CALGARY — Macklin Celebrini found himself under constant pressure from Mikael Backlund during the San Jose Sharks’ game against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night. This trend is likely to continue throughout the season, especially on the road, where home teams can match their defensive centers against the rising star.
In a disheartening 2-0 shutout loss for the Sharks, Yaroslav Askarov stood out as the sole bright spot, saving 34 of 35 shots. The Sharks managed a mere single shot in the first period and totaled just 16 shots over the full game, leading head coach Ryan Warsofsky to lament, “Askarov was the only one that was ready to play.”
In a bid to provide Celebrini with more opportunities, Warsofsky adjusted the lines mid-game, pairing Celebrini with William Eklund—a promising playmaker. In a notable play, Eklund skated from end to end, drawing the attention of three Flames players before finding Celebrini, who had his best chance of the game. Shortly after, Eklund was seen breaking through Calgary’s defense to set up Celebrini again, showcasing their potential as a tandem.
However, the Sharks face a challenge in finding sufficient puck transporters. Beyond Celebrini and Eklund, Alex Wennberg emerges as the next best option, while offensive talents like Tyler Toffoli, Will Smith, and Jeff Skinner excel in the offensive zone but struggle to facilitate transitions up the ice. Addressing this deficiency will be crucial for the Sharks as they look to enhance their roster in the future.
After the game, Toffoli expressed frustration with the overall performance of the team, acknowledging that they were unprepared. “It was really frustrating. I don’t think we were ready to play tonight,” he noted. Regarding an upper-body injury that recently sidelined him, Toffoli reassured fans, “Nope, I’m all good.”
Sam Dickinson and Philipp Kurashev both commented on the crucial mistakes that led to the Coleman goal, emphasizing the need for better communication and minimizing turnovers to support their goaltender, Askarov, who held strong throughout the match.
Despite the disappointing result, the Sharks have an opportunity for redemption as they prepare for practice in Seattle on Friday. The team will need to regroup and harness the lessons learned from this loss if they hope to improve their performance as the season unfolds.