LAS VEGAS — The San Jose Sharks head to T-Mobile Arena to take on the Vegas Golden Knights.
Macklin Celebrini and Collin Graf scored, but the Sharks got trounced 7-2.
Period 1
Stone, two shifts in, almost jumped on Barabshev area pass, ahead of Orlov. Can’t let that happen.
Howden goal: So much not to like there. The Leddy mistake is obvious and what everybody will harp on. Fair. But I don’t think Dickinson plays the 2-on-1 (twice) well, allows the cross pass both times. And before the Leddy turnover, Cardwell had the puck high on entry, a little space, and curled back, where McNabb was waiting. That loose puck went to Leddy. Duh, but rather have a turnover going north-south, then going backwards high in the zone. It’s on Leddy, but not just him.
7 in: Sloppy San Jose Sharks structure, Dorfeyev finds himself behind defense, he just bobbles a Grade-A chance. Looks like Eklund was caught up ice on the forecheck, and Dorofeyev got behind him. Wennberg was up on the forecheck too. Dickinson got caught in no man’sl and, between pass and Dorofeyev.
Mukhamadullin penalty: Pivotal kill here, Sharks getting outshot 8-2 so far.
Marner goal: Goes off Wennberg on the PK. Hard pass off skate. That’s just a bad bounce, but in general, it looks like the Sharks have taken off already on their Christmas flights.
Sissons goal: San Jose Sharks failing Hockey 101 tonight. Don’t know how else to put it. High in zone, both Wennberg and Mukhamadullin defend a Saad pass, that beats the both of them. Another 2-on-1 for Knights. Ferraro goes starfish to stop the pass, which would be fine, except he doesn’t stop the pass. Mukhamadullin, trailing, catches up to a Knight, but it’s the pass, Kolesar, after pass has been completed.
Eklund penalty: Period from hell for the San Jose Sharks. Eklund negated a Sharks power play with a high sticking. I don’t know what this building does to the Sharks, it’s obviously different teams over the years, but just seems to overwhelm them.
Hertl goal: Klingberg then Dellandrea turns it over, Holtz intercepts, then a centering pass to Hertl, one-on-one, just beats Askarov. Nedeljkovic coming in, Askarov gets the mercy pull.
Stone goal: When Stone is beating two San Jose Sharks up the ice, Cardwell and Ferraro, on a clear-cut 2-on-1, wow.
The Sharks had as many shots on goal as Vegas had goals in the first period. This is not good. Need to see how they come out in the second period. It will say a lot about the team.
— Fear the Fin (@fearthefin) December 24, 2025
Period 2
Everybody was bad in that period, but one thing I’ve watched, Chernyshov having some issues advancing the puck out, making the connecting play.
2 in: Sharks at least winning some F1 battles now, but they’re struggling to make that next play. Just for example, Cardwell wins it on forecheck, but his low-to-high pass intercepted.
Celebrini goal: Wow, what a shot. I thought it deflected off Korczak, but I don’t think so. Just simple dump-in, Toffoli along the wall doesn’t allow Vegas rim out, Celebrini in high slot. Get another one here, put some doubt the Golden Knights’ minds.
Celebrini getting his money worth of that stick flex. What a release!🎯🚨🥵#TheFutureIsTeal pic.twitter.com/zrZOV2o8fH
— SnipeCity420 (@SnipeCity420) December 24, 2025
10 in: Nedeljkovic save on Hertl PP one-timer. He’s still playing.
9 left: Thought Celebrini might change there, long shift for him, puck dumped in OZ for Sharks. He was on far side of bench though, and puck was on his side. For a second, it looked like he was headed to bench, but he changed his mind, I think. He stays on to try to force offense. No criticism here, I need to check, but I suspect he’s getting superstar player treatment, where they’re trusting him to read the situation, know his own body, and change or not. That’s what I’d probably do with him too, ifd I was the coach. He’s already good enough for different rules.
7 left: Really good low-to-high bounce pass from Goodrow to Klingberg. Little thing about his game that I appreciate.
4 left: Celebrini just centered both Toffoli/Eklund and Chernyshov/Graf for two straight shifts. Made a fantastic exit pass to Chernyshov, feeling F1 pressure, retreated backwards toward boards, but put puck behind him in place that Chernyshov could skate into. Chernyshov hasn’t appeared to have the same jump today though. Celebrini’s last two shifts are about two minutes each. Wennberg got skipped. Like I said, I don’t think there’s anything punitive there. It’s just let your best player cook, that’s your best chance for the miracle comeback.
Smith goal: After Smith goal, Celebrini skated all the way from the bench, down to Nedeljkovic to give his goalie a stick tap, before taking the center faceoff. He knows they’re not giving their goalies any help tonight.
A lot of Vegas media has left lol. I mean, I get it.
Period 3
3 in: Celebrini playing that shift like it’s a tied game. Absolutely incredible pass under two Vegas sticks to Eklund on other side of net.
Marner goal: That’s about the only odd-man rush against that I’m not going to kill the Sharks for. The third line was selling out to score a goal, Dellandrea hit a post, there was a scramble, and Hertl just bullied the puck out past Dellandrea for the end-to-end tic-tac-toe.
6 in: Celebrini post. He’s playing good hockey for a team down six goals. Excelling for excelling’s sake now.
Graf goal: Looks like he puts in the rebound off a Toffoli shot?
Meaningless tonight, but credit to Graf, he’s up to double-digit goals.
Be something if he scored 20 this season, and he’s halfway there just 37 games into the season
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) December 24, 2025
3 left: Another Celebrini post. I mean this in a complimentary way, he’s like Russell Westbrook in his prime, just showing out and stuff the statsheet. Again, that has a negative connotation, but I don’t mean it here. He’s just dominating, is all I mean, even down five.