VANCOUVER \u2014 The San Jose Sharks did what good teams do, what playoff teams do, in a dominating 5-2 win over the last-place Vancouver Canucks.<\/p>\n
The few times that the hapless Canucks pushed back \u2014 Vancouver scored the opening goal, had a brief second period surge of play, and potted a late power play strike \u2014 the Sharks answered back.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just had good pushback every time they had some good shifts, we came out with a few more,\u201d alternate captain Mario Ferraro said. \u201cWe\u2019re just maturing a little bit in that area.<\/p>\n
San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky agreed: \u201cWe\u2019re starting to pick up little details, momentum shifts in games.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ferraro added: \u201cWe\u2019re recognizing how important these games are. We\u2019re recognizing that we\u2019re on the road. Some nights we may not have our legs, or we may not have our best game, but we\u2019re trying to manage it and doing what we can within that to play a solid hockey game as a team.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the Sharks, this appeared to be a lesson learned from their last game, a 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers. San Jose raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first period, but New York probably had the run of play for the next 30 minutes or so.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve learned a little bit of a lesson there,\u201d Warsofsky said. \u201cAs far as last game, even though you get the result, you got to keep pushing forward and getting better in some areas.\u201d<\/p>\n
This was a better effort from the young San Jose Sharks tonight, a mature and professional performance.<\/p>\n
Maybe the best part of it all? A lot of the focus post-game was on how San Jose can be even better. Wins aren\u2019t enough anymore for these hungry Sharks.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re learning, we\u2019re getting better,\u201d Ferraro said, of the team\u2019s game management. \u201cThere\u2019s still areas where we need to grow and improve on closing out games a little cleaner.\u201d<\/p>\n
How so?<\/p>\n
\u201cJust managing the puck a little better, putting pucks behind them, doing the boring things that may not, aren\u2019t so flashy in the third period, that just wear teams down,\u201d Ferraro said. \u201cFinishing checks, putting it behind them, forechecking hard, letting the game kind of open up and create opportunities for us, instead of us trying to chase it.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a winning attitude from a player who, really through not much fault of his own, hasn\u2019t done a lot of winning in his career.<\/p>\n
\u201cTonight was good, and just gotta build on it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re getting better in all of aspects in our game,\u201d Yaroslav Askarov said. \u201c[Managing momentum] is one of the aspects where we\u2019re getting better, as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Macklin Celebrini<\/p>\n
Celebrini leads NHL w\/ 15 mid-range zone goals, per @KevinisInGoal<\/a>.<\/p>\n Celebrini, on his success from that area: “It’s a good question. I’m not sure. Analytics obviously tells a different story than actually playing the game. Sometimes, it works out. I wish I had an answer.”<\/p>\n \u2014 Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Mario Ferraro<\/p>\n Yaroslav Askarov<\/p>\n Askarov happy to have Desharnais back on PK: “He probably makes more saves than I do.”<\/p>\n \u2014 Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Ryan Warsofsky<\/p>\n Warsofsky with the realness!@Real_Max_Miller<\/a>: “Does your heart drop a little bit with Will Smith making those blind backhand passes to Macklin in the center?”<\/p>\n RW: “No, my heart drops when he turns over pucks at the blueline.”<\/p>\n (Warsofsky is right)<\/p>\n \u2014 Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Celebrini has been so good all season, there were no questions about him to Warsofsky, AFTER A 4-POINT NIGHT.<\/p>\n How good are you when 4-point nights become casual?<\/p>\n \u2014 Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t