The San Jose Sharks are heating up right before the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Macklin Celebrini's unbelievable sophomore season has given the young Sharks a chance at postseason hockey. And on Wednesday night, he continued his effort to will San Jose into a playoff spot.
Celebrini and his teammates took on a formidable opponent in the Anaheim Ducks. However, it was the hosting Sharks who came away with the victory. Celebrini scored twice and added two assists, as his four-point effort helped San Jose claim a 3-2 win.
This victory has pulled San Jose within one point of the Los Angeles Kings for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. After Wednesday's win, Celebrini spoke about what his team's recent run has meant to him.
“Yeah, the fans are here, it's loud. We're winning games. We're making a push. This is exciting. I haven't really been through this before & I'm just trying to soak it up,” the Sharks star said, via San Jose Hockey Now reporter Sheng Peng.
All hope seemed lost for San Jose toward the end of March. They endured a brutal six-game losing streak that dropped them toward the bottom of the West. However, the Sharks have now won three straight games. All the sudden, they are in the thick of the postseason race.
San Jose is not alone in this race, of course. In fact, they are one of five teams within four points of the West's final Wild Card berth. These upcoming games will only increase in intensity. And Celebrini will be tasked with leading the way, as he has done all year.
The Sharks return to action on Thursday when they play host to William Nylander and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
