SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks never seem to make it easy for themselves.
The Sharks took a tripping penalty late in the third period and gave up a game-tying power-play goal to Alex DeBrincat with 2:06 left in regulation time.
But that set up some overtime heroics by Macklin Celebrini, who scored just 46 seconds into the extra session to lead the Sharks to a 5-4 victory over the Detroit Red Wings at SAP Center.
It was the first overtime goal of Celebrini’s brief NHL career. Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci had the assists.
The Sharks had a 4-3 lead on Luke Kunin’s even-strength goal at the 6:19 mark of the third period.
With the game tied 3-3, Kunin won a faceoff in the Sharks’ zone back to Henry Thrun, who lofted the puck into the neutral zone for Carl Grundstrom. Kunin streaked up the ice into the Red Wings’ end, took a pass from Grundstrom, and fired a shot past Red Wings goalie Cam Talbot for his third goal of the season.
William Eklund scored twice for the second multi-goal game of his NHL career, Tyler Toffoli scored his team-leading ninth of the season, and goalie Mackenzie Blackwood made 16 saves as the Sharks snapped a three-game losing streak.
San Jose now begins a two-game road trip with stops in Dallas on Wednesday and St. Louis on Thursday.
The Sharks trailed 3-2 late in the second period after a puck-handling gaffe by Alexander Wennberg put the Wings ahead. Wennberg had the puck in the corner to the left of the Sharks’ net and skated to the slot area before he tried to send a short pass to Thrun.
Thrun wasn’t expecting it, though, and the puck went off his skate and past Blackwood. Wings forward Michael Rasmussen got credit for the goal at the 8:11 mark of the second period.
But Wennberg made up for it before the end of the second period, as he skated into the zone with the puck and fed Toffoli, who fired a shot past Talbot for his third goal in two games.
