SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks are three-quarters of the way through their season and have surprised just about everybody around the NHL by remaining right in the mix for a playoff spot.
That — in and of itself — is no longer good enough for the Sharks these days as they get ready to embark on a challenging five-game road trip.
Emotions ran high during and after the Sharks’ testy 2-1 overtime loss to the New York Islanders on Saturday, partly stemming, it seems, from Mat Barzal’s shoulder colliding with the head of Macklin Celebrini in the third period. No call was made with the game still tied 1-1.
Shortly afterward, Sharks winger Kiefer Sherwood went after Barzal near the Sharks’ bench and took a two-minute minor for roughing with 3:45 left in regulation time.
“It just looks like they kind of run into each other, in a sense,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said of Barzal’s hit. “I don’t know how deliberate it is.”
The Sharks killed the penalty to Sherwood but were unable to score on an ensuing power play that carried into overtime. Then, once 3-on-3 play resumed, Bo Horvat scored with 40 seconds left in the extra session, handing San Jose a bitter loss to end a six-game homestand.
Celebrini didn’t want to answer a question about the officials putting the whistles away for most of the third period.
Macklin Celebrini was shaken up after this hit from Mat Barzal late in the 3rd period
Was this a dirty hit from Barzal? pic.twitter.com/VRexXEcBES
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) March 8, 2026
Asked if he felt liberties were taken on Celebrini by the Islanders, Warsofsky had a simple message: It probably won’t be the last time, especially if his team reaches the postseason for the first time since 2019.
“If we’re going to play in the playoffs, that’s what it’s going to be like,” Warsofsky said of the chippy, tight-checking game. “So we’ve got to get comfortable being a little uncomfortable at times. That’s how the game’s played. We’ve got to protect each other. I thought we did a pretty good job of that.
“They’re going to try to do that. It’s one of the best players in the world.”
The Sharks finished the homestand with a 3-1-2 record, and entered Sunday one point behind the Seattle Kraken for the Western Conference’s second wild card spot and two points behind the Edmonton Oilers for third place in the Pacific Division. The Sharks have one game in hand on Seattle and two on Edmonton.
Few could have expected the Sharks to be in this position after they finished dead last in the overall standings each of the past two seasons. Now that they’re here, and every game being so meaningful, of course, emotions are going to run high with each close game.
What’s the alternative? To go through another stretch run where the standings are an afterthought and some guys are simply playing out the string? The Sharks have been there and done that, time and again, over the last five or six years.
“It’s kind of like the most interesting part of the season, when every game, every point is so important,” said Sharks rookie goalie Yaroslav Askarov, who made 32 saves, including 14 in the third period, in a standout performance, “and it’s fun to play, for sure.”
The playoffs do not start for another six weeks. But the Sharks, especially those who have never been in a postseason race at this level before, are feeling all of those similar emotions. The wins are that much sweeter. The losses are that much more disappointing.
Experiencing that joy and anguish can be beneficial for this still-developing group.
Sherwood engages with Barzal, who initially had the head contact against Celebrini that went uncalled. A scrum ensues at the bench. Annnnnnd… Sherwood comes out of that with the only roughing penalty. #SJSharks shorthanded. pic.twitter.com/2LKnGs9K6c
— TEAL TOWN USA – A San Jose Sharks Podcast (@TEALTOWNUSA) March 8, 2026
The Sharks start the road trip on Tuesday against the surging Buffalo Sabres, followed by games in Boston, Montreal, Ottawa, and Edmonton. The Sabres, Bruins, Canadiens, and Oilers are all in a playoff spot, and the Senators are knocking on the door. Every game matters. That’s what makes this cool.
“We’ll enjoy it and have fun,” Warsofsky said of the younger players being in a playoff push. “I know this is a business, and I get it, but we’re playing a game that we all love, that we’re in a position that probably no one in the world thought we would be in. That is a fact, and we’re going to enjoy it, learn from it.
“These are great experiences, and sometimes, you get a lot of experiences through failure, and you get to learn through those experiences. By no means are we down and out here. We move forward. We got a point. Big game against Buffalo on Tuesday, but let’s enjoy it. Let’s go on the road as a group. It’s us, really, against the world. It’s just the guys in that dressing room that ultimately, at the end of the day, truly care.
“A lot of people, family, friends, they watch the game, but it doesn’t affect their lives as much as it affects ours. And they support us, and that’s great. But it’s going to be the guys in the room, the coaching staff, the training (staff), the equipment guys that are all in this together, that are going to go through this and enjoy this ride we’re going to go on here, and continue to push for the playoffs.”
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