Macklin Celebrini (71) in action during the first period against the New York Islanders (San Jose Sharks Media)

By: Fernando Abarca

SAN JOSE, CA– It could have been a good night for Bay Area sports this Saturday night. The San Jose Sharks (30-25-6) added another point in end of regulation after a beautiful goal by the New York Islanders (36-23-5) Bo Harvat. San Jose just couldn’t hold on in overtime losing to New York 2-1 on Saturday night.

With the regular season entering its decisive stretch, the Sharks face one last test in front of their home crowd before beginning a challenging road trip. Every point matters as San Jose continues its pursuit of a potential wild-card berth in the tightly contested Pacific division standings.

The Sharks came into the game looking to bounce back after a frustrating loss to the St. Louis Blues the night before. San Jose managed to strike in the third period and briefly showed signs of momentum, but when the decisive moment arrived, the team was unable to capitalize, letting a crucial opportunity slip away.

The visitors came in to score first with a poor defensive effort by the Sharks, allowing an assist by C. Ritchie, and Tony DeAngelo netting the 1-0 for the Islanders. The entire period would remain scoreless for the men in Teal.

In the second period, the San Jose Sharks quickly erased the deficit, tying the game just 45 seconds into the frame. Macklin Celebrini scored his 32nd goal of the season, finishing a play set up by John Klingberg and Will Smith.

San Jose controlled much of the period, displaying puck movement and sustained possession in the offensive zone. The Sharks generated several quality opportunities and outshot the New York Islanders with 11 shots on goal but they were repeatedly denied by standout goaltending from Ilya Sorokin, who kept the Islanders level despite the Sharks’ offensive pressure.

The third period remained tightly contested as both teams battled to break the deadlock. The New York Islanders came out with greater urgency, increasing their pressure with more shots on goal and sustained offensive-zone time while limiting the San Jose Sharks from creating clean scoring opportunities. Despite the Islanders’ push, goaltender Yaroslav Askarov delivered an impressive performance between the pipes, making several key saves to keep San Jose in the game and force overtime.

In the extra frame, however, the Islanders capitalized on their opportunity. Bo Horvat broke past Macklin Celebrini after a well-timed setup and finished the play to seal a 2–1 overtime victory for New York, handing the Sharks another tough loss where the Teal could not keep up.

Despite the defeat, San Jose showed resilience throughout the night, matching the Islanders’ intensity and generating multiple scoring chances, but the combination of timely defense and strong goaltending from Ilya Sorokin ultimately made the difference, as expected in this stage of the game. The Sharks need to take away the mistakes done tonight to continue the push for a playoff spot.

The Sharks will now begin their road trip as they prepare to face the Buffalo Sabres in their next matchup.