Macklin Celebrini scored a goal and added an assist, leading the San Jose Sharks to a 2-1 victory over the visiting Winnipeg Jets on Friday night.
With the two-point performance, Celebrini took sole possession of the league lead with 23 points. Friday was the sixth multi-point game of the season for the 19-year-old.
Will Smith also scored for the Sharks, who improved to 5-1-1 over their past seven games.
Alex Nedeljkovic made 32 saves for his first career win against the Jets (1-2-0).
Josh Morrissey scored the lone goal for the Jets, who have dropped back-to-back road games after starting the season 4-0-0 away from home. Winnipeg had its three-game winning streak snapped in a 3-0 loss to the Kings in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Connor Hellebuyck stopped 25 shots in the defeat.
Smith scored the eventual game-winner at 15:39 of the third period, batting home a loose puck in the crease to give the Sharks their first lead of the night.
Following a scoreless second period, Celebrini had an excellent opportunity at the go-ahead goal at 6:27 of the third. On a partial break, the Sharks forward tried to go five-hole on Hellebuyck but couldn’t squeeze it through his pads.
Barclay Goodrow then had a glorious scoring chance on a short-handed breakaway at 7:45 but couldn’t beat Hellebuyck between the pads.
Winnipeg opened the scoring at 12:34 of the first period as Morrissey’s slap shot from the point beat a screened Nedeljkovic for his second of the season.
Celebrini responded for San Jose 72 seconds later, outskating Morrissey and beating Hellebuyck with a backhand deke to the glove side for his eighth goal in his last 10 games and his team-leading ninth goal of the season.
Friday was the first of three meetings between the Jets and Sharks. Winnipeg swept the three games against San Jose last season, outscoring the Sharks 14-7.
–Field Level Media
