Tag: NHL

Olympic Hockey podcast Lincoln Juarez: Canada jumps right in with 5-0 win over Czechia; plus more Hockey Olympic news

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Canada’s Bo Horvat scores the third goal against the Czech Republic’s goaltender Lukas Dostal in the prelimary round match of the men’s hockey at the 2026 Olympics on Thu Feb 12, 2026 in Milan Italy (AP News photo0

Olympic Hockey podcast Lincoln Juarez:

#1 Can Team Canada sustain its Olympic momentum after a dominant 5-0 win over Czechia? — Canada’s NHL-loaded roster delivered a statement performance in their Olympic opener, led by goaltender Jordan Binnington’s shutout and strong contributions from stars like Macklin Celebrini.

#2 How will fans and teams react to the controversial overturned goals in the USA-Latvia game? — The U.S. rallied for a 5-1 victory, but two early goals were wiped off, sparking debate about officiating in Olympic hockey.

#3 Who gets the nod in key Olympic goalie and lineup decisions? — Team USA announced Connor Hellebuyck as its starting goalie, marking a big strategic choice for America’s Olympic campaign.

#4 What is the status of NHL access and media content at the Olympics? — NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says the league is getting broader access to Olympic hockey content in Milan and hopes for even more in future Games.

#5 Which international rivalries or matchups are shaping up next at the Olympics? — Teams like Finland and Sweden are renewing historic rivalries as the Olympic hockey tournament continues.

Join Lincoln Juarez for the 2026 Olympics Hockey podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Utah Mammoth game wrap: Mammoth Clips Wings 4-1, Improves to 30-23-4 At Olympic Break

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Utah Mammoth center Nick Schmaltz (8) grabs the puck as the Detroit Red Wings defenseman Ben Chiarot (8) defends in the first period at the Delta Center on Wed Feb 4, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY– Detroit Red Wing goaltender Karel Vejmelka delivers inspired performance in honor of his uncle as Utah dominated Detroit 4-1 on both ends of the ice.

The Utah Mammoth (29-23-4) took to the ice Wednesday night for the final home game prior to the Olympic break against the Detroit Red Wings (33-18-6).  Prior to the game, Utah paid tribute to its four Olympians who will depart this week for Milan, Italy: Clayton Keller (USA), JJ Peterka (Germany), Karel Vejmelka (Czechia), and Olli Määttä (Finland).  Keller makes his Olympics debut after captaining Team USA to a gold medal at the 2025 IIHF World Championships, its first in 92 years.

Peterka is also making his Olympics debut, having previously won a silver medal at the 2023 IIHF World Championships, Germany’s first medal in 70 years.  Vejmelka is the third Mammoth player making his Olympic debut in Italy, having previously represented Czechia in the past four IIHF World Championships where he won the gold medal in Prague in 2024.

Lastly, Määttä makes his second Olympic appearance, having won the bronze medal for Finland at Sochi in 2014. Three members of the Detroit Red Wings are also traveling to Milan this week: Dylan Larkin (USA), Moritz Seider (Germany), and Lucas Raymond (Sweden).

Breaking from the team’s recent trend of slow starts, the Mammoth hit the scoreboard just 57 seconds into the contest when Detroit forward Andrew Copp attempted to clear the puck from behind his net to linemate Alex DeBrincat who fanned on the puck allowing Sean Durzi to one-time a snap shot from the dasher boards past John Gibson for his 5th goal of the season unassisted. 

Utah went on the power play at 7:50 when Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin went to the sin bin for slashing against Lawson Crouse. Nick Schmaltz, who has been on a hot streak of late, cashed it in just 21 seconds later for his 23rd of the season, tying his career-best high of 2021-2022 with the Coyotes, assisted by Barrett Hayton and Keller. His five power play goals this season tie him with Dylan Guenther for the team lead. 

During a TV timeout, Utah recognized future Hall of Fame forward Patrick Kane, who passed Mike Modano last week Thursday to become the highest-scoring United States-born player in NHL history with his 1,375th point on an assist against the Capitals. Kane was shown acknowledging the crowd on the Jumbotron as players from both teams tapped their sticks and fans saluted him with a standing ovation.

The 37-year-old flashed some slick moves in the first period, but Vejmelka kept him off the scoresheet. The opening frame concluded with the Mammoth leading 2-0.  Gibson stopped 7 of 9 in the first, while Vejmelka turned away all 6 Red Wings shots on goal.

The second period was all defense, with Gibson denying 9 Mammoth shots on goal, while Vejmelka stopped 11 including some world class saves on the penalty kill.

Dylan Guenther, who leads all Mammoth players in goals on the season, gave Utah some additional breathing room at 4:40 of the third period when he won a puck battle at the blue line and then powered his way to the front of the net to put a wrist shot past Gibson for his 25th unassisted. 

Down 3-0 and with Nick DeSimone in the penalty box for a puck over the glass infraction, Detroit pulled its goalie for a 6-on-4 man advantage which succeeded in killing Vejmelka’s shutout when Dylan Larkin found the back of the net for his 26th of the season, assisted by James van Riemsdyk  and Moritz Seider. 

With fresh memories of surrendering 3 goals in 89 seconds against Carolina six days earlier, the Mammoth shut the Red Wings down the rest of the way, with Olympian Clayton Keller picking up his 17th goal of the season into an empty net at 17:42, assisted by Schmaltz and Crouse, sending dozens of fans wearing red sweaters to the exits.  Utah held on to win 4-1 and are now 12-4-1 since New Year’s Day.

The box score on Utah’s Olympians: Keller finished with a goal and an assist, Peterka played a solid game but was scoreless, and Vejmelka stopped 29 of 30 shots for his league-leading 27th victory.

Vejmelka had extra motivation to perform well in tribute to his uncle who just passed away. “Yeah, he was a big, big, sport. You know, he played tennis very well for a long time, so he taught me a lot. He was a great human being. This game was for him and I obviously performed for him tonight.” As Utah heads into the break, Veggie said, “I think we are moving in the right direction. We are hitting the right way and we need to keep that same mindset for the rest of the season. With using this break to rest our minds, but have that same mindset when we get back here.” With regard to the Olympics, Vejmelka added, “I believe I should try to keep the same mindset, obviously the ring will be the same size, maybe even a little smaller. So I don’t think it’s gonna be a big difference. I just try to focus on the next game, but this was a huge moment for us to get this win tonight.”

Dylan Guenther, speaking of the team’s overall confidence heading into the break, said, “It’s great. I think heading into the break while getting a couple wins, makes you feel good. It lets you relax a little bit. It’s not in the back of your head. So I’m just happy we got those two wins. And it’s nice to take the time off.” When asked about maintaining the team’s momentum when they return from the break, Guenther said, “I think just go have a good break, but stay in shape, while also taking advantage of this time. We played well coming back last year, but not good enough. St. Louis was hot, and a lot of teams are going to come out flying. So we need to make sure that we’re ready to go in the first game.”

Head Coach André Tourigny’s first words at the microphone after greeting the media following the game: “It was a solid game by our special teams. Our goalie was rock solid. It was a huge win for us. Hell yeah!”  The scoring was spread out throughout the lineup on Wednesday night, and Tourigny remarked, “You talk about the scoring, no doubt. But as well, I think everybody contributed. I think our fourth line was key tonight in the third period, especially. Big fight by (Brandon Tanev). In the third period, every time they were on the ice they got on the forecheck, they got the puck deep…I think they gave us some energy. That was really good. That’s one of our strengths that we have them (fourth line).” On the team’s best penalty killer in the crease, Tourigny said of Vejmelka, “It helps you win games, no doubt about it. I think he’s been on a good stretch, played a lot of hockey and is going to the Olympics. I’m happy for him. You never know how those guys going to the Olympics will be able to stay in the present. The three (Olympians) who played, they were rock solid today. JJ (Peterka) was really good. (Clayton Keller) was really good. And (Vejmelka) was really good. I’m proud of them and our team needed them. We all know the standings. But more importantly, we challenged ourselves to say ‘hey, you win that game, you finish before the break in a playoff spot. You lose, you may not.’ That was an important one for us.”

A reporter for KSL-TV asked Bear about the team’s recent results despite several key injuries including Logan Cooley and Alexander Kerfoot. He responded, “That’s a good question and deserves a good long answer. But the big thing is, we have depth. But we have guys that are really good in their own ways. If you look at, for example, Jack McBain, he’s a really good player in his own style. If you look across the league to get a guy who plays with that kind of pace, that kind of drive, who can make plays with the puck, who can win big draws, play on special teams and stuff like that. That’s an example. It’s the same thing for Barrett Hayton, or if we go with (Kailer Yamamoto) who’s depth; but he can play at any moment in our top six or our top nine and generate offense and win battles. If I went throughout our lineup like that, we have that in our lineup. We don’t have guys who are just OK at a little bit of everything. They all have something that they bring; energy, physicality…Kevin Stenlund is one of the best (penalty kill) players in the league, so on and so forth. All of them, they have something (that is) really good…NHL good. That’s why we’re capable of being successful even if we’re missing very good players.”  Up in the press box I asked Cooley if he was good to go when play resumes at the end of the month and he gave a thumbs up.

For Utah’s players without travel plans during the Olympic break, they will have been able to spend the entire month of February without leaving home thanks to a schedule which resumes for three games at Delta Center beginning February 25th against the top team in the NHL, the Colorado Avalanche, which is also projected to mark the return of star forward Cooley (14g, 9a, 23pts in 29 games) from the Injured Reserved list. Utah went 16-11-1 during Cooley’s absence.

Utah Mammoth game wrap: Schmaltz Smokes Canucks In 6-2 Mammoth Victory

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Utah Mammoth center Nick Schmaltz (8) falls against the Vancouver Canucks right wing Jonathan Lekkerimaki (23) in the first period at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Mon Feb 2, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–Utah forward Nick Schmaltz recorded a hat trick and an assist as the Mammoth dominated the hapless Vancouver Canucks 6-2.

The Utah Mammoth (28-23-4) hosted the Vancouver Canucks (18-31-6) on Monday night for the second of three home games prior to the Olympic break. Utah hoped to bounce back from Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Dallas Stars while Vancouver hoped to bounce back from the entirety of 2026 where they have lost 14 of 16 since the ball drop on New Year’s Eve.

Repeating the opening miscues from Saturday night, the Mammoth took an early too many men on the ice penalty at 1:24 of the first period to give the Canucks a quick man advantage. Not repeating from Saturday night, Utah killed the penalty, and as Jack McBain was sprung from the box the Mammoth had an odd-man rush as Nick Schmaltz netted his 20th goal of the season ten seconds later on a wrist shot, with John Marino and Barrett Hayton picking up the assists. Schmaltz has now tallied 20 or more goals for five consecutive seasons and for the sixth time overall in his career.

At 7:04 Vancouver tied things up with Liam Öhgren’s fourth goal of the season, assisted by Conor Garland and Teddy Blueger. The PA announcer barely mentioned Öhgren’s goal when 33 seconds later Schmaltz picked up his second goal of the night and 21st on the season to put Utah up 2-1, assisted by Sean Durzi. Kevin Lankinen stopped 7 of 9 shots in the frame, while Karel Vejmelka turned away 5 of 6.

Vancouver gave Utah a power play opportunity at 8:29 of the second period when Evander Kane went to the sin bin for tripping against Jack McBain. 16 seconds later, Mammoth defenseman Mikhail Sergachev launched one of his signature blasts from the blue line past Lankinen for his ninth goal of the season, assisted by Schmaltz and Dylan Guenther, to make it 3-1.

Utah forward Lawson Crouse made it 4-1 for Utah when a shot by John Marino deflected off of him, then off the skate of Elias Pettersson, and into the Canucks goal. The goal, which was originally credited to Lawson Crouse, and then credited to Marino before being restored to Crouse, was his 14th of the season, with Marino and Clayton Keller picking up the assists.

With just under four minutes to play in the period, Utah forward JJ Peterka got into the action with a slap shot which got past Lankinen for his 20th of the season, assisted by Kailer Yamamoto and Marino, to give the Mammoth a commanding 5-1 lead. Peterka joins Guenther and Schmaltz with 20 or more goals on the season which is tied for the most among NHL teams.

Marino’s three assists were the third time in his career that he has registered a three-point game, and with Monday night’s points he now has a new career high of 28 points on the season, surpassing his rookie point total with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019-2020. Teddy Blueger got one back for Vancouver with 71 seconds left in the frame, his fifth goal of the season, assisted by Garland and Marcus Pettersson, to end the period with a score of 5-2.

Nick Schmaltz, who already had two goals and an assist heading into the third period, his second assist of the night having been taken away when the Crouse goal was restored from Marino, made it a four point night with a hat trick at 12:22 for his 22nd goal of the season, assisted by Keller and Crouse.

Schmaltz previously registered a three-goal, one-assist night on October 17 against the San Jose Sharks. Vejmelka stopped 21 of 23 shots in recording his league-leading 26th victory. Veggie is 8-1-0 in his last nine starts at home. Vancouver has now lost 15 of 17 in 2026.

“I think there were a lot of great plays by some guys finding me,” said Schmaltz in the locker room following the game. “There was a fortunate bounce on one of them. But I was super excited to get a hat trick and help the team win.” Of Marino, who assisted on Schmaltz’s first goal, he added, “He’s a great player. I think he’s very underrated. He’s got a lot of poise with the puck. He wades off defenders and makes a lot of good plays in the middle of the ice. Super great player and I’m very happy to see him having success.” Schmaltz also noted how many different guys are contributing from game to game. “It’s awesome to see. That’s a good sign of a good team. I think that (in) depth scoring, guys are going to step up on different nights. You’ve got to do that in this league. Eighty-two games is a lot of games and you’re not going to have your best every night. So you’ve got to have a deep team that can step up and guys (that) can make plays when it matters.”

Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev praised Schmaltz’s dominant night. “It’s obviously great to see when Schmaltzy gets five.” [One of the assists was later removed.] “It’s a big night, and we’re all happy for him. And Johnny too, I think he got three points. Tonight was big and it shows that guys can make plays, create and finish. So we need more of that for sure.” Speaking of the previous two losses, Sergachev said, “The first one against Carolina, we obviously lost that game in the last three minutes. And then for Dallas, we didn’t have a good start, and that’s what left a bad taste. But tonight we had a better start, and played better overall.” On his laser beam shot from the blue line, he said, “yeah, I just took the shot. There was no screen, which was not great, but it went in. It was kind of lucky, but it was a big goal for a power play that made us confident we could shoot and go get rebounds to score.”

Head Coach André Tourigny opened his post-game remarks saying, “A big night for our special teams. I liked our PK a lot, obviously our power play as well. Even on the first power play, the way we attacked. We had the intensity. We recovered loose pucks. I liked our special teams. We were really opportunistic. We found a way to score a big goal at a key moment early in the game and throughout the game. That’s what I think of the game.” On his two offensive stars of the game, he added, “I think Schmaltzy was really good everywhere. He was good defensively, stripped pucks, and his body position was good. I liked his game a lot. Marin’s as well. I think Marin was solid in his game. His puck decision was good and made really good plays, produced, all of it.” What was different from the previous couple of contests? “I think we played well at the beginning of the game. I think we played solid. When we scored a few goals, I’ll be honest, not sure we played as well. From four minutes left in the second, we had a tough time finishing the period, and had a tough start to the third. Afterwards, we played well. Most of the game we played well. It’s just we had little spots. I think we were confident offensively, and like I said, we scored big goals at key moments. We didn’t have a lot of volume, but we had quality chances.”

Utah (29-23-4) has a shot at winning 30 games before the Olympic break when they wrap up the three-game homestand on Wednesday night against the Detroit Red Wings (33-18-6)

Defensive Dereliction Dooms Mammoth In 3-2 Loss To Dallas

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Utah Mammoth Mikhail Sergachev and the Mammoth lost a close contest to the Dallas Stars on Sat Jan 31, 2026 (photo from the Utah Mammoth X)

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–Kailer Yamamoto was a bright spot with two goals, but the Dallas Stars (31-14-9) capitalized on Utah (28-22-4) penalties to defeat the Mammoth 3-2 to open the last pre-Olympics homestand on Saturday night.

The Mammoth returned to Delta Center on Saturday night to face the Stars for the first of three games at home prior to the Olympic break. Utah began the 2026 portion of the season with an 8-1-1 record prior to embarking upon a four game Southeast road trip which saw a few streaks snapped for better and worse.

Opening the road trip with a 5-2 victory over the Nashville Predators, Mammoth netminder Karel Vejmelka won his NHL-leading 25th game of the season while winning his 5th consecutive start. Two days later, Vejmelka’s win streak would come to an end in Tampa Bay where the Lightning shut Utah out 2-0.

The next day against the Florida Panthers, backup goalie Vítek Vaněček snapped a 10-game losing streak in a 5-4 victory. Vaněček’s previous victory had been October 26 against the Winnipeg Jets. Vejmelka returned to the net on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes where the Mammoth enjoyed a 4-2 lead with 1:59 remaining in the third period when Veggie surrendered three goals in 89 seconds to give Carolina a shocking 5-4 regulation win, sending Utah home with a split of the four games on the road.

The Mammoth put themselves in an early hole in the first period, with Sean Durzi and Jack McBain each taking delay of game penalties for putting the puck over the glass, and Dallas converting both power play opportunities for goals by Thomas Harley (his fourth) and Wyatt Johnston (his 29th).

Utah got one back at 10:23 of the first on Kailer Yamamoto’s eighth goal of the season, assisted by JJ Peterka and John Marino. The goal was challenged by the Stars for goaltender interference, but the call on the ice stood as the Mammoth halved the Dallas lead 2-1.

On the assist, Peterka registered his 100th career assist. With a little more than three minutes remaining in the frame, the Stars regained their two-goal lead on Matt Duchene’s ninth goal of the season, assisted by Jamie Benn and Sam Steel. The squads headed to the locker room with Casey DeSmith stopping 5 of 6 Mammoth shots and Vejmelka turning away 7 of 10.

Whereas the opening period resulted in four goals, the second period was a hard-fought scoreless draw, with DeSmith stopping 5 shots and Vejmelka turning away 11 as the score remained 3-1 in favor of the Stars.

Kailer Yamamoto gave Utah some life with his second goal of the game and fourth in the past two games with his 9th of the season at 6:41 of the third period, assisted by Peterka and Barrett Hayton, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the early defensive miscues as the Mammoth went on to lose 3-2. Vejmelka stopped 29 of 32 shots while registering his third consecutive loss.

Utah forward JJ Peterka said in the locker room after the game, “I feel like throughout the whole game, they made really good plays; they put a lot of pressure on us, especially D-zone draws for us. We had trouble executing and getting out of that zone. You have to give them credit for that.”

Yamamoto, who now has seven points in his last five games (5g, 2a), has been getting more ice time recently after having been a healthy scratch for a number of contests. He said, “I think just getting back into the lineup, obviously, is a huge confidence (boost). I haven’t played too many games here. Playing with JJ and Hayts, they’re amazing players too. They make plays with the best of them. They are very easy to read off and stuff like that. They were both fine to me.”

Head Coach André Tourigny, speaking of the performance of Barrett Hayton’s line, said, “Well, I think they work really hard and they simplify their game. I don’t think they did anything complicated. A big topic for us in the last month or so is to play the game that is in front of you. There’s some nights where there’s plays to be made. There’s some other nights, where there’s no play to be made. There was nothing tonight. There was no seam or easy possession. They played really well. So in those situations, you need to go with broken plays, with quick attacks from the forecheck or shot volume and bodies on the net. We had a little bit of stubbornness in ourselves tonight, of trying to play the game we wanted to play instead of playing the game that’s in front of us. I’m not blaming our guys, in the sense of Dallas played a hell of a game. They didn’t give us anything, but we need to learn and on those nights where maybe you don’t have your A game, you don’t have your execution, and the opponent plays well, we need to find a way to simplify and get the dirty goals.”

Tourigny acknowledged the team’s bad start, saying “We didn’t play well from the beginning in terms of, we’re not skating, if you look at those two pucks, we have time and space, so why are we not moving our feet and playing with pace. That just kind of illustrates our start and and even on the PK, we’re playing well. They have two shots and three goals on their first two power plays. It’s not like it was a shooting gallery with a lot of opportunities. They’re really good at the way they score and that’s the way they scored. They get tips and sticks on rebounds and stuff like that. We knew it, and they’re the second best power play in the league, for a reason, we need to stay out of the box in any way, shape or form. We need to find a way.”

On his team’s current anemic power play, Tourigny commented, “No doubt about it, I don’t think we have any swagger. I don’t think we have any kind of execution. At some point in this league, if you feel sorry for yourself, everybody will step in your throat, and nobody will let you get back up. So there’s no feeling sorry for yourself. You’re the best players on the team. You have an opportunity to be a difference maker, and you need to do it, and you need to hone your confidence, and you need to hone your play, and we need to be better in those situations. I think there’s a lot to be thought, to be brainstormed, maybe about that, but we need to find a way, because our five on five game is top five in the league, and right now we’re fighting for our life. We need to get our special teams, special situations, up to par.”

Next up for Utah (28-23-4) are the Vancouver Canucks (18-31-6) on Monday followed by the Detroit Red Wings (32-18-6) on Wednesday, after which the Mammoth will begin their Olympic break. When the break concludes, Utah will resume action on February 25 with another 3-game homestand, meaning they will not have played a single road game in the entire month of February with the exception of the team’s Olympians who will have been on the road in Italy.

San Jose Sharks podcast Lincoln Juarez: Flames break deadlock beat Sharks 3-2; San Jose’s second straight loss

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Calgary Flames Matt Coronato is at the doorstep as San Jose Sharks goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic defends in front of the net at the Scotiabank Bank Arena in Calgary (Photo by: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images)

San Jose Sharks podcast Lincoln Juarez:

#1 Joel Farabee scored a short handed goal at 6:53 in the third period to break a 2-2 tie game which turned out to be the gamer to defeat the San Jose Sharks 3-2 on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena.

#2 The Flames Morgan Frost and Matvei Gridin each scored their 12th goals this season and helped the Flames to a 3-2 win that snapped their five game losing streak.

#3 This was the second loss in a row for the Sharks who lost to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday by another one goal loss 3-2.

#4 San Jose’s Will Smith scored on a power play goal and Adam Gaudette scored but it wasn’t enough as the Sharks end the month of January 7-5-1. Sharks goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 39 Calgary shots.

#5 It’s off to Chicago and the Blackhawks at the United Center Monday night. The Blackhawks have done their own share of struggling losing five in a row as of Saturday night.

Join Lincoln Juarez for the San Jose Sharks podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsadioservice.com

San Jose Sharks podcast Mary Lisa: Sharks battle Flames in Calgary for Saturday matinee

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From left to right the San Jose Sharks Macklin Celebrini, Mario Ferrerao, and Collin Graf celebrate a goal in the first period at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Thu Jan 29, 2026 (Canadian Press via AP)

San Jose Sharks podcast Mary Lisa:

#1 Can Macklin Celebrini continue his offensive surge Saturday?

#2 How will Will Smith contribute to San Jose’s attack against the Flames’ defense?

#3 What kind of impact could William Eklund have on the scoreboard in this road game?

#4 Will the Sharks’ goaltending situation with Yaroslav Askarov be a difference-maker?

#5 Can Collin Graf continue to be a spark up front for San Jose?

Catch the San Jose Sharks podcasts with Mary Lisa Saturdays at ⁠http://www.sportsradioservice.com⁠

San Jose Sharks podcast Len Shapiro: Sharks rolling face off with Oilers Thursday night in Edmonton

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San Jose Sharks Mario Ferraro (38) congratulates goaltender Yaroslav Askarov after defeating the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Centre in Vancouver on Tue Jan 27, 2026 (San Jose Sharks X photo)

San Jose Sharks podcast Len Shapiro:

#1 San Jose Sharks Macklin Celebrini scored a goal and had three assists as the Sharks scored three first period goals in 4:04 and won a three goal performance over the Vancouver Canucks 5-2 at Rogers Centre in Vancouver Tuesday night.

#2 Adam Gaudette, Tyler Toffoli, Will Smith and John Klingberg scored goals for the Sharks and goaltender Yaroslav Askarov picked up his 17th win with 23 saves against the Canucks.

#3 Celebrini is on a roll right now with 78 points in 51 contests this season. Many have compared him to Pittsburgh Penguins Sid Crosby.

#4 The Sharks are having success on the power play going two for four and Klingberg scored his goal on a five on three power play. The Canucks are struggling on the power play going one for four.

#5 The Sharks continue this road trip playing their second of five they’ll face off against the Edmonton Oilers Thursday night at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

Join Len Shapiro for the San Jose Sharks podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sharks Sink Canucks 5-2, 3 Points for Celebrini-Smith

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San Jose Sharks Macklin Celebrini (71) raises his stick to celebrate scoring a first period goal against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Centre in Vancouver on Tue Jan 27, 2026 (Canadian Press via AP)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-2 on Tuesday. Macklin Celebrini, Adam Gaudette, Tyler Toffoli, Will Smith and John Klingberg scored for the Sharks. Smith and Celebrini each came away with three points. Yaroslav Askarov made 23 saves for the win. Tom Willander and Filip Hronek scored for the Canucks. Nikita Tolopilo relieved Kevin Lankinen early in the first and made 25 saves on 27 shots in the loss.

After the game, Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro said: “It was a big win, we came out, I thought we had some good energy in the first. I know they got that first goal in the four-on-four but I thought we played a pretty good, solid first period. And we kept it going.”

Tom Willander scored the first goal of the game at 1:15, playing four-on-four. Willander took his shot from high in the slot and through traffic. Assists went to Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk.

Less than 30 seconds later, Macklin Celebrini tied it with a slap shot. Assists went to Will Smith and Sam Dickinson. That was the first of three goals in just over four minutes of play.

Adam Gaudette gave the Sharks the lead at 4:43 with a snap shot from the slot. He skated in with William Eklund, who passed h8m the puck at the last moment for the shot. An assist also went to Celebrini.

Tyler Toffoli made it 3-1 at 5:55. Alexander Wennberg passed it up from the goal line to Toffoli for the shot. An assist also went to Sam Dicksinson. The Canucks sent Tolopilo in to relieve Lankinen after that goal.

At the end of the first period, the shots were 15-8 San Jose. Each team had one power play.

The only goal in the second period was a power play goal from Will Smith at 9:07. Smith’s snap shot followed a cross-ice pass from John Klingberg. Celebrini also got an assist.

The shots were close in the second, 12-11 Sharks. The Sharks took three penalties, the Canucks four. Each team also had five-on-three power plays.

In the third period, the Sharks scored their fifth goal just 28 seconds in, at the end of the carry-over power play from the second period. John Klingberg scored it with a wrist shot off a Will Smith pass. Celebrini had the other assist.

The Canucks got one back at 9:15 on the power play. Filip Hronek scored with a slap shot from high in the slot off a pass from Pettersson. The secondary assist went to DeBrusk.

The Sharks next play on Thursday in Edmonton against the Oilers at 6:00 PM PT.

San Jose Sharks podcast Mary Lisa: Celebrini scores two goals in first 8 minutes against Rangers

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San Jose Sharks celebrate their victory over the New York Rangers at SAP Center on Fri Jan 23, 2026 (Bay Area News Group photo)

San Jose Sharks podcast Mary Lisa:

#1 Macklin Celebrini was dominant with two goals, including key power-play contributions — how do you assess his overall impact on Friday night’s win and his progression this season?

#2 Pavol Regenda scored on Saturday — what did you see from him Friday night in terms of offensive positioning and finishing, especially compared to earlier in the season?

#3 Will Smith and Collin Graf each recorded two assists — how important was their playmaking in generating quality chances and sustaining offensive pressure?

#4 Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 28 shots with a strong save percentage — were there any key saves or sequences you’d point to that helped shift momentum or keep the Rangers at bay?

#5 Tyler Toffoli was involved in the power-play goal’s setup — how does his experience and puck distribution help stabilize the Sharks’ special teams moving forward?

Join Mary Lisa for the San Jose Sharks podcasts each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sharks Win: Celebrini’s Historic Night Leads San Jose Past New York Rangers, 3-1

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San Jose Shark forward #71 Macklin Celebrini faces off against New York Ranger forward #93 Mika Zibanejad in the 3rd period at the SAP Center on January 23rd, 2026. (Photo credits to Michael Villanueva Sports Radio Services)

By Michael Villanueva

SAN JOSE- The San Jose Sharks defeated the New York Rangers 3-1 at SAP Center on Friday night, completing a season sweep of the two-game series and strengthening their hold over their Eastern Conference teams.

The Sharks, with a 13-9-3 home record and 6-4 in their past ten games, were well-suited to dominate the game, while the Rangers, having a 16-11-2 road record, had struggled recently, finishing 2-7-1 in their last ten games. This was the teams’ second meeting this season, with San Jose winning the first 6-5 in overtime on Thursday, October 23, 2025, in New York. Adding to the excitement, the game was part of Bay Area Unite, which featured the San Francisco 49ers and created a wild scene of teal, red, and gold at SAP Center.

Prior to this game, the Sharks had spent the previous four games on the road. They ended that road trip with two wins and two losses. So San Jose fans were looking forward to having their Sharks back in the bay just before they headed on the road for five games. This win was significant and a great confidence boost as they prepare to travel to Vancouver.

San Jose wasted no time establishing its dominance. Just 1:09 into the game, Macklin Celebrini scored his 25th goal of the season, assisted by Tyler Toffoli (20) and Will Smith (18). Two minutes later, Pavol Regenda extended the lead with a backhand goal assisted by Michael Misa (5) and Collin Graf. Celebrini scored his second goal of the game on a slap shot, assisted by Will Smith (19) and Collin Graf (15), giving him 26 goals for the season. Celebrini (120 games) became the fastest player in Sharks history to score 50 NHL goals, overtaking Logan Couture (135 games). The Sharks scored three goals in the first 7:37, which was their fastest in franchise history. The Sharks have not started a game like that since December 21, 2011, against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The first-period multi-point scorers have a fun history linked to their youth. At the time of the 2011 game, Celebrini was five years old, Smith was six, and Graf was nine.

Later in the first quarter, Sam Carrick scored a wrist shot with assists from Taylor Raddysh (5) and Anton Blidh (1) to cut the lead to 3-1. However, San Jose’s defense and goalkeeper prevented New York from applying continuous pressure. The second period was calmer, with the Sharks generating only 8 shots on goal compared to 17 in the first, but they remained disciplined, taking no penalties and controlling the pace.

San Jose’s waters were quiet throughout the third period. The Sharks limited the Rangers to one goal, avoiding a potential blowout for the Rangers and securing the victory at home. The Sharks’ ability to manage the game, maintain their advantage, and remain composed under pressure enabled them to win the game comfortably.

This win proved the Sharks’ ability to start quickly, play disciplined hockey, and capitalize on great performances, especially those of Macklin Celebrini, whose two goals not only launched the early surge but also won him a historic team milestone. With this win, San Jose completed the sweep of New York and continued to gather momentum at home. Making their home record for the Sharks now, 14-9-3.

The Sharks are starting off their weekend with a win. The team currently sits in 4th place in the Pacific Division, 8th place in the Western conference, and now heads on the road to play in Vancouver, BC, against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, January 27th, at 7 p.m.