SAN JOSE, Calif. — In a thrilling matchup on Monday night, Macklin Celebrini notched the decisive goal early in the third period, guiding the San Jose Sharks to a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins and ending their streak of six consecutive losses.

Celebrini found the back of the net after receiving a well-placed pass from Tyler Toffoli in the slot, marking his 16th goal of the season. Following that, goaltender Yaroslav Askarov showcased his skills by denying Drew O’Connor on a penalty shot, contributing to his impressive total of 32 saves. This performance was crucial for the Sharks, who were in dire need of a win.

In the first period, the Sharks got on the scoreboard first with a goal from Mikael Granlund. Just moments into the third period, Penguins’ superstar Sidney Crosby, who had been the first overall draft pick 19 years prior to Celebrini, managed to tie the game with a quick goal just 24 seconds in. Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic kept the Penguins in it with 26 saves throughout the game.

Observations from the game highlight that the Penguins are struggling, facing their third straight loss and having dropped seven out of nine games. Their current standings leave them near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, only ahead of the Buffalo Sabres. For San Jose, this victory was significant as they had allowed six or more goals in four consecutive games, finding themselves on a poor streak of nine losses out of the last ten before breaking through against the Penguins.

A key moment in the match occurred when the Penguins believed they had tied the game with 5:14 left on the clock. Michael Bunting’s pass deflected into the net, but San Jose challenged the call, and after review, the officials determined that Anthony Beauvillier had interfered with Askarov, resulting in the goal being disallowed.

Statistically, Will Smith recorded an assist on Granlund’s goal, extending his point streak to five games. Celebrini, also a rookie, has already had a five-game point streak this season, marking a memorable achievement as it is the first time two rookies from the Sharks have accomplished this within the same season since Melker Karlsson and Chris Tierney did so during the 2014-15 season.

Looking ahead, the Penguins are set to travel to Utah on Wednesday, while the Sharks are scheduled to face off against Seattle on Thursday.