Tag: NHL

Utah Mammoth game wrap: Mammoth Outshoot Stars 2-1 In Defensive Domination

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Dallas Stars left winger Jason Robertson (21) fights for the puck against the Utah Mammoth defenseman John Marino (6) in the second period at the Delta Center on Thu Jan 15, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–Utah Mammoth and Dallas Stars were scoreless for nearly two full periods, but Marino’s third period goal put the Mammoth over the top 2-1 as Utah goes 4-0-1 at home in the new year defeating Dallas Stars.

Utah defenseman Mikhail Sergachev took to the ice for his 600th career game on Thursday night as the Mammoth (23-20-4) squared off for the fifth game of seven on the current homestand against the visiting Dallas Stars (27-11-9). Courtesy of the Mammoth stat crew, Sergachev joins teammates Lawson Crouse, Nick Schmaltz, Alexander Kerfoot, and Clayton Keller in reaching the 600 game milestone in a Utah jersey.

The opening frame was a scoreless affair, as Dallas netminder Jake Oettinger stopped all ten Utah shots, and NHL wins leader Karel Vejmelka turned away the five shot attempts by the Stars.

The second period was well on its way to also being another scoreless frame, but with 7 ticks left on the clock Nick Schmaltz tipped in a perfect feed from John Marino for his 17th goal of the season, with the additional assist to Clayton Keller, for a 1-0 Mammoth lead as time expired.

With the assist by Keller, he and Schmaltz have combined on 200 goals in their careers, the first U.S.-born teammates to accomplish the feat. Oettinger stopped nine of ten shots in the period while Vejmelka remained perfect in shutting down 12 shots by the Stars.

At 1:39 of the third period, Utah forward Barrett Hayton went to the sin bin for hooking against Roope Hintz, giving Dallas an opportunity on the power play to even things up 25 seconds later on Mikko Rantanen’s 19th goal of the season, assisted by Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson.

Two minutes later, putting the puck on the net from along the dasher boards between the top of the faceoff circle and the blue line, Mammoth defenseman John Marino combined again with Nick Schmaltz to score his 4th goal of the season as his shot deflected off the body of Oettinger, high up and over his head, landing just behind the Stars netminder in the crease and trickling over the line to give Utah a 2-1 lead.

With 3:22 remaining in the game, Dallas pulled Oettinger for an extra attacker as the Stars continuously peppered Vejmelka for the rest of the game, but Veggie’s wall stood up to the onslaught to earn his league-leading 22nd win of the season. Vejmelka has allowed two or fewer goals in six of his first seven games in 2026. Improving to 4-0-1 at home in the new year, Utah’s 5-game home point streak is now the longest in franchise history.

In the locker room after the game, Schmaltz talked about this being a statement win for his squad. “That was awesome. We talked about stringing together wins, especially on home ice, and I thought those last two games on home ice were some of our best of the year. I think the way we competed no matter what the score is, if they get one, whatever, we come back and respond and (we) played hard right ‘til the end, so huge win.” The Mammoth have struggled at times to hold leads late in the 3rd period, and Schmaltz was asked about holding the lead int he final five minutes. “I think just try to limit their time and space. They’ve got a lot of good players over there, so just pressure them, try to make them make plays under pressure. Obviously Veggie made some big saves for us down the stretch, and Stenny and those guys were stuck out there for a while, but they did a great job. We won some big draws, and it was a heck of a team effort.” Indeed, Utah won 67% of their faceoffs on the night against one of the top faceoff teams in the league.

“They’re stingy, they don’t give up much,” Marino told the assembled media. “Got to play a patient game out there. Obviously, they’re a great hockey team, and they have been the last couple of years. So to be able to get that win, kind of have that confidence as a team going forward.” Commenting on the Stars push in the final minutes, Marino said, “I think everyone didn’t panic too much, whether the guys were out there, tired, everyone on the bench, no one was screaming, shouting, everyone was pretty comfortable with the situation. So we learn from that and go forward. … Veggie has been unbelievable for us here down the stretch, so you got to give him credit when credit is due. Besides that, it’s a whole team effort out there, guys blocking shots, sacrificing themselves, backchecking, just playing the right way. You get rewarded for it.”

Head Coach André Tourigny couldn’t have been more pleased with the performance of his players. “I think, first, prep second, intensity and focus from our players, help from the trench guys and Mads (John Madden) did a really good job to prep the guys on faceoffs. We knew Dallas was a top team in the league, top five on faceoffs, and they run a lot of plays through it, and they generate a lot of possessions. I think the guys were tuned in and did a really good job.” Speaking of the importance of beating a division rival ahead of Utah in the standings, Tourigny said, “We needed two points, we need to keep winning. Obviously, against our division, it’s always bigger, but I don’t think we’re at the point yet where Dallas is. So for us, we need to keep focusing on what we have to do, keep performing. We played a good game on both sides of the puck, offensively and defensively. That team was tough to play against. The process was good. The performance is good. Let’s bottle that up and keep going.” Offering his own take on shutting Dallas down in the closing minutes, Bear said, “I think we were poised, but had intensity. It’s always that you want to be calm, but you want to be intense. You want to be patient, but you want to be aggressive. It’s the same as wanting to be poised, but you want to be urgent. So I think we achieved that. The boys were in control, but really intense. They were urgent, but in control with some good poise.”

Utah (24-20-4) returns to home ice Saturday afternoon for a matinee tilt against the visiting Seattle Kraken (21-16-9) who lost Thursday night on the road in Boston.

Sharks Beat Capitals 3-2 With 3 Goals in 2:46

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San Jose Sharks right wing Colling Graf (51) celebrates his goal with teammates left wing Pavol Regenda (84) and others in the second period at the Capital One Center in Washington DC on Thu Jan 15, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks defeated the Washington Capitals 3-2 on Thursday. Zack Ostapchuk, Collin Graf and Pavol Regenda scored for the Sharks. Alex Nedeljkovic made 21 saves for the win. Dylan Strome and Ryan Leonard scored for the Capitals. Logan Thompson made 23 saves in the loss.

After the game, Sharks defenseman Dmitry Orlov referred to San Jose’s 7-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday, saying:

“Much better game than the last game against Vegas. We managed the puck the right way. I would say in the third we kind of gave up a little bit, some pucks around the defensive zone, kind of some soft plays. So there’s always room to learn, to get better. But it’s a tough road trip and it’s good to get the first win today.”

The first period was scoreless, with the Sharks outshooting the Capitals 11-5 and a single penalty called against the Capitals.

Dylan Strome scored the first goal of the game on a power play at 10:58. Alexander Ovechkin passed the puck off the boards behind the net to Strome, who was right at the post to score with a backhand. An assist also went to Jakob Chychrun.

Zack Ostaphchuk tied the game at 13:27 with a snap shot. Dmitry Orlov crried the puck out of the Sharks zone and through the neutral zone, passed it to William Eklund and then chased it down beh8nd the net. He centered it just as Ostspchuk arrived for the shot.

Collin Graf gave the Sharks a lead at 14:53, tipping Pavol Regenda’s shot from the left boards.

Regenda scored the Sharks’ third goal at 16:13. Macklin Celebrini and Collin Graf won the puck battle behind the net and Celebrini passed it up to Regenda for the shot.

The Sharks outshot the Capitals 12-4 in the second period, despite taking two penalties and only having one power play.

Ryan Leonard made it a one-goal game with a snap shot high in the slot at 9:11 of the third period. Assists went to John Carlson and Martin Fehérváry.

The Capitals outshot the Sharks 14-3 in the third period, and took the only penalty.

The Sharks next play on Friday at 4:00 PM PT in Detroit against the Red Wings.

Utah Mammoth game wrap: Mammoth Unleash Six Goal Stampede, Bomb Maple Leafs To The Stone Age 6-1

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Utah Mammoth center Barrett Hayton (27) takes a shot against Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Dennis Hildeby (35) in the third period at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tue Jan 13, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–Utah Mammoth scored early and often in rout of Toronto Maple Leafs 6-1 to improve to 5-1-1 in January.

The Mammoth (22-20-4) squared off against the Maple Leafs (23-15-7) on Tuesday night for the fourth game of seven in the current homestand.  Making his Delta Center debut in a Maple Leafs sweater was former Utah forward Matias Maccelli who has seven goals and ten assists in 34 games so far this season for Toronto, one goal and point shy of his 2024-2025 season totals in 55 games.

The Mammoth took an early lead at 3:22 of the first period when forward Michael Carcone, who wasn’t expecting to return to Utah this season but ultimately re-signed with the team in July, put the puck past Maple Leafs netminder

Dennis Hildeby for his ninth of the season, assisted by Nate Schmidt and John Marino. Carcone, who grew up about 30 miles outside of Toronto, has scored the opening goal both times Utah has faced the Maple Leafs this season as well as their most recent matchup last season. 

The Ajax, Ontario forward is enjoying a bounce-back season after scoring just seven goals in 53 games last year.  The remainder of the opening period was scoreless, with Hildeby stopping 11 of 12 shots and Mammoth goalie Karel Vejmelka turning away all 6 shots on goal from Toronto.

Utah forward Dylan Guenther doubled the Mammoth lead at 5:26 of the second period with his team-leading 22nd of the year, assisted by Jack McBain and Ian Cole.  Barely a minute later, Guenther lit the lamp again with a laser beam over the shoulder of Hildeby for his 23rd of the season, assisted again by McBain.

Guenther’s two goals in a 78-second span are now the fastest two goals by the same player in franchise history, surpassing the previous record of 110 seconds by Logan Cooley last October against St. Louis.  At 15:25 of the frame, German Olympian and Utah forward JJ Peterka got in on the action scoring his 16th of the season, assisted by Daniil But and Cole, much to the delight of a large group of German tourists who are attending NHL games in Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles over the coming days.  The Mammoth took their 4-0 lead to the locker room, with Vejmelka stopping all 9 shots he faced in the period.

Toronto forward Calle Järnkrok spoiled Vejmelka’s shutout bid with his 6th goal of the season at 3:30 of the third, assisted by Oliver Ekman-Larsson, narrowing Utah’s lead to 4-1, but that would be the lone goal for the Maple Leafs as Utah continued to step on the gas.

At 13:29 of the final frame, Mammoth forward Jack McBain tipped in his 6th goal of the season, assisted by Guenther and Carcone, to restore Utah’s four-goal cushion.  McBain, a Toronto native, earned three points on the night against his hometown team, and now has seven points (4g, 3a) in eight career games against them.

  With three minutes remaining in the game, Daniil But put an exclamation mark on the Mammoth victory with his third goal of his rookie season, assisted by Barrett Hayton and Peterka, as Utah won its third game of the homestand 6-1 and improve to 5-1-1 in the new year.

Vejmelka stopped 19 of 20 shots in his winning effort, and leads the NHL with 21 victories this season.  Guenther’s first goal in the second period turned out to be the game-winner, his sixth on the season, just one game-winning goal shy of NHL leader Steven Stamkos who has seven. 

Defenseman Ian Cole, who recorded two assists in the game, spoke of the team’s killer attitude in his locker room interview.  “It’s more of a mindset for us, and sticking with that mindset regardless of what happens, whether we go up, whether we go down, whether it’s tied. Regardless of what the situation is, sticking with that and keeping that mindset. I think we’re getting better as we go here, but we have to keep building. That’s a good team to beat, but it’s not going to matter two days from now, so we have to do it again.” Talking about Utah’s defensive effort, which limited Toronto to 20 shots on the night, Cole said, “That’s a highly skilled team, so we want to take away time and space. You want to make sure that those skill guys have a tough time getting shots off and making plays. I think we did a pretty good job of that. It’s the right mindset, and it wasn’t just our D, It was our forwards too. We can keep good gaps, but if they don’t track back, it’s gonna be odd-man rushes all night. So they did a great job.” On the Mammoth having earned points in five straight games, Cole added, “It’s great. Accruing points is kind of the name of the game. We’re disappointed in how we let some points slip away early in the year, but as of right now, it’s kind of do or die. If we wait to find our game or we wait to turn this corner, we’re going to run out of time. There’s only eighty-two games in the season. We need to play well and play well right now. I think we’re making some great strides there.” 

Dylan Guenther added praise for the play of Michael Carcone in the game. “Yeah, he’s a really good player. I think he’s had success at every level, and he’s produced at every level. He’s worked for everything. So he’s a great guy to play with, and super fast. He’s a really big part of our team.” As for the hot start in the new year, Guenther said, “Yeah, it’s been a good stretch. I think we’ve talked about this stretch for a little bit, and have been looking forward to getting a little bit of time at home. So it’s nice to be getting points, and we play a really good team next game, so just make sure that we’re ready to go after a win like tonight.” For Utah, which fell just short of a playoff spot last season, continuing to press at this stage of the year is critical. “Yeah, I think that’s the big picture,” said Guenther. “I think we’re fighting, and every game’s a fight. So I think if we play like that every game, then, there’s a really good chance.”

A happy head coach, André Tourigny, opened his postgame remarks by saying, “Obviously, a really good game. We liked the pace of our game; the speed we had offensively and defensively. I think we attacked every shift with a lot of speed through the neutral zone and a lot of pace, a lot of pressure on their D. We knew (Toronto) was on the back-to-back; they played a big game yesterday. After the game against Columbus, I talked to you about the mindset. I said it’s not about focus, it’s not about execution. It’s the mindset we had in that game and the way we tried to play the game tonight. Obviously, we’ll take the result, but it’s more than that.” Bear talked about some of the line changes, including how McBain’s line performed as a unit. “I think they played hard and fast. They were really fast in everything they did. They never slowed down. They were coming really fast. That’s three good skaters. I think it clicked. Sometimes, it’s tough to explain why; it just happens. I think (Dylan Guenther) and (Michael Carcone) had success last year when they played together. Same thing with (Guenther) and (Jack McBain)–they had success when they played together last year. That was the rationale behind it. We were hoping (Daniil But) and JJ (Peterka) and (Barrett Hayton) would click as well. It is what it is.”  The “killer instinct” comment came up again in the interview with Tourigny, who responded, “We gave up five shots in the third. I think we kept the pace defensively. I feel, in a sense, (Toronto was) trying more plays and stuff like that. So they had a little bit more possession. Still, we played the right way. We put pucks behind; we were on them. They had no easy possessions. We were on them a lot.”

Next up for Utah (23-20-4) on Thursday are the Dallas Stars (27-11-9), who lost 3-1 to the Ducks in Anaheim on Tuesday night.

Utah Mammoth game wrap:Keller Has McBain’s Back, But Mammoth Fall To Blue Jackets 3-2 In Overtime

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Klayton Keller (9) of the Utah Mammoth had two assists against the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Delta Center on Sun Jan 11, 2026 (Fox 2 News Salt Lake City file photo)

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–Clayton Keller’s first period shot went wide of the net, but bounced off McBain’s back and into the goal in first period of the Utah Mammoth’s first home ice loss of 2026 to the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 in overtime.

The Mammoth (22-20-3) welcomed the Blue Jackets (19-18-7) to Delta Center on Sunday afternoon for the third of seven games on the current homestand. Struggling backup goaltender Vítek Vaněček, entering the game at 2-9-1 on the season, got the start in place of Czechia Olympian Karel Vejmelka.

Not quite three minutes into the game, Columbus hit the scoreboard first on Mikael Pyythia’s first goal of the season, a wicked shot that was in and out of the net so fast that one could barely tell it was a goal at all, assisted by Danton Heinen and Ivan Provorov.

With just a few minutes remaining in the first period, Utah tied things up on a fluke goal when Clayton Keller sent the puck wide of the net and off the back of linemate Jack McBain into the Blue Jackets net. Keller has now registered assists in five consecutive home games which ties his own franchise record.

Whether it was an errant shot attempt or a mysterious pass, it resulted in McBain’s 5th goal of the season with the additional assist going to Nick DeSimone. This one is worth finding a replay on the internet to watch. Columbus netminder Jet Greaves finished the period stopping six of seven shots, while Vaněček turned away eleven of twelve for the Mammoth.

Utah started off the second period quickly at 1:02 when defenseman Mikhail Sergachev fired a bullet from the center of the blue line past everyone between him and the net for his 7th goal of the season, assisted by Keller and Nick Schmaltz, to give the Mammoth its first lead of the game.

With two and a half minutes left in the frame, McBain went to the sin bin for holding against Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, and Columbus made Utah pay for it a minute later when Charlie Coyle shot the puck off the near goalpost and then passed the rebound to Adam Fantilli in front of the net.

Vaněček stopped Fantilli, but Coyle finished the job for his seventh of the season, with the additional assist credited to Kirill Marchenko. The two squads completed the period knotted up at two apiece, with Greaves stopping seven of eight and Vaněček turning away twelve of thirteen.

The Mammoth and Blue Jackets were scoreless in the third period, but Daniil But put Utah at a disadvantage in overtime when he tripped Fantilli with 24 seconds left in regulation. Benefitting from the 4-on-3 overtime power play, Columbus dominated the 61 seconds necessary for Dmitri Voronkov to record his 16th goal of the season to put Utah away, assisted by Zach Werenski and Marchenko.

Despite saving 33 of 36 shots in the game, Vaněček’s losing streak increased to ten games, his last victory coming against the Winnipeg Jets on October 26. In the locker room after the game, Mikhail Sergachev expressed support for Vaněček “He was amazing. He held the ground for us. We gave up a little too much. He was big for us tonight. We just couldn’t get it done for him.” When asked about defending defending 4-on-3 in overtime, Sergachev said, “It is hard, but it’s easier than 5-on-3. … Pucks were flying around; high sticks everywhere; we just didn’t get to set up in our formation and didn’t get to defend that well. (Columbus) attacked right away–good on them.”

Jack McBain, who initiated the scoring with perhaps the most unusual goal of his career, said, “It wasn’t our best game, for sure. Everybody knows that. We gave up too many chances. I think we tried to overcomplicate the game. We got a little away from our identity there.” Asked about staying strong late in the third period, McBain added, “Every point matters. The kill did a good job to get it into overtime. It was unfortunate that (Columbus) was on the 4-on-3, that’s tough. But every point matters all the way through the rest of the season. … We got a point out of (tonight). It wasn’t our best game, but we’ll learn from it and move on. We have to learn…to win, how to close out games. Not our best, but we’re on to the next one.”

Utah Mammoth Head Coach André Tourigny began his postgame remarks by saying, “I think I’m disappointed about the way we process that game, the way our thought process, mindset, our play with the puck, our play without the puck. I think V gave us an opportunity to get a point, which is a big point, which is important. I thought against St Louis, Vej bailed us out. So I was expecting definitely better from today.” When asked how the team can improve, Bear responded, “First of all, you need to sting a little bit. It’s not just about moving on. It’s about learning from it. I think there’s a lesson to learn from that game. Like I said, it’s not a matter of execution or effort. It was a matter of mindset, be ready to play the game the way it should have been played, and our decision with the puck. There’s many things that were not on par.” Tourigny was visually disappointed for Vaněček, and said of his performance, “Really good, I think. Tough situation, he didn’t play for a little bit, and came in and the guys did not play their A game in front of him, and he kept us there. I think he did a great job.”

Utah (22-20-4) returns to the ice on Tuesday for their fourth game of the homestand against the Toronto Maple Leafs (22-15-7).

NHL Note: Ten years ago today (January 11, 2016), Washington Capitals forward and future unanimous first ballot Hall of Famer Alex Ovechkin passed the 500 career goals mark. Now at the age of 40, Ovi has 19 goals in the current season, and 916 for his record breaking career, 24 more than the previous record holder, Wayne Gretzky, who retired with 894 career goals.

Ovechkin also has 77 career playoff goals for good measure, which means he is 7 away from 1000 combined career regular season and playoff goals, still behind Gretzky whose combined regular season and playoff goal mark is 1016, still very much in reach for Ovechkin who continues to be productive while most of his contemporaries have been long retired.

Sharks Suffer Another 7-2 Loss Against the Golden Knights

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Alexander Wennberg scores the final goal of the night for the Sharks against the Golden Knights at SAP Center on Jan 11, 2026 (AP Photo)

By Fernando Abarca

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Sharks returned to SAP Center for rare back-to-back weekend games looking to build momentum, but faced a difficult test against the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights to 7-2 loss on Sunday.

Any hopes of an even contest were short-lived, as Vegas struck first off a faceoff. Ivan Barbashev set up Jack Eichel with time and space in the circle, and Eichel beat the goaltender at 7:19 of the first period to open the scoring.

Two minutes later, the Sharks responded. At 9:33, Colin Graf won a puck battle in the Vegas defensive zone, creating a scoring chance that Jeff Skinner set up for Graf to finish to tie the game at 1.

Vegas regained control on the power play. Pavel Dorofeyev scored to make it 2-1, with assists from Mark Stone and Tomas Hertl, with 10:57 remaining in the first period. The Golden Knights carried the one-goal lead into intermission.

The second period proved difficult for San Jose. Vegas scored three times, goals from Jack Eichel, Zach Whitecloud, and Hertl, to build a 5-1 advantage. The Sharks found a late spark when Alexander Wennberg scored at 16:29, cutting the deficit to 5-2 heading into the third period.

The third period was largely uneventful and dominated by the visitors, with the outcome appearing decided before play resumed. The Sharks played passively for much of the final 20 minutes. Penalties provided the few notable moments, as Tyler Toffoli was called for high-sticking and William Eklund for hooking. Vegas added two goals with an empty-net score and another in the final seconds to seal a 7-2 victory.

The result matched a 7-2 loss to Vegas on Dec. 23 and marked another winless showing for the Sharks against the Golden Knights this season.

The Sharks will go on the road to face the Washington Capitals on Tuesday Night.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary:Sharks take the Stars down to Earth with 5-4 Overtime win

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San Jose Sharks center Tyler Toffoli (73) is greeted by teammates Pavol Regneda (84) and Mario Ferraro (38) after scoring the game winning overtime goal against the Dallas Stars at SAP Center in San Jose on Sat Jan 10, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sharks take the Stars down to Earth with a 5-4 Overtime win

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

SAN JOSE–After this Saturday’s home game against the Dallas Stars, which the Sharks won 5-4 in OT, they are 23-18, fourth place in the NHL Pacific Division. These Tiburones are as exciting as ever, with Mackluin Celebrini leading the pack and other young, talented players who have excellent offensive firepower, speed, and very aggressive play, making them dangerous and very competitive.

Always exciting. Today’s game (dedicated to First Responders in San José) was an extremely exciting affair (sellout) between two good teams on a sunny, spectacular afternoon in San José, as the Bay Area came out of a couple of weeks of rain and cold weather.

Although he did not score today, Celebrini is a top scorer in the NHL, ranking high in overall points and, specifically, in goals from mid-range. He consistently contends for league-leading spots, even among established stars, showcasing elite offensive talent as an NHL newcomer.

Celebrini at 19, recently became the youngest player named to the Canadian Olympic hockey team. With the potential to win an MVP or two in the National Hockey League Sharks’ goals for the win today:

Tyler Toffoli (2 goals, including the overtime winner) Adam Gaudette (1 goal) Alexander Wennberg (1 goal) Jeff Skinner (1 goal “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” -Wayne Gretzky Sharks Audio Network: Listen to San Jose radio broadcast on the Sharks Audio Network with legendary Dan Rusanowsky anhd crew.San José Sharks TV on NBC California with Randy Hahn and color commentary from Drew Remenda.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.

LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874

From the second you step in the front door, the sounds of Latin America will gently seduce your ears and continue as you relax outdoors with your favorite cocktail enjoying the view. The wonderful flavors and aromas of our cuisine will not disappoint.

We use only the finest, freshest, local ingredients in every dish and every dish is prepared to order. Enjoy live mariachi music weekly and on special occasions, catch balet folklorico dance performances among other live entertainment. Come visit us and have a great time! Enjoy fast, friendly service, fantastic food & cocktails, music and allow us to share our beautiful Mexican heritage with you.

LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant at 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874.

Sharks battle back to overcome Stars in 5-4 overtime thriller

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San Jose Sharks center Tyler Toffoli (73) who scored the game winning goal in overtime is on the bottom of the dog pile as San Jose defeated the Dallas Stars at SAP Center in San Jose on Jan 10, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Ryan Hannagan and Lincoln Juarez

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Tyler Toffoli scored in his second straight game including the overtime winner to complete the Sharks comeback against the Dallas Stars. Macklin Celebrini extended his point streak to 13 games with three assists in the Sharks 5-4 overtime win.

The first of back-to-back games at SAP Center this weekend featured the final meeting of the season between the Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks. The Sharks went into Saturday afternoon hot, winning 5 of their last 6 which has them sitting in the first wildcard spot in the West.

Dallas currently sits in 2nd in the ever-so stacked Central Division and have fire power and depth that has the potential to lead them to a deep playoff run this postseason. However, the Stars are struggling as of late, dropping 6 of their last 7 games. The last meeting against Dallas didn’t go well for the Sharks, who dropped the contest 5-3 in the Lone Star State.

The first shift of the game, Dallas came out firing, Alex Nedeljkovic had to sprawl down and make three saves to keep the puck out of the net. A few minutes later the Sharks had good chances off the stick of Macklin Celebrini and Igor Chernyshov. San Jose had a heavy shooting pace early, throwing 8 shots on goal in the first 7:23.

Although the San Jose offense was in charge early, the Stars lit the lamp first. Sharks defenseman Vinny Iorio had a costly turnover along the offensive zone blue line leading to a breakaway for Justin Hryckowian who ripped it past Nedeljkovic, 1-0 Stars.

The Sharks went on the power play soon after, but failed to make anything happen while not generating a shot on goal. San Jose had their best chance of the period with 3:22 left as Celebrini fed Chernysov in front of the net who shot the puck through the five hole of Stars goaltender, Casey DeSmith but not past the goal line, the puck sat in the blue paint and was swept out of danger.

The Stars went up 2-0 on a delayed Sharks penalty when Jason Robertson scored after drawing the San Jose penalty. After one, the Sharks outshot Dallas 11-9 but trailed 2-0.

Three minutes and 59 seconds into the second period the Sharks went on the power play when Macklin Celebrini drew a trip and Esa Lindell was sent to the box. On the power play, Celebrini fed Alex Wennberg in front and San Jose finally got on the board to get within one. Celebrini increased his point streak to 13 games with the assist on Wennberg’s ninth goal of the season.

The Stars played an undisciplined second period taking a lot of penalties. Colin Blackwell tripped Pavol Regenda sending team teal to the power play once more. The Sharks capitalized again up a man with a goal from Jeff Skinner off a perfect pass from Igor Chernyshov to tie the game at two.

The tie didn’t last too long, with one minute left in the period Stars defenseman Kyle Capobianco placed a perfect shot past Alex Nedeljkovic to give the Stars the lead back. At the end of two, the score sat 3-2 in favor of Dallas. The second period was controlled by the Sharks, yet they trailed after 40 minutes.

After back and forth play in the first 7:30 of the first third, Mikko Rantanen scored off a geometric bounce shot off Nedeljkovic’s pad to make it 4-2 Stars.

The Sharks great day on the power play continued in the third, Tyler Toffoli scored his first of two big goals in the afternoon from Celebrini, as the Sharks clawed back within a goal.

At 15:01 of the third period, Sam Dickinson threw a beautiful feed to Adam Gaudette in prime real estate just outside of the goal crease. Gaudette deflected the puck past Casey DeSmith to tie the game, 4-4.

Both teams traded chances in the final four minutes and change, but both goaltenders stood strong in their respective creases to send the game to overtime.

Not even a minute into overtime the Stars undisciplined play continued as Mikko Rantenen got sent to the box on a holding call. The Sharks powerplay, which was already 3-for-5, took to the ice looking to end the game and earn the extra point.

After a scramble around the net, William Eklund found Tyler Toffoli in the slot who ripped a one-time shot into the back of the net to complete the Sharks comeback.

San Jose went 4-for-6 on the man advantage on their way to a thrilling 5-4 win, which put them in third place in the Pacific and five games above .500 for the first time since 2019. The Sharks hope to take the momentum of a three-game winning streak into Sunday’s battle with the Vegas Golden Knights in what could potentially be a battle for first place in the Pacific pending a Vegas loss to St. Louis Saturday night.

Puck drop at 5:00pm at SAP Center.

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

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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

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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

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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