Sharks Defeat Panthers 3-1 in Thrilling Matchup Saturday Night

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Sharks defeated the Florida Panthers 3-1 on Saturday night, marking their third consecutive victory at SAP Center.

Macklin Celebrini scored his 10th goal of the season for the Sharks, while Adam Gaudette and Alexander Wennberg also contributed goals. With this win, the Sharks improved to 7-6-3 and have won five of their last six games.

Yaroslav Askarov stood out in goal, making 38 saves and shutting down the Panthers, who have struggled on power plays, failing to capitalize on five opportunities.

“It’s a win in the National Hockey League. It is extremely difficult. They’re not all going to be Picassos,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “Credit to our group; we worked extremely hard. We grinded it out.”

Celebrini opened the scoring for San Jose at the 17:25 mark of the first period. The 19-year-old received a quick pass from Will Smith and scored high past goalie Daniil Tarasov.

Gaudette doubled the lead early in the second period, redirecting a shot from Dmitry Orlov into the net.

Florida responded just 28 seconds later when Brad Marchand found the net, marking his 10th goal of the season. Marchand has now scored in four consecutive games.

Askarov made numerous key saves, particularly during the third period, when the Panthers intensified their offensive push but could only manage one goal. Wennberg sealed San Jose’s victory with an empty-net goal in the final minute of play.

“That was awesome,” Askarov said, reflecting on the game. “The crowd was so loud. The boys love it.”

Next up, the Panthers will face the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday, while the Sharks are set to play the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.