Macklin Celebrini, Philipp Kurashev and team celebrate Sharks’ big win over Avs | NBC Sports CA

Macklin Celebrini, Philipp Kurashev and team celebrate Sharks’ big win over Avs | NBC Sports CA

Defensively, I think when you go to shut down a top line like that, everyone says you got to shut them down the defensive zone. You got to, you know, play without the puck. I want them to play in the offensive zone. And I think that’s the best way to shut down the top line is to play in the offensive zone. Uh hold on to pucks, make them come 200 feet, uh make their top players play defense. You know, top players, you know, really don’t want to play defense. Um and we got to make them play defense. And I thought that line did a really good job of that. You know, there was a little bit of um slower start in the beginning. You had some conversation during the first break or second. Yeah. I mean, our guys aren’t, you know, they’re pretty smart. You know, they know that there’s wasn’t a big New Rocky speech in there. There was, hey, we got to get to our game. We got to play. We got to compete and skate. Um there was a couple technical things that we need to get cleaned up um as we went on there like every game. So, uh guys did a good job of that. And and on their second goal, it seemed like you were reviewing again about what happened. What What was your thought on that? Yeah, I mean it just initially I when he calls it no goal, that was a call on the ice. Uh and then they actually changed the call on the ice. So that’s where I was a little frustrated by it. It’s a goal like it we pushed the net off. Um it’s a goal that’s very preventable from our structure. That’s what’s more frustrating. So um we we’ll get better at it. We’ll look look at it tomorrow and uh continue to work on our neutral zone there a little bit. When coach of scores there, you have three forwards on the ice. You said that that was kind of a call from the coaching staff. So, can you talk about that kind of aggressive call kind of go for the win there with your forwards? Yeah, I mean that’s kind of been our rotation. We’ve talked about it here after going into some overtimes. We’re comfortable with Wy kind of playing on that backside and being a defensive forward. He can he can kind of handle that responsibility. Want to get Kersh in there, too. You know, he’s been skating. been playing some good hockey. Um, so that’s really what it came down to. Is this kind of what you expect from from Kurishv? Um, or is this maybe a bit of a pleasant surprise as in how he’s we our scouts did a really good job of of targeting him of a guy that, you know, we we think there’s more there than what he’s probably shown in Chicago towards the end. Um, and he’s starting to get confident and obviously gets on the score sheet, but when he’s competing and he’s skating for pucks, he’s a very effective player and he’s really solidified our top six. So, which is real nice to see. A scary little there. What’ you see from your side? Yeah, I mean, I’ve gotten hit on the bench before. It’s not enjoyable. It’s It’s unfortunate. Um, so we think he’s going to be okay. We We’ll get an update this afternoon. You think it will come after? No, we don’t think so right now. So, still being evaluated though. Uh, Ascarov, uh, how much of a panic did you have when he kind of falls and then makes the post check? What were you thinking right there? Not again. No, I mean, uh, listen, stuff’s going to happen. Um, we want our goalies to come out and play pucks and, uh, look, he took a heel pick. That’s stuff’s going to happen. Uh, you know, and we just got to keep playing and keep competing. Our guys did a good job of that. Ask responded. He made obviously a big save on it. So, um, but yeah, you hold your breath for a quick second. Uh, I have to ask Dickinson. Any update on Dickinson? Uh, he’s here today. He’s in there celebrating with the group with the with the guys in the room. Is there any uh debate about putting him in today or or tomorrow or is tomorrow a possibility? I guess. Yeah, tomorrow’s a possibility. We’ll see. Um we’ll meet with Mike in the morning and obviously we’re a little banged up so there’ll be some injuries and and potential lineup changes, but we’ll worry about that tomorrow. Do you think that decision will come in in the morning then with Sam? Maybe. And you know, Mlin was talking about a couple of those trips and also Will Smith was tripped. What do you thought of him talking to the refs about that? Yeah, I mean that that’s that’s game hockey. It’s an emotional sport. Um again, it’s similar to the heel pick from ask. We’re not going to get every call that we think we should get. Uh we’re not going to like some calls. We’re not going to like some bounces. What are we going to do? Stomp our feet and cry? We got to continue to work. We got to continue to compete. We have to earn what we get. And our group is starting to figure that out. Um, but again, this this is going to be the last time this something like this happens. Whether there’s a bad bounce or a bad call or a call you don’t like or a call that you wish you had, you got to just keep playing. That that is a lesson in for me, it’s a lesson in life. You got to just keep working and and and go through the adversity and at the end of the day, it’s going to make us a stronger group. It was a great play by uh to he uh had the eyes in the back of his head there and threw it to me right in the slot. So, um I think I was just walking down the slot, so tried to pick a spot. Did you have an idea maybe from all those times in practice against McKenzie that high blocker was was a spot to go? I mean, he’s a great goalie, so I don’t think there’s a specific spot that you try to aim for. I think uh I mean, take what you see. Courage of you played with him a little bit earlier this year. Just talk about just how his game just how much confidence he’s playing with right now. Yeah, I think that whole line they’re playing so well. Um they’ve been huge for us matched up against uh other teams top lines and I mean creating as much offense as they have. I think it’s it’s huge for our group and um obviously him the goals and and uh how he’s been able to put the puck in the net. It’s been it’s been great for us. When you look at just the match up between you and McKinnon, obviously you got to know him over the summer at Worlds and training with him. It’s just a feisty game. What what maybe turned the tide against him? Your line just started to really take over after maybe a struggle against him in the first period. I mean, I think we were just asleep at the start. I think I mean I know I wasn’t playing my best by any means and um I thought we just did a good job kind of weathering it and um kind of getting on our front foot a little bit. What can you say about your goalender tonight? He was unbelievable. I mean if he keeps playing like that, we’re going to win a lot of games. So you know in the third period you guys have struggled a bit. How’d you felt about it uh tonight? Sorry. You know in the third period in the last few games, not the last one but the ones before you guys struggled a bit. A lot of teams were able to come back in the third. How do you felt tonight in the third period? I know. I think that was just the first couple games where we were all still kind of accustomed to things. So, I thought we uh we’ve handled the last couple games a lot better. After your goal, your celebration seemed pretty animated. Any kind of reason for that? Did it? Yeah. Maybe from maybe you’re just excited to score. So, you know, a couple times you’re talking to the ref, you feel there were a couple of opportunities uh for a penalty there that were missed. Yeah, I mean I mean we don’t want to be known for the team that complains and kind of gets on the refs and I mean they they’re doing their best as much as us and um I was just talking to them seeing what they were seeing and um maybe there were a couple plays that that maybe there could have been a penalty called on but I was just kind of seeing what they were seeing and um I mean they don’t always got the best view of stuff. Yaro, after maybe a game where you struggled, how do you how do you feel about your performance tonight? Uh today was felt great. Wish we’ll have more like morning games. What what from this game compared to last game did you feel you were better at? Was it angles just view calm? What what did you feel you were better at today? Um I would say was felt more calm more what are like not off the angle was move moving in the same time if the puck was moves you know like my been square so you of course had a little bit of misplay which you’re able to carry. Uh can you walk us through that really quick? Yeah, I told my equipment guys already, but I mean that’s No, I mean I’m joking. That’s totally on me. But yeah, just better eyes. You guys have really turned things around here since that game against Carolina, those games against Utah. How much confidence is are you guys playing with right now? Um, we’re just uh started to win more games like our group and uh it’s kind of like better, you know, like everybody’s smiling like atmosphere great in locker room when are you winning? So that’s that’s it’s that’s great. It’s way better to when are you winning some games, you know, like No. Was that a little annoying where that first kind of shot got deflected off the skate in the net? Say again. You know, their first shot on, you know, when the game started got deflected off of the skate into the net. Was that little annoying to just start out like that? It’s that’s hockey, you know, like that’s why we’re playing this game. Some just up and down sometimes, you know, that’s how it goes. That’s part of the hockey. Can you take us through what you you saw on the goal that, you know, McKinnon, you know, he had with, you know, Skinner crashes into the net and then they rule it’s a a good goal after a review. What did you see on that play? I pretty much wasn’t seeing anything because that was like some something was happen behind me. So, um, were you surprised that they they called it a goal once you start? Not really. Not really. Yeah. Um, the Avalanche, uh, obviously one of the best teams in the league. Can you talk about what’s so challenging to play against them? It’s always great to play against like uh I mean against every team but like about like that type of that type of team that’s uh kind of like it feels more excited. I mean me special I mean it feels more special like more excited you know to play against like top top guys. So something special that’s good. Is that something that you get up for if you see like Nathan McKinnon on Kale Mar on the other side that that kind of gets you kind of pumped? Yeah. Yeah. Uh what does it mean to play against Blackwood who of course last year was with the Sharks, you know, with you? What did that kind of mean playing against him today? That’s great. That’s great. I mean, uh I’ve seen Blackie said a couple words to him like on the on the warm up before the game. So, it’s always nice to see him. Always nice to play against him. So, he’s such a nice guy. I mean, I love him. So, thanks for asking. Thank you, guys. Are you playing with right now? I mean, is this some of the best hockey that you’ve you’ve played in your career? Yeah, I think so, for sure. I think we’re all going as a line really well and um it’s been a lot of fun last couple games. So, um I think um we will try to build on this. Philip, obviously you guys have won three or four games now. You’ve been right at the heart of this. What about your game do you feel has taken a a lift that’s caused this success for you? Yeah, I think just um you know work work hard and um try to be good in battles and try to support my linemates and I think we’ve been doing a good job of that and um yeah, it’s been paying off. So, um it’s nice. Take us through that overtime winner. I mean, you get the crowd pop. Obviously, it’s your second of the game, but that’s that’s a big goalie to beat and you beat him up high. Walk us through that shot. Yeah, just um kind of looked up and and try to to hit the spot and um I did and um I’m happy about that and happy um to help us get the win today. Your line kind of always just like get the tough match up and last night it was against the McKinnon line. What what did you feel you guys did well against against that team like tonight? Yeah, of course it’s really hard to play against um you know a guy like him, one of the best players in the league and um so it was u yeah good challenge for us and um yeah uh I think we we did good and um yeah uh you know just happy to get away how well or have you matched you think with Alex and and William right now? How fun is it to Yeah, it’s been so so much fun and um I think we just read off each other really well and support each other and uh those guys make a lot of great plays and um just happy to um you know do something uh sometimes too. Nice to see your goalie have a great game like that. Obviously, you know, LA wasn’t wasn’t uh was kind of tough for everybody, but nice to see him bounce back today, I’m sure. Yeah, it was great all night today and especially in the the key moments when we needed him and um yeah, happy for him and um yeah, it’s it gives us a lot of confidence too and um I got a lot of um good emotions from that. What’s working with your line so well defensively? Yeah, I think we um yeah, like I said, we just read off each other well and you know um Wenny and Ekki, they’re great players and um when he’s so good defensively and um so reliable. So um um yeah, I think that’s pretty much it. So what do you saw in your first goal in the second period there with that feed? It was a great play by Delhi. I made a nice saucer pass and um yeah, I was pretty open after that and um yeah, just try to kind of took what uh what I saw and um yeah, I’m happy I went in. On your overtime goal, um it was the three forwards out. Was that sort of the the plan um to have three forwards out, you know, late in overtime to try to win the game? Yeah. Uh the coach called that and we went on there and um yeah, we we did that. Uh, so, um, yeah, that was the call and I’m happy it worked out.

Macklin Celebrini, Philipp Kurashev, Yaroslav Askarov, and Ryan Warsofsky speak to reporters following San Jose’s 3-2 win against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday at SAP Center.

#RyanWarsofsky #MacklinCelebrini #YaroslavAskarov #PhilippKurashev #SanJoseSharks #SanJose #Sharks #NHL #Hockey #Colorado #ColoradoAvalanche #SAPCenter #NHL #Like #Subscribe #Follow #Sports #NBCSportsCalifornia #highlights

CONNECT:
✔️ Subscribe to NBC Sports Bay Area & California: bit.ly/3AQknYc
✔️ Subscribe to our podcasts: https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/pod…
✔️ Stream the games at:
➡️ https://nbcsports.app.link/san_franci…
➡️ https://nbcsports.app.link/oakland_at…
➡️ https://nbcsports.app.link/golden_sta…
➡️ https://nbcsports.app.link/sacramento…
➡️ https://nbcsports.app.link/san_jose_s…
➡️ https://nbcsports.app.link/san_franci…

NBC Sports Bay Area & California on social media:
► Our website: https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/
► Instagram: / nbcsauthentic
► Like us on Facebook: / nbcsauthentic
► Follow us on Twitter: / nbcsauthentic
► Follow us on Tik Tok: / nbcsportsauth. .

The official YouTube page of NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California. Home of the Warriors, Kings, Giants, A’s, 49ers, Sharks, Valkyries and Bay FC. We connect fans with the teams they love.

Macklin Celebrini, Philipp Kurashev and team celebrate Sharks’ big win over Avalanche | NBC Sports CA