San Jose, CA—–The San Jose Sharks secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, thanks to Cody Ceci’s game-winning slap shot with just 25 seconds left in the third period.
Locked in a 2-2 tie, Ceci unleashed a powerful shot from the blue line that slipped past Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom, sealing the win for San Jose. Yaroslav Askarov delivered a strong performance in net, stopping 28 shots, while Markstrom recorded 21 saves for New Jersey.
Macklin Celebrini had earlier given the Sharks a 2-1 lead with a precise wrist shot on his first shift of the third period. However, Paul Cotter responded for the Devils, evening the score with a quick goal.
San Jose’s Nikolai Kovalenko opened the scoring late in the first period, notching his first goal with the team since being acquired in a trade last month. The Devils answered in the second period when Nico Hischier, celebrating his 26th birthday, redirected a Jack Hughes pass on the power play to tie the game.
Takeaways
Devils:
New Jersey’s struggles continued as they dropped their fourth straight game during a challenging six-game road trip. The team has yet to regain momentum following the holiday break.
Sharks:
San Jose built on their recent success, defeating their second consecutive playoff-caliber opponent after snapping an eight-game skid with a win over Tampa Bay on Thursday. Askarov looked sharp in his second straight start, showcasing the potential that could make him the Sharks’ goaltender of the future.
Key Moment
In the closing moments of the game, Jonas Siegenthaler lost his footing in the Devils’ defensive zone, allowing Alexander Wennberg to recover the puck. Wennberg sent it to Ceci at the point, whose slap shot deflected off Markstrom’s glove and found the back of the net.
Key Stat
Macklin Celebrini’s 13th goal of the season propelled him to first place among rookies in scoring. He had entered the game tied with the Flyers’ Matvei Michkov.
Up Next:
The Devils travels to the Kraken on Monday, while the Sharks host the Golden Knights on Tuesday.
