The San Jose Sharks welcome the Dallas Stars into SAP Center.
Shakir Mukhamadullin and Collin Graf (twice) scored, but the Sharks lost 5-3.
Period 1
1 in: DZ high slot, Chernyshov will learn to manage the puck better there.
2 in: Hairy moments to start, Oettinger-defenseman exchange doesn’t work, Celebrini pounces on it and sets up Cardwell in slot for a Grade-A, then Bourque coming down on rush hits the post.
3 in: Dynamic shift by Klingberg, move into zone draws oohs and ahhs, then a diagonal low-to-high pass to Orlov, I think. Just six games ago in Dallas, wasn’t sure where his career was going. Now, he’s wheeling and dealing.
7 in: Like that from Chernyshov, Graf pass, Chernyshov speed off wing gets a shot.
8 in: Chernyshov feeds Celebrini for exit with speed, but Chernyshov breaks off to change while Celebrini and Graf continue to attack. On entry, Celebrini dishes it to empty wing, where Chernyshov was, but Cardwell on change hadn’t caught up. Sharks turn it over, Celebrini goes to bench and slams door. He reaches over between Graf and nudges Chernyshov on the shoulder, I guess telling the rookie, who didn’t necessarily do anything wrong, to keep attacking.
Orlov-Liljegren-Gaudette-Graf-Chernyshov is PP2.
Hintz goal: Incredible skill on this goal. Lindell makes a killer bounce pass off the backboard to Rantanen, Klingberg was in the way of a direct pass. Then Rantanen waits behind the net, Sharks don’t tie up Hintz’s stick in front. They get puck-watching on the always dangerous Rantanen, who centers it perfectly.
7 left: Another dangerous exit pass by Chernyshov, between the legs at blueline, Celebrini not there. Turnover. It’s a high-skill play, I know he can do it, but that needs to be pretty much a 100 percent play in that area of the ice.
Ostapchuk no-goal: Nice forechecking shift by fourth line, Reaves just had a slot one-timer earlier. Double deflections, Reaves then Ostapchuk. High touches? I don’t see a definitive replay that waves the called-on-the-ice goal off, but I don’t have the Toronto views. It’s too bad, San Jose Sharks have played well, and deserved a goal. That line too. Just gotta keep it going.
Johnston goal: Top line just can’t get puck out, long shift, then Johnston just beats Klingberg one on one in slot and roofs it on Nedeljkovic. Sharks have played well this period, but the other team’s superior skill in spots just too much right now.
1 left: Orlov doesn’t let Duchene escape on wall, nice bit of defending there.
Period 2
Mukhamadullin goal: Off the draw, quick shot, good traffic. Dellandrea won the draw, and was the traffic. Maybe a Star deflected it?
3 in: Love that Toffoli patience in DZ, doesn’t rush puck, waits for Eklund to get in position, even though he’s under duress. Late in shift, good Eklund double effort on forecheck on Lindell too. Like seeing that out of him, that’s him at his best, along with the skill.
7 in: Orlov aggressive on Benn, negates a possible 2-on-1.
Johnston goal: Stars puck movement on power play just picks apart Sharks PK. Their PP second-best in the league.
7 left: Beaut Orlov stretch pass to Eklund. Leads to a Toffoli chance on entry. San Jose Sharks still playing well, just need to break through, keep it within one.
6 left: Toffoli and Klingberg in their bag on their shift, both executing high-skill passes at high speed, Klingberg right by Nedeljkovic, dangerous but it worked, then Toffoli to Wennberg on rush. Leads to a Sharks power play. Big moment.
5 left: Star PK’er just sitting by Celebrini at beginning of PP set-up, spying on the one-timer. Sharks wisely stay away.
No goal, but good momentum generated by that power play.
Graf goal: What a Celebrini pass. First, he wins the draw, goes forward with the puck. Entire defense is watching him, guessing he wants to go to slot. He looks off and feints low-to-high pass, then fires a dart at Graf, who’s now unmarked in front. Graf gets two pokes, the second goes in. Graf pointed at Celebrini afterwards, which is right on.
Hrcykowian goal: Oh man. That hurts. I like Nedeljkovic handling the puck, I do, and that’s the price though, stuff like that happens. He actually, I think, has the right idea, and he maybe head-fakes the Stars’ F1, but in the process, I think he also head-faked Wennberg, the intended target of his pass. Or Ned simply missed. By man, that hurts, considering how well they’ve played.
Period 3
Graf goal: Great 200-foot shift from the team, and rush got started by Orlov walling off a Star in front and getting puck to Chernyshov. Like Chernyshov’s confidence to carry, instead of easy give it to Mack deference. But then he drops it off to Celebrini on entry, and I love this, Celebrini slows it down. When he does that, three Stars watch him closely, and he’s starting to dissect defenses at his own pace and not the go-go-go pace from last year. Because Stars get Mack-watching, Graf breaks to the net, Celebrini to Chernyshov to Graf.
The other part of this, full respect to Graf and Chernyshov, but Celebrini showing the ability to carry a line and make his teammates better, which is, once again, superstar material.
7 in: Love Eklund tonight, right place on backcheck to intercept centering pass, then goes 200 feet the other way to take it to the net. No goals yet for this line, but they’ve been very effective on the forecheck and rush. This is also the effect of learning that Celebrini can pretty much carry a line on his own, you can leave Wennberg, Toffoli, and Eklund together to form a legit NHL-caliber second line.
7 left: Huge hustle play by Blackwell, no stick, under duress, to get it out. His bench applauds.
