SAN JOSE – Macklin Celebrini’s spectacular NHL debut was spoiled by a even more spectacular comeback by the St. Louis Blues.
The Blues scored three goals in the third period to tie the game, with Justin Faulk leveling the score with 47 seconds left in regulation time, before Brayden Schenn scored 45 seconds into overtime to hand the Sharks a bitter 5-4 loss before a sellout crowd at SAP Center.
Still, Celebrini had a spectacular NHL debut while also offering a tantalizing glimpse of what’s to come, collecting a goal and an assist in the first period Thursday as the Sharks built a 4-1 lead.
Fabian Zetterlund scored a power-play goal, and Barclay Goodrow added a shorthanded goal in the second period for San Jose.
Sharks goalie Mackenzie Blackwood was solid in his season debut, making 29 saves in the first two periods to help his team overcome a slew of puck management issues in the first period. San Jose was outshot 22-9 in the first period before they began to clean up their game.
Celebrini finished with 17:35 in ice time, and at 18 years and 119 days old, became the youngest Sharks skater to have two points in his NHL debut. The record was previously held by Marco Sturm, who was just over 19 years old when he had a goal and an assist for the Sharks in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 4, 1997.
The Sharks two years ago started 0-5-0 and were 3-9-3 after the first month, taking them out of any playoff consideration. Last season, San Jose had one of the worst starts in NHL history, going 0-10-1 right off the hop and owning a 3-15-2 mark at the quarter-pole.
The Sharks were sloppy in the first 20 minutes, repeatedly turning the puck over while trying to break out of their own zone. But Celebrini almost willed them to a one-goal lead after 20 minutes.
Taking a pass from William Eklund as he entered the Blues’ zone, Celebrini entered the offensive zone and took a couple of strides before he turned around in front of Blues defenseman Ryan Suter. The pass was intended for Eklund, but the puck instead went off Blues defenseman Matthew Kessel and slid past goalie Joel Hofer for a 1-0 Sharks lead 7:01 into the first period.
The goal sent the crowd into hysterics.
St. Louis tied the game 1:50 later on a goal by Pavel Buchnevich, but the Sharks took the lead for good on another dazzling play by Celebrini.
Handling the puck behind the Blues net, Celebrini turned and found an open Toffoli, who quickly fired it past Hofer for his first goal as a Shark and the 261st of his career.
The Sharks added an insurance goal at the 8:26 mark of what was a much cleaner second period, as Zetterlund one-timed a seam pass from Mikael Granlund past Hofer for a 3-1 lead, Then, after Blackwood made a terrific save to start a Sharks penalty kill, Goodrow had a partial breakaway, and got a shot on Hofer that found its way into the net.
The Sharks needed that goal, as the Blues stormed back with goals by Radek Faksa and Suter just 3:17 apart.
