SAN JOSE — San Jose Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky knew Macklin Celebrini’s skillset well before the former Boston University standout began his professional career.
Now that he’s his head coach, Warsofsky is equally impressed with Celebrini’s ability to adapt.
After recently taking some suggestions from Warsofsky, Celebrini had his most productive game of the young season Monday in the Sharks’ 7-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings.
Celebrini scored two of the Sharks’ five third-period goals, which is the most the team has scored in any third period since the 2016 playoffs. That year, San Jose scored five third-period goals in a 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators in Game 1 of their second-round series.
Celebrini scored one on a 35-foot slap shot that beat Kings goalie David Rittich 63 seconds into the third period for a 3-2 Sharks lead. He added another on a one-timer from near the faceoff dot at the 3:43 mark – and also assisted on Fabian Zetterlund’s second-period even-strength goal that tied the game 2-2.
Celebrini became the second 18-year-old in Sharks history to record a three-point game, joining Patrick Marleau (March 5, 1998).
Celebrini also remained responsible on the defensive end as the Sharks snapped a three-game losing streak and leveled their record on this four-game homestand at 1-1-0. San Jose hosts the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday.
“Mack and I have had some conversations,” Warsofsky said. “Sometimes he wants to shoot it through the goalie. He has a good release, a sneaky release, where he can catch the goalie, like he did tonight (on the 35-foot slap shot).
“But when he’s not scoring, he can press, and that’s what happens as a young player. But I give him a lot of credit. That conversation was after the last game, and he responded, and he took in the information.”
Celebrini was held off the scoresheet Saturday in the Sharks’ 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday after Joe Thornton’s jersey retirement night at SAP Center. He had three shots on goal in over 20 minutes of ice time, but it sometimes felt like he was trying to do too much.
Celebrini found a balance against the Kings and now has 10 points in 12 games. Despite missing 12 games with a hip injury, Celebrinim, before Tuesday’s games, was fifth-most among all NHL rookies in scoring.
Before Tuesday’s games, Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov had the rookie lead with 17 points in 20 games.
“I also like (how) his game is developing away from the puck defensively,” Warsofsky said of Celebrini. “The last couple of games have been really good defensively, and he’s really coming on as a 200-foot player.”
This season will be an adjustment for Celebrini and Will Smith, who only played a combined 79 games at the college level last season. While Smith has been given development days, or games off, since the start of the season, Celebrini, like several other Sharks, has now played 11 games in 22 days.
“It’s their first 82-game seasons,” said Sharks center Nico Sturm, who played at Clarkson University from 2016 to 2019. “Coming from college, you play 40-45 games. It’s a lot different. You always play on Friday and Saturday, and you have the whole week to recover.
“Now it’s like you might play Tuesday and Wednesday, then you have two days off.”
More games are coming, as the Sharks are in the middle of one of their busiest stretches of the season. Monday’s game was their fifth in eight days, and after Wednesday, the Sharks have a home-and-home series with Seattle on Friday and Saturday.
So far, Celebrini is showing no signs of slowing down. As Warsofsky can attest, he’s gradually getting better.
“It’s just having fun with enjoying it,” Celebrini said. “We’re doing what we love. I mean, we chose to do this as a profession. This is why we all come to the rinks every day and play hockey; we love it.
“So I’m just staying positive, just keeping the energy. You’re going to have down days, but that’s what your teammates are there for, just to pick you up when you’re having those days.”
GRANLUND UPDATE: The Sharks were without leading scorer Mikael Granlund on Monday for the first time this season, and his status for the team’s game against the Senators will not be known until Wednesday.
Granlund had 21:42 in ice time in the Sharks’ loss to the Sabres on Saturday, then was given a maintenance day on Sunday. Warsofsky said Monday morning that he had a few players “nicked up” and that there would be some game-time decisions.
Granlund, who plays in all situations, has 24 points in 23 games this season and leads all of the team’s forwards in average time on ice (21:15).
ASKAROV SHINES: Rookie goalie Yaroslav Askarov, making his first start in San Jose, stopped 22 of 24 shots for his first win in a Sharks uniform.
In two games for the Sharks, Askarov has stopped 51 of 55 shots for a .927 save percentage. San Jose is carrying three goalies on their roster for now, with Askarov, Mackenzie Blackwood and Vitek Vanecek.
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One of Askarov’s strengths is his ability to play the puck, as his quick pass to defenseman Mario Ferraro started a play that resulted in Nico Sturm’s first-period breakaway goal.
“He was good. He looks more and more comfortable every period he plays in the National Hockey League,” Warsofsky said of Askarov. “Looks calm in the net. Made some big saves. Nice to have him cut some rims on the defensive zone so he can stop pucks up and get numbers around it. He does a really good job of it.
“We’re going to monitor it a little bit, but he’s confident with the puck, and he’s a confident kid.”