Max Miller
The San Jose Sharks lost for the second time this season as the Edmonton Oilers won 3-1 on Saturday afternoon at the SAP Center.
Macklin Celebrini returned to the Sharks lineup after missing the previous two games with a lower-body injury. His return was worthwhile as well, as the captain scored the only goal for the home team,
Darnell Nurse faced his former team for the first time in his career, was tasked with defending Connor McDavid’s line, and did well.
1. McDavid and co. make Sharks pay despite strong defensive effort
The San Jose Sharks did a great job defending McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on Saturday, but they still gave up a goal to that line.
Nurse and Michael Kesselring did a good job keeping them on the perimeter, and McDavid’s only chance came when the Sharks were in the middle of a change. Giving a player of that ability any time and space is dangerous, as he’ll more often than not make you pay.
“I think Kesselring, he can skate, right? He can skate with some high-end guys,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said postgame. “I thought Nurse played really well tonight. I don’t think our D were the issue.”
Alexander Wennberg, Ivar Stenberg, and Kiefer Sherwood were the forward line against McDavid, and Warsofsky was once again very complimentary.
“They did a really good job against that line. The one point he had, I think, was off a line change, not against their line,” Warsofsky said. “They did a really good job, all three of them.”
2. Change up the top line needed?
The San Jose Sharks top line of Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and Mason Marchment looked great on opening night, but hasn’t really clicked since.
Smith and Marchment were both quiet in this game, especially Marchment. Marchment struggled to hold onto pucks at times, and his lack of foot speed showed tonight. Generally, the winger can feed the Sharks’ top forwards well, but tonight it just didn’t work.
In the third period, the team moved Igor Chernyshov from the 4th line to the top line in place of Marchment. Warsofsky talked about the need to find chemistry, and building it is something the team is still working on.
“We got to figure it out, right? There’s a balance of kind of building some chemistry, and there’s a balance of finding chemistry and what clicks and what matchups you want to get,” Warsofsky said. “We got to figure out our lines here.”
3. Misa and Stenberg need to play more, possibly together
When the San Jose Sharks are at their best, Michael Misa plays a bigger role in the lineup. Since training camp began, the 2025 No. 2 pick has stood out in a very good way.
His speed, creativity, and added strength have been on full display all season. Although he hasn’t scored a goal yet, he’s generating chances. Misa’s line created the most scoring chances on Saturday (4) and only gave up one chance against, per Natural Stat Trick.
The centerman played just 12:44, despite driving the play the best. The Sharks didn’t have to kill any penalties until the third period, so 77 had plenty of opportunity to play.
In their one preseason game together, Misa and Stenberg showed terrific chemistry. While Stenberg’s two-way game was useful against McDavid tonight, it might be time to put the two skilled players on the same line. Misa earned his third assist of the season.
“[Misa has] had a bunch of chances, and he had a bunch of chances tonight,” Celebrini said postgame. “I think with his speed and the way he’s able to use his feet and his hands, I think he just creates so much and maybe hasn’t fallen for him. I think he’s going to get some more.”
The Sharks will have a day off on Sunday, but return for practice on Monday. They host the Boston Bruins at 8 p.m. PT on Tuesday.
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