three:43 mark, when his one-timer on a 5-on-3 power play gave the Sharks a 5-2 provided leadership.
Timothy Liljegren, Alexander Wennberg and Luke Kunin also scored goals within the third period for the Sharks, who set a brand new season high for goals in a single game. Nico Sturm and Fabian Zetterlund also scored because the Sharks ended a three-game losing streak and won for just the second time in eight games (2-3-3).
Rookie goaltender Yaroslav Askarov made 22 saves in his first profession start at SAP Center for his first win in a Sharks jersey.
Brandt Clarke and Anze Kopitar each scored goals for the Kings within the second period, with Kopitar's goal at 8:58 giving Los Angeles a 2-1 lead.
The Sharks later tied the sport within the second. Zetterlund picked up a pass from William Eklund within the Kings zone and circled the online. He then made a one-armed pass forward, with the puck sailing past Los Angeles defenseman Mikey Anderson and goaltender David Rittich for the ninth time this season.
The Sharks proceed their home game on Wednesday against the Ottawa Senators.
For the primary time this season, the Sharks needed to do without top scorer Mikael Granlund.
Granlund had 21:42 of ice time within the Sharks' 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabers on Saturday and received a maintenance day on Sunday. Warsofsky said Monday morning that he has “taken over” a number of players and that there can be some decisions regarding playing time.
Granlund, who plays in all situations, has scored 24 points in 23 games this season and leads all team forwards in average time on ice (21:15). It is unclear whether he can be out any longer as a consequence of the injury.
Before Monday's game, the Sharks activated center Sturm from injured reserve and sent defenseman Jack Thompson to the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL.
The transactions left the Sharks with 14 forwards, six defensemen and three goaltenders: Mackenzie Blackwood, Vitek Vanecek and Askarov, who began against the Kings because the Sharks played the second game of a four-game home stretch that ends later this week.
It was not immediately clear why the Sharks decided to maintain three goalies on their roster in the meanwhile. But it gave Askarov a probability to begin his first game in San Jose after making his Sharks debut Thursday in St. Louis. Askarov, acquired from the Nashville Predators in a serious trade in August, made 29 saves in a 3-2 loss to the Blues.
Askarov allowed Blues forward Nathan Walker a goal on the primary shot, which he hit 11 seconds into the sport. He went behind his net to play the puck but sent it straight to Radek Faksa, who found Walker open in front of the online and didn’t put Askarov in position.
Askarov nonetheless. responded with 14 straight saves to finish the quarter and made nine saves within the third period that helped send the sport to additional time.
“You can tell he’s quick and he can play the puck,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said of Askarov on Monday morning. “He makes that one mistake, but the way he responds to it, the mental toughness he shows to keep moving forward and make some big saves in St. Louis. “You see the brilliant future he has , his speed.
“I think everyone is really happy with their current level of development. And we’ll see how the future develops.”
Originally published:
image credit : www.mercurynews.com