{"id":492861,"date":"2026-03-08T08:44:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-08T08:44:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/492861\/"},"modified":"2026-03-08T08:44:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-08T08:44:12","slug":"san-jose-sharks-macklin-celebrini-emotional-after-loss-to-ny-islanders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/492861\/","title":{"rendered":"San Jose Sharks, Macklin Celebrini emotional after loss to NY Islanders"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN JOSE \u2013 The San Jose Sharks are three-quarters of the way through their season<\/a> and have surprised just about everybody<\/a> around the NHL by remaining right in the mix for a playoff spot.<\/a><\/p>\n

That \u2014 in and of itself \u2014 is no longer good enough for the Sharks these days as they get ready to embark<\/a> on a challenging five-game road trip.<\/p>\n

Emotions ran high during and after the Sharks\u2019 testy 2-1 overtime loss<\/a> to the New York Islanders on Saturday, partly stemming, it seems, from Mat Barzal\u2019s shoulder hit to the head of Macklin Celebrini in the third period. No call was made with the game still tied 1-1.<\/p>\n

Shortly afterward, Sharks winger Kiefer Sherwood went after Barzal near the Sharks\u2019 bench and took a two-minute minor for roughing with 3:45 left in regulation time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just looks like they kind of run into each other, in a sense,\u201d Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said of Barzal\u2019s hit. \u201cI don\u2019t know how deliberate it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sharks killed the penalty to Sherwood but were unable to score on an ensuing power play that carried into overtime. Then, once 3-on-3 play resumed, Bo Horvat scored with 40 seconds left in the extra session, handing San Jose a bitter loss to end a six-game homestand.<\/p>\n

Celebrini didn\u2019t want to answer a question about the officials putting the whistles away for most of the third period.<\/p>\n

Macklin Celebrini was shaken up after this hit from Mat Barzal late in the 3rd period \ud83e\udd15<\/p>\n

Was this a dirty hit from Barzal? \ud83d\ude2c pic.twitter.com\/VRexXEcBES<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) March 8, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Asked if he felt liberties were taken on Celebrini by the Islanders, Warsofsky had a simple message: It probably won\u2019t be the last time, especially if his team reaches the postseason for the first time since 2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we\u2019re going to play in the playoffs, that\u2019s what it\u2019s going to be like,\u201d Warsofsky said of the chippy, tight-checking game. \u201cSo we\u2019ve got to get comfortable being a little uncomfortable at times. That\u2019s how the game\u2019s played. We\u2019ve got to protect each other. I thought we did a pretty good job of that.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re going to try to do that. It\u2019s one of the best players in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sharks finished the homestand with a 3-1-2 record,<\/a> and entered Sunday one point behind the Seattle Kraken for the Western Conference\u2019s second wild card spot and two points behind the Edmonton Oilers for third place in the Pacific Division. The Sharks have one game in hand on Seattle and two on Edmonton.<\/p>\n

Few could have expected the Sharks to be in this position after they finished dead last in the overall standings<\/a> each of the past two seasons. Now that they\u2019re here, and every game being so meaningful, of course, emotions are going to run high with each close game.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the alternative? To go through another stretch run where the standings are an afterthought and some guys are simply playing out the string? \u00a0The Sharks have been there and done that, time and again, over the last five or six years.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s kind of like the most interesting part of the season, when every game, every point is so important,\u201d said Sharks rookie goalie Yaroslav Askarov, who made 32 saves, including 14 in the third period, in a standout performance, \u201cand it\u2019s fun to play, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

The playoffs do not start for another six weeks. But the Sharks, especially those who have never been in a postseason race at this level before, are feeling all of those similar emotions. The wins are that much sweeter. The losses are that much more disappointing.<\/p>\n

Experiencing that joy and anguish can be beneficial for this still-developing group.<\/p>\n

Sherwood engages with Barzal, who initially had the head contact against Celebrini that went uncalled. A scrum ensues at the bench. Annnnnnd\u2026 Sherwood comes out of that with the only roughing penalty. #SJSharks<\/a> shorthanded. pic.twitter.com\/2LKnGs9K6c<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 TEAL TOWN USA \u2013 A San Jose Sharks Podcast (@TEALTOWNUSA) March 8, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The Sharks start the road trip on Tuesday against the surging Buffalo Sabres, followed by games in Boston, Montreal, Ottawa, and Edmonton. The Sabres, Bruins, Canadiens, and Oilers are all in a playoff spot, and the Senators are knocking on the door. Every game matters. That\u2019s what makes this cool.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll enjoy it and have fun,\u201d Warsofsky said of the younger players being in a playoff push. \u201cI know this is a business, and I get it, but we\u2019re playing a game that we all love, that we\u2019re in a position that probably no one in the world thought we would be in. That is a fact, and we\u2019re going to enjoy it, learn from it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are great experiences, and sometimes, you get a lot of experiences through failure, and you get to learn through those experiences. By no means are we down and out here. We move forward. We got a point. Big game against Buffalo on Tuesday, but let\u2019s enjoy it. Let\u2019s go on the road as a group. It\u2019s us, really, against the world. It\u2019s just the guys in that dressing room that ultimately, at the end of the day, truly care.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people, family, friends, they watch the game, but it doesn\u2019t affect their lives as much as it affects ours. And they support us, and that\u2019s great. But it\u2019s going to be the guys in the room, the coaching staff, the training (staff), the equipment guys that are all in this together, that are going to go through this and enjoy this ride we\u2019re going to go on here, and continue to push for the playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n

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