San Jose Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini scored his 11th goal of the season last night against the Winnipeg Jets.
Celebrini pulled off another no-look goal last night with a backhanded shot that beat Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck five-hole.
Celebrini tied Philadelphia Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov for the most goals by a rookie this season.
“No, I wasn’t looking at Hellebuyck. I just tried to play it down to Alexander Wennberg, and he said he let it through,” Celebrini said. “His hockey IQ is off the charts. It just worked out.”
The 18-year-old joked that it was a pass that slipped through. Celebrini’s shot completely caught the Jets goalie off guard, displaying his high hockey IQ.
His 11th goal of the season wasn’t the only no-look play he had during last night’s game as he made a cross-ice pass to Mario Ferraro.
The hockey sense Celerbini displays at 18 years old is off the charts. Multiple players on the Sharks are already calling Celebrini the team’s best player.
“Mack is obviously our best player, and we got to protect him,” Jake Walman said postgame. “[We] want to want him to feel comfortable and safe out there, and in many years to come, he’s got to feel like that. He can kind of do whatever he wants out there, and we’ll have his back.”
Celebrini is up to 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 22 games and continues to amaze every night he steps onto the ice.