Sharks End 25-26 Season With Win & Celebrini Making History

Macklin Celebrini had a goal and two assists to become the single-season points record holder in franchise history, and the San Jose Sharks beat the Winnipeg Jets 6-1.

With the win, the Sharks cannot improve their draft lottery position, 9th (5%). The Sharks ended their season with their 39th win, matching the previous two years combined. Celebrini finished his second NHL season with 45 goals and 70 assists.

William Eklund had a goal and two assists, and John Klingberg had three assists to help pace the Sharks, who finished with a 39-35-8 record this season. Thursday’s game was also Klingberg’s 700th career game. Michael Misa, Igor Chernyshov, and Will Smith scored the other goals for San Jose, and Alex Nedeljkovic made 25 saves.

Cole Koepke scored the only goal for the Jets, who finished their season with a 35-35-12 record. Winnipeg won the Presidents’ Trophy last season and failed to make the playoffs. Eric Comrie made 27 saves.

Four Sharks players played in all 82 games this season: Mario Ferraro, Dmitry Orlov, Barclay Goodrow, and Celebrini.

Koepke put the Jets up 1-0 at 3:28 of the first period. After Mario Ferraro couldn’t catch a pass at the point, Koepke raced down on a breakaway and beat Nedeljkovic over the blocker.

Chernyshov tied the game at one with a power-play goal at 6:26. Celebrini made a nice pass to William Eklund at the point, and his shot rebounded to Chernyshov, who had two wacks to get it by Comrie.

Smith put the Sharks up 2-1 at 16:54. Celebrini found Smith on the left wing for the open goal to tie Joe Thornton’s record for most points in a season with 114.

Graf pushed the San Jose Sharks’ lead to 3-1 at 5:51 of the second period. Graf cut to the middle in front of a defender, then beat Comrie with a wrist shot by the blocker.

Misa made it 4-1 at 18:01. While on a two-on-one, Misa opted to shoot, and Comrie made the initial save, but the Sharks forward got his own rebound and put the puck by Comrie’s glove.

Eklund scored the Sharks’ fifth unanswered goal to make it 5-1 at 19:55. Mario Ferraro’s one-timer created a rebound in front, and Eklund made a great move around Comrie and stuffed it home.

Celebrini broke Thornton’s record to make it 6-1 at 1:14 of the third period. Celebrini got a puck from Klingberg in the slot and fired a shot by Comrie’s blocker.