Macklin Celebrini scored his 20th goal of the season and added an assist as the San Jose Sharks beat the Vancouver Canucks 6-3 Saturday night at Rogers Arena.
The North Vancouver native continued his good form, extending his point streak to seven games with 14 points (five goals, nine assists) during this period. Celebrini has also been a constant thorn in Vancouver’s side, recording at least one point in all five games he has played against the Canucks this season.
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Igor Chernyshov scored the first goal of his NHL career and added an assist, while Collin Graf found the back of the net for a fourth straight game. Yaroslav Askarov stopped 24 shots as the San Jose Sharks (18-17-3) ended a three-game losing streak.
For Vancouver, Conor Garland and Filip Hronek each recorded two assists, and Thatcher Demko finished with 32 saves. The Canucks (15-19-3), who entered the game after a solid 4-1-0 road trip before the Christmas break, continued to struggle at Rogers Arena, where they had just four wins all season (4-11-1).
Ryan Reaves opened the scoring at 6:13 of the first period, ending a 24-game drought by scoring a loose puck past Demko as the goaltender rushed to smother it with his blocker, giving the Sharks a 1-0 lead.
John Klingberg doubled the lead at 7:55, firing a shot from the point in heavy traffic after Celebrini won a clean faceoff in the offensive zone up to the blue line.
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Vancouver responded on the power play at 10:04, with Linus Karlsson finishing a backdoor shot off a crisp pass from Conor Garland to cut the deficit to 2-1.
The Sharks restored their two-goal lead at 12:38 of the second period. Thatcher Demko denied Celebrini’s one-timer, but the rebound ricocheted to William Eklund high in the crease before Canucks center Marco Rossi inadvertently knocked the puck into his own net, allowing Eklund to be credited with the goal.
Rossi made amends early in the third period, scoring just 36 seconds in to cut the deficit to 3-2 by knocking a loose puck out of the slot that deflected off Askarov’s blocker and inside. It was his first goal in six games since being acquired from the Minnesota Wild in the Dec. 12 trade that sent defenseman Quinn Hughes the other way.
Vancouver nearly equalized moments later, successfully killing off a long 5-on-3 for 52 seconds, but San Jose capitalized before the advantage expired. With nine seconds remaining in the second penalty, Chernyshov restored the two-goal lead at 4:47, quickly corralling a pass from Adam Gaudette past Thatcher Demko after finding open space at the top of the crease. The goal was the first of Chernyshov’s NHL career, in his fifth game.
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The Canucks stayed within striking distance when Drew O’Connor scored shorthanded on a 2-on-1 at 10:43, making a wrist shot to make it 4-3. However, any momentum was short-lived, as Celebrini responded at 16:20, hammering a one-timer off a Chernyshov feed for his 20th goal of the season and a 5–3 Sharks lead.
While most of the Sharks arrived from San Jose earlier in the day, Celebrini enjoyed familiar surroundings in Vancouver, skating in the same building where he spent much of his childhood alongside his brother Aiden, now a Canucks defensive prospect. In the presence of his family after the holidays, this moment took on additional meaning for the North Vancouver native.
Chernyshov continued his strong start, now totaling five points in five games while spending most of his time alongside Celebrini. His size, puck protection and instincts around the net quickly translated to the NHL level, earning him trust in the best offensive situations.
Graf sealed the deal with an empty-net goal at 16:55, his fifth total in four games, completing a 6-3 victory with goals from six different Sharks. The balanced score highlighted San Jose’s depth, a key ingredient for sustained success.
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Celebrini wasn’t the only shark enjoying a return home. Defenseman Vincent Lori, from nearby Coquitlam, picked up an assist on Ryan Reaves’ first goal and heard his name called in the arena where he once skated as a child. With dozens of family and friends in attendance, the evening marked a perfect time to bring his young NHL career full circle.
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