Macklin Celebrini recorded his 20th goal of the season and added an assist as the San Jose Sharks defeated the Vancouver Canucks 6–3 on Saturday night at Rogers Arena.
The North Vancouver native continued his strong run of form, extending his point streak to seven games with 14 points (five goals, nine assists) over that span. Celebrini has also been a consistent thorn in Vancouver’s side, registering at least one point in all five games he has played against the Canucks this season.
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Igor Chernyshov scored the first NHL goal of his career and added an assist, while Collin Graf found the back of the net for a fourth consecutive game. Yaroslav Askarov turned aside 24 shots as the San Jose Sharks (18-17-3) snapped a three-game losing streak.
For Vancouver, Conor Garland and Filip Hronek each recorded two assists, and Thatcher Demko finished with 32 saves. The Canucks (15-19-3), who entered the game off a strong 4-1-0 road trip prior to the Christmas break, continued to struggle at Rogers Arena, where they have managed just four wins all season (4-11-1).
Ryan Reaves opened the scoring at 6:13 of the first period, snapping a 24-game goal drought by jamming home a loose puck behind Demko as the goaltender lunged to smother it with his blocker, giving the Sharks a 1–0 lead.
John Klingberg doubled the lead at 7:55, firing a point shot through heavy traffic after Celebrini won a clean offensive-zone faceoff back to the blue line.
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Vancouver answered on the power play at 10:04, with Linus Karlsson finishing a backdoor tap-in off a crisp feed from Conor Garland to cut the deficit to 2–1.
The Sharks restored their two-goal cushion at 12:38 of the second period. Thatcher Demko denied Celebrini’s one-timer, but the rebound ricocheted off William Eklund at the top of the crease before Canucks center Marco Rossi inadvertently knocked the puck into his own net, resulting in Eklund being credited with the goal.
Rossi made amends early in the third period, scoring just 36 seconds in to cut the deficit to 3–2 by snapping a loose puck from the slot that glanced off Askarov’s blocker and in. It marked his first goal in six games since being acquired from the Minnesota Wild in the Dec. 12 trade that sent defenseman Quinn Hughes the other way.
Vancouver nearly pulled even moments later, successfully killing off a lengthy 5-on-3 for 52 seconds, but San Jose capitalized before the advantage expired. With nine seconds remaining on the second penalty, Chernyshov restored the two-goal cushion at 4:47, quickly snapping a feed from Adam Gaudette past Thatcher Demko after finding open space at the top of the crease. The goal was the first of Chernyshov’s NHL career, coming in just his fifth game.
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The Canucks stayed within striking distance when Drew O’Connor scored short-handed on a 2-on-1 at 10:43, wiring a wrist shot to make it 4–3. Any momentum was short-lived, however, as Celebrini answered at 16:20, hammering a one-timer off a Chernyshov feed for his 20th goal of the season and a 5–3 Sharks lead.
While most of the Sharks arrived from San Jose earlier that day, Celebrini enjoyed a familiar setting in Vancouver, skating in the same building where he spent much of his childhood alongside his brother Aiden, now a Canucks defense prospect. With family in attendance following the holidays, the moment carried added significance for the North Vancouver native.
Chernyshov continued his strong start, now totaling five points in five games while spending most of his time alongside Celebrini. His size, puck protection, and instincts around the net have quickly translated to the NHL level, earning him trust in prime offensive situations.
Graf sealed the deal with an empty-net goal at 16:55, his fifth tally in four games, completing a 6–3 victory that featured goals from six different Sharks. The balanced scoring underscored San Jose’s depth, a key ingredient for sustained success.
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Celebrini wasn’t the only Shark enjoying a homecoming. Defenseman Vincent Lori, a native of nearby Coquitlam, picked up an assist on Ryan Reaves’ opening goal and heard his name announced in the arena where he once skated as a child. With dozens of family members and friends in attendance, the night marked a fitting full-circle moment in his young NHL career.
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