OTTAWA — The San Jose Sharks take on the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre.
Nolan Allan and Tyler Toffoli and Collin Graf and Jacob Trouba and Zack Ostapchuk and Ivar Stenberg scored, and the Sharks won 5-2.
Period 1
3 in: Tough shift for top line, lots of strangeness. Trouba gets beat wide by Amadio, the defenseman, I think, had taken a too aggressive angle for the puck. That happens. Big Askarov save. But then, Celebrini with puck, looking up, waiting to make a play, you never see this happen, gets bullied by Amadio for it. Another Askarov save. Then, Chernyshov, receives the outlet pass, his back turned from Ottawa net, and he just falls over. He’s fine. But unusual sequence.
Stutzle goal: Misa was about to get called, Cozens’s speed and size was too much for him to handle one-on-one. But then, extra man, Batherson high finds a seam to Stutzle, who blows it through Askarov.
7 in: Celebrini catches the pass on his right, passes it to himself on the left, thinks he has some daylight to shoot….but Sanderson just rips it off him. Norris-caliber defense there. I’m a big Jake fan.
Yakemchuk no-goal: Reprieve for Sharks, puck never crossed line. San Jose Sharks lost puck, you want to micro-criticize the fourth line, they had the puck on rush, Dellandrea goes to slot, it gets intercepted. That could’ve happened to anybody, of course, even Celebrini, who hasn’t been good so far tonight. But that was the turnover.
10 in: Giroux rings the crossbar. Sharks actually up 5-2 shots, but every Sens’ shot either a scoring chance or beating Askarov, feels like.
Allan goal: But Allan picks a high corner! Walks down lane and picks it. Allan has been solid as a No. 7 this year, credit to him, and apparently, he can pick it. Allan had kept the puck alive, stopping up the rim. Then Orlov filtered it toward an attacking Chernyshov? Chernyshov helped direct it toward Allan, great hockey from him. Off an outstanding first line shift, Smith and Chernyshov all had slot one-timers denied by Ersson. Celebrini, who I just, um, said something about, great on that shift. That’s a rarity, a 5-on-5 goal from the Celebrini line that Celebrini doesn’t get a point from.
8 left: Stenberg tries to hit a streaking Misa, behind him, turnover. That’ll kill your Expected Goals. Sherwood saves their bacon, deflecting a point shot out. But yeah, something about this line, showed some life last third period, for sure, but just not quite in unison.
5 left: Chernyshov blocks a Matinpalo shot, in lots of pain, hand or arm? Goes to locker room. Road trip starting to take out Sharks’ depth.
Watching power play entries a lot after talking to Jack Han, very imprecise, Stenberg off. They’re try Orlov carrying, forward pass to Stenberg, drop back to Celebrini. That could compensate for Orlov’s foot speed, but Stenberg missed the target. When they gain the zone, they are dangerous, Smith tries to hit a crashing Stenberg for the tap-in. But that’s it. And the PP2 is ugly, once again, entry issues, Trouba even slower than Orlov. If they set up, they’re fine, but they can’t manage to do that.
Period 2
Per Sharks: Igor Chernyshov is doubtful to return to tonight’s game.
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 23, 2026
Looks like Graf moving back up to wing with Celebrini & Smith. GRILLMACK 4 Life!
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 23, 2026
And Graf finds Smith for a Grade-A one-timer in front. Quick instinct pass. Big stop.
1 in: Good battle win by Misa. This was after a huge Askarov save on Giroux, one-timer in dead slot.
Dellandrea now centering Toffoli and Marchment.
2 in: Not a great Marchment pass to Allan, Greig could smell it a mile away. But good job by Allan to not lose Greig, desperation check stops up the winger just enough.
3 in: Smith high, misses one-timer, but still has puck, clever, high-to-low tip to Graf, another Ersson save. Perhaps not everybody’s prediction, but something of a goaltending battle tonight.
Toffoli goal: Was it tipped? If not, what a shot, but Toffoli is a sniper. Anyway, good job to just get it on net. Misa traffic. PP2 strike!
Graf goal: They do prefer Dellandrea over Graf on PK draws. Dellandrea had missed a clear that he maybe should’ve had, but then Graf jumps on a vulnerable Sen, he and Dellandrea break out, and Dellandrea finds Graf for the tap-in. Beaut pass! Shockingly inattentive defense by Halliday on Graf. Feel good for Ty, he definitely takes too much crap from this fanbase. Now I’m not running a victory lap, I would’ve played Gaudette at least tonight (you can argue Dellandrea was coming off a good game, his last one against Blues, maybe he’s been practicing well, give him Habs), as the Sharks mostly struggled against Montreal. But anyway, depth is good, Dellandrea was good last year except for yes, that very important points stat, which is especially relevant for a 3C. Wennberg and Chernyshov maybe down, depth is good.
Trouba goal: Great feed from Graf! Ottawa’s dismal PP really sinks them. Not a shortie, Nurse was coming out of box, but Sens just had no idea who they were supposed to pick up defensively.
6 left: Huge pad stop by Askarov on Pinto partial breakaway. Of the many things that fans have picked on about Askarov, I think it’s fair to note that he hasn’t seemed to make that big, clutch save a lot. That was a huge potential momentum swing there, Sens need any life.
3 left: Momentum swing again? Zetterlund does a good job pressing ahead, forcing Orlov into bad spot.
2 left: Save of the year candidate by Askarov! He didn’t just rob Batherson, he bankrupt him with that flying glove save.
Period 3
Can the San Jose Sharks hold a lead in the third period and win a game in regulation?
Last time that Askarov had two straight games with a .900 or better Save % was in Dec. 2025, 12/16 vs. Calgary Flames and 12/20 vs. Seattle Kraken.
Spence goal: You want San Jose Sharks to attack when up, they’ve been doing it. This Spence goal was a counterattack rush after a Marchment cross-slot pass to Celebrini was behind Celebrini. Earlier in period, Stenberg flubbed a Misa feed, probably would’ve been a good chance. Play aggressive or go into a shell with the lead, you still have to execute.
6 in: Big Dellandrea block on Yakemchuk point shot, he’s in pain.
8 in: Don’t like that from Misa. Have to re-watch. Sherwood does good job along DZ wall to win puck. Gets it to Stenberg who pops it to Misa with speed in NZ…and the puck doesn’t get deep and I don’t even see Misa trying to make some play either? Like if it’s just sticked away by defense, example again of Misa needing to step up pace. Definitely if you can’t make the play, just dump it in.
9 left: Ostapchuk with good speed, passes it to himself and out of DZ. But Goodrow can’t get puck to him off OZ wall. I do think the Sharks are consciously not trying to sit back, leading them to some dangerous plays, and chiefly, mostly not executing when they have chances for something more.
7 left: Kesselring upset. Gotta re-watch later. His DZ clear doesn’t get out, did his stick break, or it hit something, should’ve been blown down?
4 left: Celebrini doesn’t like the penalty. Gut check time!
Ostapchuk goal: I told him that he would score this morning! Haha.
2 left: Trouba and Dellandrea get it out with Askarov missing his stick.
Stenberg goal: Unselfish work by Sherwood, kill time in battle, find a rook for the ENG.
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