San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini (71) and the Las Vegas Knights forward Gage Quinney (72) face off in NHL exhibition action at SAP Center in San Jose on Sun Sep 22, 2024 (Getty photo)

By Fernando Abarca

Hockey is Back and the wait is over San Jose Sharks kicks off the preseason against Vegas Golden Knights but not as expected.

SAN JOSE – Six months felt like forever as a new chapter for this hockey organization began, all eyes will be put on the teal team as we go closer to real-time. The San Jose Sharks hosted the 2023 Stanley Cup Champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, this Sunday evening.

After all the noise back in June with the NHL draft, the teams are getting situated and planning for a chance to hoist Lord Stanley. The Sharks are still catching up after getting the number one pick in the draft, Macklin Celebrinni the team teal expects a turnaround from last season.

The final score was 4-2 in favor of the visitors showing their dominance, especially in the offense where physicality and aggressiveness outplay a young and inexperienced but over time can provide support for bigger things, as they demonstrated by winning the rookie showcase a couple of days ago.

The figure of the night for the San Jose team was the number one prospect in the league, Macklin Celebrini, who scored a goal on the power play with his teammate Tyler Toffoli who last played in Winnipeg last season, it demonstrated chemistry and what can we see as the regular season unfolds.

FIRST PERIOD

During the first period,  the Golden Nights started strong and aggressive as I mentioned before trying to take all possible advantages. It was already known that the Vegas team was not coming with so many novelties.

One point to pay attention to in this game was the offense that cost dearly in the first period when only 7 minutes into the first period. Las Vegas forward C. Burke marked the first warning sign of the night for the locals assisted by Christopher Sedoff and Brendan Brisson where the unfortunate case was the deflection that gave the advantage to Vegas. 

The San Jose team tried to stay firm and try to look for an opportunity. In the 10th minute, spirits were raised with a shot at goal but it fell into the net for which the referee pointed out that it was not a goal. The first period continued without much news in which the home team began to be affected by penalties.

SECOND PERIOD

In the second period, the visitors had a clear mind and were to maintain the advantage on the scoreboard and this is how it happened. 

During the second period, the visitors scored two goals to leave the lead 3 – 0 over the locals who were looking to find answers to Las Vegas’ goaltending which was doing its job very well.

In the same way, as it happened in the first period, after 7 minutes of the period, Vegas forward 

Brendan Howden without complications and with all the time and space in the world scored the second goal of the night 

With a 2 – 0 lead The Sharks were beginning to look desperate and rethinking what their next move would be.

7 minutes later the third goal for the Knights came with a beautiful play executed by Mason Morelli and Jakub Brabenec allowing Thomas Uronen to seal his goal of the night.

THIRD PERIOD.

The moment that everyone was waiting for and for which expectations remained alive, was the moment to shine for the future promise of the Sharks, Macklin Celebrini scoring his first-ever goal for the Sharks which he was assisted by L. Cagnoni and by M Granlund.

Celebrini’s goal raised the spirits of the people at the SAP Center hoping that they could turn it around. The momentum did not stop there, the second goal for the Sharks came just seconds after Sharks Forward, Tyler Toffoli scored the second goal of the night for the Sharks, leaving the score at one point.

The most significant of those minutes was how the team performed in the powerplay, demonstrating the danger of this team, and the potential that San Jose can create, with team and preparation the PowerPlay can be seriously dangerous.

At the end of the night, an empty goal by T. Pearson buried any hopes of taking it to overtime for San Jose. The late reaction and errors cost the game for San Jose, but the defeat also shows the points to improve and refine the good things that can be salvaged from this game.

After the game, Tyler Toffoli and Macklin Celebrini addressed media to provide their take aways.

“I think there is a lot a good feeling, getting my first game, and go out there and play, like I said I have so many good things on the third and had a chance to tie