Tag: NHL

San Jose Sharks podcast Mary Lisa: Sharks take on Stars and Knights on back to back nights at SAP

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Jose Sharks Macklin Celebrini (A on sweater) will lead the Sharks against the Dallas Stars on Sat Jan 10, 2026 and against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sun Jan 11, 2026 at SAP Center (AP file photo)

San Jose Sharks podcast Mary Lisa:

#1 Macklin Celebrini leads the Sharks in scoring and has been one of San Jose’s most dynamic offensive forces this season. On Saturday How will Dallas try to contain him?

#2 Alexander Wennberg has been a key contributor to San Jose’s offense. Can he help drive offense alongside Celebrini against Dallas?

#3 With goaltending performance likely critical in this matchup, which of the Sharks’ netminders can shut down Dallas’ top shooters?

#4 On Sunday can Celebrini’s elite scoring continue against a tough Vegas defense and be the spark the Sharks need to compete in this Pacific Division matchup?

#5 How will Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov handle the Golden Knights’ high-octane attack — and can his performance give San Jose a chance to steal a win at home?

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

Utah Mammoth game wrap: St. Louis Sings the Blues as Schmaltz Scores Twice in 4-2 Mammoth Victory

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Utah Mammoth Nick Schmaltz (8) takes the puck up ice against the Ottawa Senators at the Delta Center on Wed Jan 7, 2026. Schmaltz scored two goals for the Mammoth against the visiting St Louis Blues on Fri Jan 9, 2026 in Salt Lake City. (AP News photo)

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–Utah Mammoth netminder Karel Vejmelka held the St. Louis Blues to two goals and becomes first in the league to pick up 20 wins in a 4-2 Mammoth win at the Delta Center.

The Mammoth (21-20-3) laced up on Friday night for the second of seven games on the current homestand against the visiting Blues (17-19-8). The Mammoth, coming off of a 3-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday, are enjoying a positive start to the new year entering the game having won three of four contests.

Utah struck first late in the first period on Nick Schmaltz’s 15th goal of the season, banging in a snap shot rebound off a shot by Clayton Keller with the additional assist to Mikhail Sergachev. Karel Vejmelka was perfect in net for the Mammoth as Utah carried a 1-0 lead into the locker room after one.

At 7:45 of the second period, Mammoth forward Lawson Crouse increased Utah’s lead to 2-0 with his 11th goal of the season from the top of the left faceoff circle, assisted by Keller and John Marino. But St. Louis got one back just ten seconds later when Iskar Sundqvist put the puck past Vejmelka for his 3rd of the season, assisted by Nathan Walker, before the arena announcer could even finish announcing the Crouse goal.

Less than four minutes later, however, Mammoth forward Schmaltz passed a rebound across the ice to the stick of defenseman Sean Durzi who one-timed a shot past Joel Hofer of the blues to regain Utah’s two-goal lead with his 3rd goal on the year, with the additional assist to Crouse.

With three and a half minutes remaining in the second period, the Blues cut their deficit to one goal as Pavel Buchnevich netted his 8th of the season with an extra attacker on the ice due to a delayed penalty call against Utah, assisted by Jimmy Snuggerud and Robert Thomas.

Seven minutes into the third period, with Snuggerud in the sin bin for high-sticking against Keller, JJ Peterka sent a pass from the right goal post up the middle in front of the crease to Schmaltz who struck again for the Mammoth with his 16th of the season, with Keller picking up the additional assist.

As reported by the Utah stat crew, Schmaltz and Keller have now factored on the same goal for the 199th time for the highest total by a pair of U.S.-born teammates in NHL history. That would be all Utah would need to go 4-1-0 in the new year, with Vejmelka stopping 26 of 28 on the night en route to becoming the first goaltender to reach 20 victories this season.

In the locker room, Nick Schmaltz talked about winning tight games. “It’s great, we’ve talked about it the last little bit here, about maintaining pressure when we’re up. I thought earlier in the year, we gave up some leads and kind of sat back and watched teams kind of dictate the play. I thought tonight was another big win. We kind of shut it down and scored a big goal, and it mattered. So it shows a lot about this group, and we got to keep it going. … I think we’re making more plays. We’re hitting each other’s tape instead of just kind of flicking it and standing around, not moving our feet. I think we’re being assertive. We’re making plays when it’s there, and when it’s not we’re putting pucks in good areas and making sure we’re putting our teammates in good spots.” With regard to his record with Keller for America-born players, Schmaltz said, “Yeah, it’s great. It feels like we’ve been playing with each other for a long time. We know where each other are at all times on the ice and we’re always looking for each other. It’s been a heck of a ride playing with him, and hopefully we have many more great memories ahead.”

Netminder Karel Vejmelka, when asked about the Mammoth being more comfortable in tight games responded, “I think so. Usually it’s all about focus and being in the right place. So, it’s the same for everybody. And we played a huge game last game. We played another big game tonight. Those one-goal games are really important for the rest of the season.” The penalty kill was big for Vejmelka, who said, “I think it’s huge for me, they cover like other guys on the rebounds. So I just need to focus on the guy who got it by. So it’s kind of easy for me and again, I just focus on what’s going to happen next.” So how does it feel to become only the second Czech native to be the NHL’s first goaltender to reach the 20-win mark in a season? “It’s a big accomplishment. Hašek is one of the best goalies in NHL history. It’s an honor, and I’m glad about it and happy for it.”

Head Coach André Tourigny began his post-game remarks by saying, “A very good game early, but Veggie made key saves. They obviously played hard, and they knew how important that division game is and everything. … Schmaltzy was possessed. He was really, really good. He won battles, the speed he had defensively, his face off, his PK, everything. I liked our power play and the movement. Obviously, our PK came up big at a key moment. But I think the answer from Jack McBain, and what happened in the last game. I think that’s probably the highlight of the night for the Bear,” referring to himself. When asked about maintaining composure down the stretch, Tourigny responded, “It’s important to stay even-keeled, to stay humble, and to play the game the right way. … You cannot get carried away, you cannot get complacent, but you have to be honest. We had a level of confidence in our play defensively. And that doesn’t mean the other team cannot score, cannot have a great scoring chance, or cannot get lucky at some point. I’m not saying they need to get lucky to have a scoring chance; it can be good as well. My point is, I had the feeling we weren’t going to beat ourselves, and they will need to beat us; they will need to do the right things to beat us. And when we made some mistakes, Veggie came up big. So we expect to play good, we want to play good, and trust in each other’s stuff to win. Our opponent tonight showed up, and they played hard, but (I’m) proud of our group.”

Next up for the Mammoth (22-20-3) are the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday.

San Jose Sharks podcast Lincoln Juarez: How Sharks size up against Dallas Stars Saturday night

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Los Angeles Kings left Kevin Fiala (23) gets the puck away against the San Jose Sharks left winger Jeff Skinner (53) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Wed Jan 7, 2026 (AP News photo)

San Jose Sharks podcast Lincoln Juarez:

#1 The San Jose Sharks picked up Laurent Brossoit from the Winnipeg Jets in a trade with the Chciago Blackhawks on Thursday. Brossoit agreed to a $6.6 million contract with the Blackhawks but never played for Chciago. Brossoit was out with a right knee injury last season. Brossoit had been playing this season in the minors after having off season hip surgery.

#2 Macklin Celebrini has been one of San Jose’s top offensive threats this season — how can the Sharks leverage his creativity and scoring touch to break through a strong Dallas Stars defensive structure?

#3 With William Eklund showing his knack for clutch goals and playmaking, what role might he play in generating early momentum for San Jose against Dallas?

#4 Alex Wennberg brings veteran leadership and reliable two-way play — how important will his faceoff performance and defensive zone coverage be in slowing down the Stars’ attack?

#5 On the blue line, Mario Ferraro’s physicality and ability to jump into the play could be key — how might his style impact the Sharks’ ability to limit Dallas shots from dangerous areas?

#6 Goalie Yaroslav Askarov has been tasked with net-minding duties — what adjustments must he make to handle the Stars’ skilled forwards and pace of play throughout 60 minutes?

Lincoln does the San Jose Sharks podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose Sharks podcast Len Shapiro: Sharks open up back to back nights with Dallas and Vegas; SJ picks up goaltender Brossoit from Jets

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The San Jose Sharks picked up goaltender Laurent Brossoit from the Winnipeg Jets on Thu Jan 8, 2026 (AP News photo)

San Jose Sharks podcast Len Shapiro:

#1 The San Jose Sharks picked up Laurent Brossoit from the Winnipeg Jets in a trade with the Chciago Blackhawks on Thursday. Brossoit agreed to a $6.6 million contract with the Blackhawks but never played for Chciago. Brossoit was out with a right knee injury last season. Brossoit had been playing this season in the minors after having off season hip surgery.

#2 Macklin Celebrini has been one of San Jose’s top offensive threats this season — how can the Sharks leverage his creativity and scoring touch to break through a strong Dallas Stars defensive structure?

#3 With William Eklund showing his knack for clutch goals and playmaking, what role might he play in generating early momentum for San Jose against Dallas?

#4 Alex Wennberg brings veteran leadership and reliable two-way play — how important will his faceoff performance and defensive zone coverage be in slowing down the Stars’ attack?

#5 On the blue line, Mario Ferraro’s physicality and ability to jump into the play could be key — how might his style impact the Sharks’ ability to limit Dallas shots from dangerous areas?

#6 Goalie Yaroslav Askarov has been tasked with net-minding duties — what adjustments must he make to handle the Stars’ skilled forwards and pace of play throughout 60 minutes?

Len Shapiro does the San Jose Sharks podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Mammoth Defeats Senators 3-1 As NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman Reveals Utah To Host 2027 Winter Classic

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Utah Mammoth will host the 2027 Winter Classic at Rice-Eccles Stadium, home of the University of Utah Utes football team (AP News photo)

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–The Utah Mammoth got all the offense it would need in the first eight minutes and shut the Ottawa Senators down in the final two periods en route to 3-1 victory in first home game of 2026.

The Utah Mammoth (20-20-3) returned to Delta Center on Wednesday night, following a Big Apple road trip to kick off 2026 where they won two of three, to face the Ottawa Senators (20-16-5) for the first of a season-high seven-game homestand which ties a franchise record.

Earlier in the day, Mammoth owners Ryan and Ashley Smith held a press conference with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to announce that Utah will host the 2027 Winter Classic at Rice-Eccles Stadium, home of the University of Utah Utes football team. The Mammoth are the only NHL team which has never played an outdoor game. The only other two teams never to host one are the Montreal Canadiens and Anaheim Ducks.

Prior to the puck drop, Utah recognized its four players who have been selected to represent their respective countries in February’s Winter Olympics: Clayton Keller (USA), JJ Peterka (Germany), Karel Vejmelka (Czechia), and Olli Määttä (Finland)..

Lawson Crouse put the Mammoth on the scoreboard at 3:59 of the first period when Clayton Keller skated the puck behind the net and then out front where he found the stick of Crouse who banged it in for his tenth goal of the season, with the additional assist going to Mikhail Sergachev.

Crouse has six points in his past seven games, and is now two goals shy of his total for the 2024-2025 season as well as two points ahead of last season’s overall total. Utah now has six different players with 10 or more goals which ties them for the most in the NHL.

At 7:20, the captain picked up his second assist of the night, feeding a pass to defenseman John Marino who put the puck past Ottawa netminder Leevi Meriläinen for his 3rd goal of the season and first in front of the home fans, with Nate Schmidt picking up the additional assist on the play.

The Senators would claw one back at 17:41 of the period when Ridly Greig beat Karel Vejmelka for his sixth of the season, assisted by Artem Zub and Jake Sanderson. Utah carried the 2-1 lead to the locker room, with Meriläinen stopping 7 of 9 and Vejmelka turning away 6 of 7.

Ottawa applied a lot more pressure in the second period, peppering Vejmelka with 15 shots to no avail. Utah managed only 5 shots in the frame as the score remained 2-1 after two.

At 5:41 of the third period, the Mammoth regained their two-goal lead as a pile of bodies stacked up in front of the Senators goaltender and somehow forward Daniil But pushed the puck over the line for his 2nd goal of the season, assisted by Jack McBain and Brandon Tanev.

Ottawa challenged the goal citing goaltender interference, but the decision on the ice was upheld upon video review. Utah’s defense proved stingy throughout the final frame and never gave the Senators an opening to close the gap. Vejmelka saved 32 of 33 on the night. With the 3-1 victory, the Mammoth are now 3-1-0 in the new year.

Following the game, Utah forward Lawson Crouse said, “It took a lot of grind” to win tonight’s game. “That pressure kept coming from them,” he said, “and we did a good job. We found a way to close it out and that’s what’s important. … There were ups and downs throughout the game, just like there’s gonna be in any game, but like I said earlier, we found a way to close it out and get a big point.” Crouse praised the contributions of Utah defensemen Sergachev, Marino, and Schmidt who each found the scoresheet. “It’s huge. We wouldn’t be here without our D and they contribute all over the ice, defensively and offensively. It’s great to see Johnny get one. He’s obviously a great guy and really good with the puck, and makes some solid plays. It’s nice to see him get rewarded.” Talking about Daniil But’s performance, Crouse added, “He’s got a lot of chances, and I think he had a few more tonight that probably could have gone in and it’s just weird, that’s the one that goes in. But credit to that line, they go to the net hard. It’s nice to see them get rewarded.”

Mammoth defenseman John Marino spoke of the team’s effort in the win. “We got those first two goals early, and we had a big push there in the first. They played well, and they out worked us at times, probably overall in the whole game but we snuck away with that one. I think the way we were able to sustain pressure, at least, and just limit their grade A chances.”

Marino credited Olympian Karel Vejmelka’s performance as well. “Yeah, he’s been great for us all year making those big saves. He definitely bailed us out so many times today. We want to help him out more, but when he plays like that we are a tough team to play against.”

Head Coach André Tourigny began his postgame remarks by saying, “First of all, they’re a good team. They play hard, tough to play against, and I give them a lot of credit. Second, we played very hard, especially at the end of the game.

Even when we took the lead early on, there was a little bit of an adjustment for us in the third. I really think when the game is on the line, when push comes to shove, we really raise our game. We raised our urgency, were really stingy, and we had composure. So, I like the way we closed out the game. When it was 2-1, there was no panic, no stress in our game, just urgency and focus.”

When asked his thoughts about the Winter Classic announcement, Tourigny said, “For the entire organization, [for] the fans, to have the opportunity to experience that – for us coaches and players and our families – to have that opportunity to be in that environment will be absolutely special and will be magical. I think that’s unbelievable. I think for you, for our fans, for everybody, I think that’s a unique opportunity. I’ve never had the opportunity in the NHL. … It’s a huge privilege, as much as you can watch on TV – there’s a few every year – but there’s 32 teams in the league. Not everybody has that opportunity so I think we’re fortunate. I really appreciate the league giving us that opportunity, and that’s a testimony for me to the confidence they have in Ryan and Ashley Smith – the job that they did here with SEG since the team arrived – so I’m grateful for all of it.”

The Mammoth (21-20-3) will face the St. Louis Blues (17-19-8) on Friday for the second contest of their seven-game homestand.

Sharks Beat Kings 4-3 In OT, 3 Point Game for Celebrini

Published on by M WalshLeave a comment

San Jose Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov (30) puts the stop on a puck shot by the Los Angeles Kings in the second period at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Wed Jan 7, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 in overtime on Wednesday. Tyler Toffoli, Adam Gaudette, Macklin Celebrini and William Eklund scored for the Sharks. Yaroslav Askarov made 23 saves for the win. Alex Turcotte, Kevin Fiala and Alex Laferriere scored for the Kings. Darcy Kuemper made 28 saves in the loss. The game was the last between the teams for the regular season.

After the game, Macklin Celebrini talked about how the team is feeling:

“You have a feeling in our group, we’re confident in those situations when we’re down 3-2 or tied 2-2 going in late against a really relly good team, a playoff team, so I th8nk it’s a different kind of swagger and feeling in our group.”

After a scoreless first period, the teams were tied or close in almost all respects: shots were 8-6 Kings, the Sharks had one penalty and the Kings none, and the teams were even in faceoff wins.

On their first power play of the game, the Sharks took a 1-0 lead. Tyler Toffoli scored with a wrist shot at 4:10 of the second period. Assists went to Alexander Wennberg and Macklin Celebrini.

The Sharks held that lead for a bit but Alex Turcotte tied the game at 11:34. His wrist shot got through a scrum in front of the net on a second rebound after Askarov made two saves but came out too far. An assist went to Kevin Fiala.

The second period shots were 13-10 Sharks, the penalties were three for Los Angeles and two for San Jose.

Adam Gaudette gave the Sharks another lead by tipping a shot from Timothy Liljegren for a power play goal at 5:38 of the third. Assists went to Liljegren and Jeff Skinner.

Kevin Fiala tied the game back up with a wrist shot about a minute later. Assists went to Turcotte and Joel Edmundson.

Edmundsson was briefly credited with a goal at 12:09. After a review, the goal was called back as Edmundson had knocked the puck into the net with his glove.

The Kings did take the lead at 17:50 with a shot from the blue line tipped by Alex Laferriere. Assists went to Joel Edmunson and Cody Ceci.

Macklin Celebrini tied it up again with a dazzling skill show at 18:53.

The Sharks won with a goal in overtime from William Eklund off a pass from Celebrini.

The Sharks next play on Saturday at home at 1:00 pm PT against the Dallas Stars.

NHL podcast Jessica Kwong: Kraken on four game win streak; Isles leave it all out on the ice with 9-0 win; plus more news

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Seattle Kraken Berkly Catton flicks the puck against the Boston Bruins in the third period at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on Tue Jan 6, 2026 (AP News photo)

NHL podcast Jessica Kwong:

Can the Seattle Kraken keep rolling after Berkly Catton’s first NHL goals and a nine-game point streak? — Catton scored his first two NHL goals in a 7-4 win over the Bruins, extending Seattle’s four game win streak.

Will the New York Islanders’ dominant 9–0 win and Ilya Sorokin’s franchise shutout record spark a bigger surge in the Metropolitan Division? — Sorokin set the Islanders’ shutout mark in the rout of the Devils.

What’s the latest from the Pittsburgh Penguins ahead of their next matchup? — Penguins news and practice updates were released as they prepare for Thursday’s game.

How will the Olympic selections impact the NHL as Akira Schmid is named to Switzerland’s Winter Games roster? — Golden Knights goaltender Schmid earned an Olympic spot.

What do NHL power players say about the league’s growth and fan engagement following the 2026 Winter Classic? — Young ambassadors are sharing insights after the event.

Jessica Kwong does the NHL podcasts every other Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Wennberg’s three point night lifts Sharks into last wild card spot in the West with 5-2 win over Columbus

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Pavol Regenda forward (84) for the San Jose Sharks is thrilled with the Sharks taking the lead over the Columbus Blue Jackets at SAP Center in San Jose on Tue Jan 6, 2026 (San Jose Sharks X photo)

By Lincoln Juarez 

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Alex Wennberg notched three points including a goal in his first game since signing a three-year contract extension. Zach Ostapchuk was rewarded with the game-winning goal in a vibrant 5–2Tuesday night victory at the Shark Tank.  

Tuesday night hockey at SAP Center brought the Columbus Blue Jackets (18-16-7) to town holding the worst record in the Eastern conference while tallying as many points as the Sharks(43), who entered the game just two points out of the final Western conference wild card spot.

The Sharks were coming off a bitter loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday afternoon where Pavol Regenda scored his first career hat trick in the 7-3 loss. With the Ducks loss to the Flyers in Philadelphia, that second wild card spot was up for grabs with a Sharks win. 

Regenda kept his torch of a stick on fire, making the difference in the first period of Tuesday’s game with the lone goal between the two teams. Displaying his sweet set of mitts, he roofed one above the glove of Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves. It was Regenda’s sixth goal in just his fifth game with the Sharks this season with Alex Wennberg picking up the primary assist in his first game since signing a three-year contract extension with San Jose. 

In the Sharks crease, Alex Nedeljkovic stood strong turning away all 12 shots he faced including some point-blank scoring chances. Nedeljkovic has made some big saves to keep the Sharks in games as of late with the recent inconsistent play of Yaroslav Askarov. 

The pace the Sharks lacked on Saturday was in full force in the second period Tuesday night. Outshooting the Blue Jackets 17-5 in the middle period, San Jose dominated time on attack and offensive pressure. The Sharks drew four penalties, one of which came on a trip to forward Ty Dellandrea, sending him legs-first into the goal post and to the locker room for the rest of the game.

 The Sharks were only able to capitalize on one power play. Alex Wennberg backhanded one into the net to put the Sharks ahead by two goals with his eighth of the season, getting in on both of the Sharks goals through the first two periods.

Columbus finally had an answer with Zach Werenski’s 16th goal of the season to get back within a goal. 

The second period had a little bit of everything, including a heavy-weight tilt between Mathieu Olivier and Ryan Reaves at center ice, keeping the energy high in the Shark Tank as the second period came to an end with San Jose in front 2-1. 

An energetic third period saw both teams attacking with the Blue Jackets throwing 18 shots at Alex Nedeljkovic while the Sharks had nine shots on goal. Neither side prevailed until Zach Ostapchuk, “the fastest man in the world” according to Ryan Reaves, broke free from everybody and scored a sweet goal to extend the Sharks lead back to two with 4:44 left in regulation. “He’s been playing some good hockey, happy for him to get rewarded with a goal tonight” said head coach Ryan Warsofsky on Zach Ostapchuk’s play of late. 

Luckily the Sharks got some insurance because Sean Monohan brought the Blue Jackets back within one less than a minute later with his sixth goal of the campaign. 

San Jose went on to score two empty-net goals from Mario Ferraro and Macklin Celebrini to secure a 5-2 win and swap places with the Anaheim Ducks for the second wild card spot in the West following their loss in Philadelphia earlier in the night. 

Team teal will be right back in action Wednesday night in downtown LA when the puck drops at 7:30pm in the second game of back-to-backs against the Los Angeles Kings.

Brutal Loss Against Bolts at Home: Sharks Lose 7-3 on Home Ice

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Tampa Bay at San Jose Sharks as both teams battled in center ice for the opening period at SAP Center on Jan 3rd, 2026 (Sharks Media)

By Fernando Abarca

SAN JOSE, Calif– The San Jose Sharks (20-18-3) were ready to start the new year as the team hit the mid-point of the season, hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning (25-13-3). The Teal is trying to start off the first game of the year on a good note, but the visitors gave them a friendly reminder that they are top contenders in the Eastern Conference, and that reminder was not a friendly one crushing San Jose 7-3 Saturday.

From way before the start of the period, the Bolts came with superiority as they are on a 6-game streak, and made it to seven tonight. While for the Teal, they are on 3 3-game in a row winning streak, not bad for a team that is progressively improving.

During the first Period, the game was absolutely dominated by Tampa Bay. Brayden Point (10). Darren Raddysh (10) and Brandon Hagel (19) all contributed to a 3-0 lead within the first seven minutes of the period. The Sharks tried to get a sign of relief, scoring the lone powerr play goal of the period by the Sharks Pavol Regenda.

In the second period, the game was drawn by fights, penalties, intensity, and physicality. A total of nine penalties were given to each team for roughing and misconduct. The fight certainly set the tone of the game, but it also played a side effect role. The scoring remained in favor of Tampa Bay, with four more goals scored which two of which were those during a power play advantage.

Regenda helped the Sharks with another goal during the second period.

In the third, the Sharks were not able to bounce back, and the game remained. San Jose’s Regenda managed one goal in the third period but trailed by a comfortable margin, unable to mount a full comeback against a Lightning squad that dominated possession and capitalized on its scoring chances throughout the afternoon. Tampa Bay’s depth and execution stood out throughout the 60 minutes of Hockey.

The loss drops the Sharks in the second Wild Card spot momentarily, and marks an end to their three-game winning streak, a run that had briefly given San Jose momentum in the tightly contested Pacific Division.

The action returns Tuesday night at SAP Center against the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 7:00pm PT puck drop.

San Jose Sharks podcast Mary Lisa: Sharks face Bolts Saturday; Tampa Bay on 6 game win streak; SJ on 3 game win streak

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Jose Sharks left wing William Eklund (72) is jubilant after scoring the winning goal in the second round of the shootout against the Minnesota Wild at SAP Center in San Jose on Wed Dec 31, 2025 (AP News photo)

San Jose Sharks podcast Mary Lisa:

#1 Can Macklin Celebrini continue his recent high-octane offense and challenge the Tampa Bay Lightning (24-13-3) defense right from the opening puck drop?

#2 How will Tyler Toffoli’s scoring touch impact the San Jose Sharks (20-17-3) in Saturday’s matchup, especially considering his clutch goal in the last season against Tampa Bay with the Sharks win over the Lightning?

#3 Will Yaroslav Askarov’s netminding be a key factor, particularly if the Lightning come out firing early?

#4 Can Collin Graf make noise offensively again and continue to grow chemistry with Celebrini and Will Smith on that forward line?

#5 What defensive adjustments will Mario Ferraro and the Sharks blueline need to contain Tampa Bay’s transition game?

Mary Lisa is a San Jose Sharks beat writer and does Sharks podcasts Saturdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com