The San Jose Sharks have 7-13-5 record this season. Regardless of their losses and their lack of wins, the team has been working hard in their rebuild. The Sharks have acquired some great talent, ranging from veteran players, to the rookies in their first season.
Among the rookies is Yaroslav Askarov the 22 year old goaltender traded from the Nashville Predators in late August. However, there is also the most popular rookie acquired, Macklin Celebrini.
Askarov received the call to join the San Jose Sharks when fellow goaltender Vitek Vanecek was removed due to an injury. Vanecek left the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on November 16th at the end of the first period. It was questionable how sever the injury was, still no word has been released.
Even being called up, Askarov had to wait two games before he could take the ice with the Sharks. Regardless of losing the game, Askarov proved himself to the team.
Rookie Goaltenders Debut goes to Overtime
Askarov faced the St. Louis Blues on November 21st for his Sharks NHL Debut. Unfortunately, the Sharks came up short losing 3-2 in Overtime.
The Blues scored in the first 11 seconds of the first period. Askarov shook it off and continued to remain calm in the net, fast on his feet, and made some great saves.
When asked about the first goals scored on him, Askarov remained stoic, “Life is going on.” That response just shows what kind of mindset he has and his outlook on working harder next time around.
Yaroslav had 29 saves on 31 shots on goal, giving him a SV% of .935. This would also be his first Overtime as a goalie for the Sharks organization. Askarov is now 0-0-1 in his career as a Shark. With his career starting out, theres no where to go but up.
Askarov flashing the leather 😮💨
pic.twitter.com/dF6pRPHRQf— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) November 22, 2024
Askarov started in net on home ice on November 25th against the Los Angeles Kings. He gave up two goals during the 60 minutes of play; he had 24 saves on 26 shots on net. While remaining a solid force in the net, the Sharks were able to win 7-2.
Askarov has been sent back to the San Jose Barracuda as Vitek Vanecek has been cleared to resume play.
Sharks Rookie Becoming a Constant Force on the Ice
Macklin Celebrini has been playing more aggressively on the ice. Celebrini has seven goals, four assists in only 13 games played this season.
During their game against the St. Louis Blues, the 18 year old centre slid across the ice to prevent an empty net goal. This move allowed for the Sharks to remain alive in the game, still coming up short in the end.
HOW ABOUT THIS DIVING EFFORT FROM CELEBRINI 💪
This game doesn’t get to overtime without him. pic.twitter.com/2uRKOkEImg
— NHL (@NHL) November 22, 2024
On top of his astounding performance on the ice. Macklin was a driving force in brining home a win against the Los Angeles Kings.
Celebrini got an assist on Fabian Zetterlunds’ second period goal. Bring the score to 2-2. Going into the third period, Celebrini scored a minute into the period and scoring his second goal two minutes later. This would be Macklins first 3 point game of his career.
Since returning from injury on Nov. 5, Macklin Celebrini ranks among NHL rookies:
Tied for first in points (8)
First in even strength points (6)
First in goals (5)
First in even strength goals (4)
Tied for first in game-winning goals (2) https://t.co/Jhq3bhP3JK— San Jose Sharks PR (@SanJoseSharksPR) November 26, 2024
Thee Sharks faced the Ottawa Senators on home ice on November 27th, losing 4-3 in the final period. At the start of the third period, the Sharks were down by two points. However, Macklin scored his first goal of the game five minutes into the period. This set off a chain reaction, pushing the Sharks to tie 3-3.
Macklin played alongside Fabian Zetterlund and William Eklund, proving to be one of the best lines for the Sharks in the game. The rookie centre played with more force, yet was shooting the puck more than he had in the beginning of the season. The Sharks outshot the Senators, 39-11.
There is still areas that both rookies need to work on and develop along the way. Yet, their ability to read the game, stay on their feet, and remain calm have greatly helped the team push forward even amidst multiple losses.
The San Jose Sharks face the Seattle Kraken Friday November 29th at home. With the way that Macklin Celebrini is playing, one can wonder if he will get another multi-point night under his belt.
Main Photo: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
