Celebrini Misses Second Straight Game as Sharks Win

San Jose beat St. Louis 3 to 2 in overtime Thursday at Enterprise Center without Macklin Celebrini. Darnell Nurse scored 1:03 into overtime, Tyler Toffoli had a goal and an assist, Collin Graf scored, and Alex Nedeljkovic made 24 saves in his first start of the season. The result moved the Sharks to 3 and 1 and 0, while confirming Celebrini missed a second straight game with a lower body issue. [1] [2] The comeback carries real value as a game recap. San Jose recovered twice after falling behind and got production from veterans and depth around an absent captain. The more careful read separates that completed result from Celebrini's still unconfirmed status for Saturday. San Jose Erased Two One Goal Deficits St. Louis took its first lead when McMichael scored 3:52 into the opening period. The Sharks did not answer until Toffoli tied the game at 8:48 of the second. That equalizer gave San Jose a route back into a game that had not been smooth, and Toffoli added an assist to his productive night. [1] The Blues regained the lead on Dube's shorthanded goal 1:39 into the third period. San Jose answered again when Graf scored at 6:05. The game remained level through regulation, sending the decision to overtime instead of producing a regulation win for either side. [1] Nurse finished it early in the extra period after taking a feed from Ivar Stenberg. The goal was Nurse's first for San Jose after the July 1 trade from Edmonton. Nedeljkovic's 24 saves mattered across a game in which the Sharks had to answer two deficits, and the veteran goalie had not started for San Jose this season before Thursday. [1] [2] Those details describe a useful team effort, not a one player story. Toffoli supplied offense at even strength, Graf supplied the tying goal, Nurse delivered the overtime finish, and Nedeljkovic held the Blues to two goals. The Sharks earned the result by recovering from two one goal holes rather than protecting an early lead. Three Overtime Wins Are Not Three Regulation Wins San Jose's 3 and 1 and 0 start has a specific shape. All three Sharks victories have come in overtime, including a 4 to 3 win over Florida and a 5 to 4 win over Los Angeles before the 3 to 2 result in St. Louis. Celebrini recorded three assists against Florida and two against Los Angeles before he missed the next two games. [1] [3] The distinction matters. Overtime wins count as wins in the record, and San Jose has found answers after regulation in each of its victories. They do not show three regulation wins. Thursday's game was tied after 60 minutes, just as the earlier results required overtime to settle. Calling the start a regulation statement would add something the results do not support. The St. Louis comeback can still be assessed on its own terms. San Jose responded after both Blues leads, received a strong first start from Nedeljkovic, and finished the extra period quickly. Those are concrete pieces of a 3 to 2 road win. Four games do not supply a repeatable edge, and the overtime pattern should remain distinct from a claim of sustained control through regulation. [1] [2] That framing also avoids turning a single absence into a broad conclusion about team strength. The Sharks showed they could win this game without their captain. The result does not measure every role Celebrini fills, nor does it decide how the club will look in its next matchup. Celebrini's Absence Has a Clear Chronology Celebrini had five assists through San Jose's first two games. He posted three in the overtime win against Florida and two in the overtime win against Los Angeles. He then missed the Sharks' 5 to 0 loss to Dallas on Monday. The lower body issue was not described in detail by coach Ryan Warsofsky. [3] Before Thursday's game, Celebrini had missed practice the previous two days, then participated in the morning skate. Warsofsky said the issue was being managed and did not say it began in Monday's warmups. The pregame report left him as a game time decision. The completed result now resolves Thursday only: Celebrini did not play against St. Louis. [1] [3] San Jose hosts Edmonton on Saturday. The NHL.com recap and AP report identify the next opponent, but neither confirms Celebrini's availability, a replacement plan, a power play role, or a starting goalie. Thursday's win should not be treated as proof that the injury has no effect simply because the scoreboard favored the Sharks. [1] [2] SBA Takeaway San Jose's victory in St. Louis was a solid recovery from two one goal deficits. Toffoli and Graf supplied the tying goals, Nedeljkovic made 24 saves in his first start, and Nurse ended the game 1:03 into overtime. The Sharks are 3 and 1 and 0, but all three wins required overtime. [1] [2] Celebrini's second straight absence is confirmed, and the chronology explains why Thursday became a late status decision. It does not provide a diagnosis or a Saturday return date. Keep the two ideas separate: the Sharks completed a valuable road comeback, while Celebrini's status for Saturday against Edmonton has not been confirmed. No repeatable edge follows from one comeback or three overtime wins. [1] [2] Sources - [1] NHL.com: Sharks Defeat Blues in Overtime - [2] ESPN and AP: Sharks 3, Blues 2 in Overtime - [3] NHL.com: Celebrini Misses Second Straight Game With Lower Body Injury Related Reading - Bryan Rust Returns With a Goal in Penguins Loss to Capitals - Shesterkin Scores in Rangers Opener. One Game Is Not a New Baseline. - Aleksander Barkov Placed on LTIR Before Panthers Visit Ducks