SAN JOSE — Coach Ryan Warsofsky was succinct when asked who his starting goaltender would be on opening night against the St. Louis Blues.
“Blacky will start tomorrow,” Warsofsky said.
Mackenzie Blackwood, a six-year NHL veteran, will start for the Sharks in the season opener on Thursday night. Blackwood battled with Vitek Vanecek, a summer acquisition, throughout training camp. Blackwood’s experience advantage played a role in his selection for the opener.
“He’s a guy who’s obviously been here,” Warsofsky said of Blackwood, who started 41 games with the Sharks last season. “Had a really good camp, good summer. Both guys competed for that first game, I’d say, but we thought Blacky gave us the best chance.”
San Jose Sharks goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (29) blocks a shot against the Utah Hockey Club in the second period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
In the near future, top goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov could factor in to the Sharks’ goaltending plans. But that time has not yet arrived.
Askarov sustained a lower-body injury prior to training camp and did not practice with San Jose or participate in a preseason game. Thus, it’s Blackwood’s show to start off the season.
Thursday night will mark the fourth time Blackwood has started his team’s opening night game.
“I feel good,” Blackwood told Bay Area News Group on Tuesday. “I’m happy with where things are today. Every day you work on something else. Every day you pick something to focus in on and try and do the best you can at keeping that sharp.
San Jose Sharks goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (29) stares down the ice during a game against the Minnesota Wild’s in the second period at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, April 13, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
“As you get older and your game gets better, it’s more little details here, sharpening up this or finding this or that. So it’s not big changes, it’s always little details. Timing and reads and stuff like that.”
Blackwood noted that the Sharks’ momentum has surged since the selection of No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini after San Jose finished the 2023-24 season in last place. He anticipates feeling a heightened level of energy at SAP Center on Thursday night.
“There’s a lot of excitement with the direction of the team and where they’re taking this organization,” Blackwood said. “You can feel changes happening and a culture shift. But everything comes down to the players in the room, and they want to be better. They want to take the next step. It doesn’t happen overnight, but (it will) as long as everyone comes in every day, pulls the rope a little bit.”
Celebrini keeps it simple ahead of first NHL game
San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini (71) waits for a face-off against the Vegas Golden Knights in the first period of their preseason game at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Speaking of Celebrini, it sounds as if he doesn’t plan to do much differently ahead of the highly anticipated first game of his NHL career.
Has he talked to housemate Joe Thornton about what to expect?
“No, we’re keeping it light.”
Did he chat with last year’s No. 1 pick and rookie of the year Connor Bedard about it when working out together this summer?
“No, not much.”
But don’t mistake Celebrini’s equanimity for apathy or disinterest. The Vancouver native is plenty excited about his first professional game, and he’s been soaking in wisdom from the Sharks’ veterans in the leadup to the season.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” Celebrini said. “The whole long summer, the training camp, it all led to this. So I’m excited to just play. We have so many great veterans on this team that help me and the young guys learn. I’m sure they’ll be there if we have any questions throughout the year. We follow their lead.”
What success looks like
The Sharks aren’t exactly projected to have a banner year. San Jose is likely ticketed for the lottery once again, though the Sharks’ talent base should be improved from last season.
So with many losses likely looming this season, how will the Sharks measure their progress across the 82-game slate?
“Respect,” Warsofsky said. “(Getting) respect in the National Hockey League back is probably the biggest thing. How do we do that? We’re a hard team to play against each and every night. Whether we win or lose a hockey game, whether we’re in our building, we’re at somewhere else, teams don’t want to play us. That will be the biggest thing for us to hang our hat on.
San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky keeps an eye on the game against the Vegas Golden Knights in the second period of their preseason game at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
“We’re going to focus day to day on what we need to do to do those things, and let the results take care of themselves.”
Twelve-year veteran forward Tyler Toffoli, who won a Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2014 and signed a four-year deal with the Sharks in the offseason, was similarly straightforward about his expectations for the year.
“Winning games,” Toffoli told Bay Area News Group on Wednesday. “We’re not here to lose games. So I think there’s a lot of expectations of us to lose a lot of games, but we have a lot of confidence in our group, and we want to prove a lot of people wrong.”
San Jose Sharks’ Tyler Toffoli (73) scores a goal against Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Isaiah Saville (31) in the third period of their preseason game at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)