San Jose Sharks goaltender Alexander Georgiev (40) and Fabian Zetterlund (20) blocks the path Nashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg (9) in the second period at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Tue Jan 21, 2025 (AP News photo)
By Mary Walsh
The San Jose Sharks fell 7-5 to the Nashville Predators Tuesday. Fedor Svechkov, Tommy Novak, Justin Barron, Jonathan Marchessault, Roman Josi, Nick Blankenburg and Filip Forsberg scored for Nashville. Juuse Saros made four saves in the first period. Justus Annunen made 15 saves in the second and third periods. Macklin Celebrini, Luke Kunin, Mikael Granlund and Jake Walman scored for San Jose. Alexandar Georgiev made 34 saves in the loss.
After the game, Sharks Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky said:
“I think we had a good start. We did things that we wanted to do. And then, you know, we got immature with our game again. We got soft with puck plays especially. Made some bad reads, starting in the offensive zone. Tried to make a cross-ice pass when the puck should be delivered to the net.”
The game was an example of extremes for both teams: each had one very good period and one disastrous period. Sharks fans must by now be used to the frustration of watching the team give up leads, but to give up a four goal lead is unusual.
Macklin Celebrini opened the scoring just 1:07 into the first period. Celebrini scored with a wrist shot on a breakaway thanks to Cody Ceci’s stretch pass. Ceci and William Eklund got the assists.
Luke Kunin made it 2-0 at 11:42 with a wrist shot from high in the slot. Ceci got the assist.
Fourteen seconds later, Mikael Granlund made it 3-0 with a slap shot off a cross-ice pass from Will Smith. Smith and Fabian Zetterlund got the assists.
Tommy Novak got one back for Nashville at 12:20, scoring with a wrist shot from close in. That made three goals in 38 seconds. Assists went to Luke Schenn and Zachary L’Heureux.
Alexander Wennberg won the puck along the boards and skated to the net, two-on-none with Jake Walman. Wennberg made a short little pass across the slot and Walman backhanded it in for the Sharks’ fourth goal of the period.
At the end of the period, the shots were even and just one penalty had been called, a puck over the glass against Nashville. The Predators changed goaltenders to start the second period.
Mikael Granlund scored his second of the night with a power play goal at 4:28 of the second period. Celebrini moved like he was going to the net, but instead passed to Eklund on the goal line and Eklund passed it across the crease to Granlund for the shot.
Fedor Svechkov scored for Nashville with a shot from the slot, following a lot of puck movement from Nashville. Assists went to Colton Sissons and Novak.
Justin Barron made it 5-3 just 53 seconds later. Barron’s wrist shot came after another series of quick passes that had the Sharks defense befuddled. Assists went to Filip Forsberg and Steven Stamkos.
The Sharks had just five shots on goal in the second period to Nashville’s 18. That was the beginning of a comeback by the Predators. In the third period, they mirrored the Sharks’ first period with four goals, one on the power play and one into an empty net. The goal scorers were Jonathan Marchessault, Roman Josi, Nick Blankenburg and Filip Forsberg.
The Sharks next play on Thursday against the Nashville Predators in San Jose at 7:30 PM PT.
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