Celebrini continues meteoric rise in Sharks’ seven-goal rout of Kings originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
In just his 12th NHL game, Sharks rookie center Macklin Celebrini He’s already cementing his status as one of the most exciting players in the league, especially when he’s skating on the SAP Center ice.
The 18-year-old phenom scored two goals and an assist in San Jose wins 7-2 against the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night.
Celebrini became the youngest player in franchise history to record a game three-pointer and the first 18-year-old Shark to accomplish the feat since Patrick Marleau did it on March 5, 1998.
The talent speaks for itself, but where Celebrini really shined early in his NHL career was as a leader.
After the win, Sharks fans applauded the talented youngster, who was quick to share the credit with the rest of his teammates.
“That’s for our team, we won 7-2,” Celebrini told Drew Remenda of NBC Sports California after the game. “Big victory at home, we will continue this momentum for the next matches.
Celebrini now has 10 points in just 12 games, but has once again turned the spotlight on those skating around him.
“I mean, my teammates, they prepare me and put me in good positions,” Celebrini told Remenda. “I can’t complain about them.”
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft put San Jose in control with a miraculous goal, firing a shot from the left side past Kings goaltender David Rittich that gave the Sharks a 3-2 lead in the third period.
Celebrini then followed up with another goal from the right side, slotting a one-timer past Rittich to give San Jose a commanding 5-2 advantage.
After trailing 2-1 late in the second period, the Sharks scored six unanswered goals, giving fans a glimpse of the NHL potential that lies ahead if San Jose’s stock of young talent can reach its immense potential. .
Although it might take a few years, Celebrini’s arrival has transformed the Sharks into an exciting commodity, no matter what the standings reflect with San Jose’s record.
Monday’s five-goal third-period explosion showed that despite the expected growing pains, this young and hungry Sharks team has the means to make significant progress this season and potentially lay the foundation needed to return to the proud franchise his place among the NHL’s elite. .
“I thought we played the right way, stuck to our game,” Celebrini said. “(Nico Sturm) got us going in the first game with a breakaway right there. And then I think we just got over it from there and played the game we knew how to play.”
