Macklin Celebrini finished San Jose’s comeback in Montreal, wiring a power-play one-timer 2:13 into overtime to give the Sharks a 4-3 win over the Canadiens at Bell Centre on Tuesday.
Celebrini supplies the overtime finish
Montreal goaltender Jakub Dobes was called for interference on Sharks forward Collin Graf at 1:53 of the extra period, putting San Jose on a late man advantage. Twenty seconds later, Ivar Stenberg found Celebrini in the right circle, and the 20-year-old snapped his one-timer past Dobes for his second goal of the night.
Celebrini added an assist as San Jose (5-4-1) halted a two-game skid after a regulation loss and an overtime defeat, including Monday’s 3-1 loss in Toronto. Alex Nedeljkovic turned aside 31 shots for the Sharks.
“The first couple periods, we were a bit disconnected,” Celebrini said. “It was nice to get everybody pulling together, playing the same way, and getting rewarded for it.”
- Celebrini’s overtime winner was his fourth career extra-time goal.
- That total matches Ilya Kovalchuk and Sean Monahan for the most overtime goals by an NHL player aged 20 or younger.
- He has produced at least three points in each of his past three games against Montreal, dating back to last season.
- Celebrini now owns 12 points, including six goals and six assists, in five career games against the Canadiens.
Sharks erase a two-goal third-period hole
The Sharks trailed 3-1 heading into the third but started pressing Montreal’s defense with more purpose. Michael Misa pulled San Jose within one at 5:36, getting behind defenseman Noah Dobson on his drive toward the crease and converting Kiefer Sherwood’s pass.
Tyler Toffoli then tied the game on the power play at 11:09. Celebrini moved the puck from the right side to Toffoli in the slot, where the veteran forward hammered home a one-touch shot.
“For the first two periods, we were chasing the game, and that led to frustration,” Toffoli said. “In the third, things changed. We had a couple power plays, but we earned that win and found a way to get it done.”
Celebrini said San Jose did not want to wait for Montreal to hand over the game.
“We wanted to take it to them,” he said. “We weren’t playing our game for the first two periods, and it showed. In the third, we got on the front foot and were able to get even.”
Canadiens let early control slip away
San Jose opened the scoring at 13:49 of the first period. Will Smith’s forecheck disrupted Jake Evans’ attempted pass, leaving the puck loose near the high slot. Celebrini collected it, broke in alone and lifted a shot over Dobes’ right arm.
Montreal answered before intermission when captain Nick Suzuki beat Nedeljkovic from the right circle at 16:38, taking a pass from Juraj Slafkovsky.
- Slafkovsky gave Montreal a 2-1 lead 1:25 into the second period, chipping the puck beyond Sharks defenseman Darnell Nurse, recovering it, then cutting across the crease before sliding it around Nedeljkovic.
- Cole Caufield extended the Canadiens’ edge to 3-1 at 14:03 of the second, firing past Nedeljkovic after Suzuki fed him from behind the net.
- Misa started San Jose’s third-period rally at 5:36.
- Toffoli’s power-play goal at 11:09 brought the Sharks level.
- Celebrini ended it with the overtime power-play strike.
Caufield, Slafkovsky and Suzuki each finished with a goal and an assist for Montreal (4-3-2), which had won three of its previous four outings. Dobes made 26 saves.
Caufield said the interference call came from a competitive moment, but acknowledged Montreal could not afford to give a skilled Sharks power play an opening.
“He’s competing and trying to win, trying to deal with the pick,” Caufield said of Dobes. “From what I saw, he was in his crease, and I don’t know the exact rule. But in that spot of the game, it is not necessary. You give the officials a chance to make that call, and against that group, they can make you pay on the power play.”
Slafkovsky said the Canadiens lost the structure that had protected their net through two periods.
“We had some looks in the third, but we gave them too much,” Slafkovsky said. “For two periods we kept them away from our net, then suddenly they were getting almost anything they wanted. They have talented players who can make plays and score, but it can’t happen.”
Notebook from Bell Centre
- Sharks forward Alexander Wennberg missed the game after being injured Monday against the Maple Leafs. He is listed day to day.
- Suzuki’s goal and assist stretched his point streak to four games. He has two goals and three assists during that run.
- Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson earned an assist on Suzuki’s first-period goal. The helper gave Hutson 135 career points before turning 23, tying Henri Richard for the most in franchise history by a Montreal player under that age.
