NEW YORK – The San Jose Sharks earned their first win of the season after a thrilling 6-5 overtime victory over the New York Rangers.
Macklin Celebrini had a hat trick and two assists, while Will Smith had two goals and two assists.
Tonight was Celebrini’s second career hat trick and five-point game. He had the same stat line against the Minnesota Wild last season.
“That’s what he does best,” Celebrini said of Smith postgame. “He’s a pretty special player. You’ve seen him before, the kind of plays he’s able to make. I was just on the receiving end of a couple of those.”
Ryan Reaves threw his helmet onto the ice after Celebrini’s third goal to make sure there was recognition for the achievement.
“I was just making sure there was something on the ice for him,” Reaves said. “Because we were away, so I didn’t know how far up the Sharks fans were, if they have good arms or not.”
Celebrini returned the favor by feeding Smith for the overtime winning goal.
“It was all Mack,” Smith said of Celebrini. “He made a great play in the corner and stripped a guy and found me in the slot.”
Reaves made an impression on the San Jose Sharks roster tonight after fighting Rangers tough guy Matt Rempe.
Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky had high praise for the enforcer.
“He’s been awesome. I can’t say enough good things about this man,” Warsofsky said postgame. “He brings energy to our room. He’s a veteran guy. Knows how we want to play with structure. He’s yelling at guys in the D-zone on coverage on where to go. Yeah, he fights. He stands up for teammates. He protects teammates. Has a huge block. He’s been awesome. Been an awesome addition.”
Tonight’s victory was the first since March 27th against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Going into the game, the Sharks were on a 17-game losing streak.
Celebrini finished the game with five shots and now has four goals in the past two games. His game has been trending upward in a hurry since the 3-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins last Saturday.
“I’m not sure, wish I could tell you. I feel good with my game,” Celebrini said.
The San Jose Sharks superstar told reporters that he would rank his game tonight as one of his favorites he’s ever played in his life.
“I mean, MSG, it’s pretty cool. We only get to come here once a year,” Celebrini said. “I mean, it was great to get the first one.”
Smith’s performances have improved significantly, especially since he was put back on Celebrini’s line.
“I knew I was gonna be depended on and I didn’t take that lightly,” Smith said. “I want to make sure I can be trusted and just do whatever I can to help this team win.”
Warsofsky joked after the game that he still has all of his kids. This comes after a frustrated comment last Saturday that he later apologized for.
The Sharks will now have to quickly put this win behind them as they head to Newark, New Jersey, to face a red-hot New Jersey Devils team that has won six straight games.
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