Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini Stars as Predators’ Season Ends in Nashville

Photo / Nashville Predators

NASHVILLE, TN — Macklin Celebrini scored two goals to lead the San Jose Sharks to a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Monday, delivering the kind of result that ended far more than a single game.

The loss, paired with the Los Angeles Kings’ 5-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken, eliminated both Nashville and San Jose from Stanley Cup Playoff contention. With one game remaining in the regular season, the Predators sit three points behind the Kings for the second Western Conference wild card, while the Sharks are five points back with two games to play—a gap that can no longer be closed.

Still, the Predators didn’t fold quietly. After being shut out for the first 55 minutes, Nashville twice pulled within a goal late, but ultimately couldn’t force the tying score.

Early Struggles, Loud Stakes—and a Message from San Jose

Nashville entered Monday’s contest on the heels of an impressive streak, having defeated San Jose 15 straight games. But the Sharks snapped the drought and, in the process, improved their form enough to make a difference in crunch time.

Igor Chernyshov had a goal and an assist, and Alex Nedeljkovic made 25 saves as San Jose improved to 38-34-8. The Sharks, attempting to make the playoffs for the first time since 2019, got the breakthrough on the power play in the second period.

Chernyshov opened the scoring at 9:53 with a one-timer from the left face-off circle after a pass from William Eklund.

San Jose then doubled its lead in the third. At 3:04, Celebrini pushed it to 2-0 with a one-timer from the slot following a neutral-zone turnover by Justin Barron.

Predators Bite Back—But Too Late to Equalize

The Predators finally made things interesting when Luke Evangelista scored twice.

Evangelista cut the deficit to 2-1 on a breakaway at 15:39, beating Nedeljkovic to the glove side. After that, the Sharks regained control just long enough to put the game out of reach.

Celebrini added an empty-net goal at 18:15 to make it 3-1. Evangelista answered again at 18:50, scoring his second of the night on a deflection of Ryan Ufko’s shot while Annunen was pulled for the extra attacker.

But despite generating four shot attempts over the final 70 seconds, Nashville couldn’t find the equalizer.

Goalkeeping Bright Spot for Nashville

Justus Annunen made 20 saves for the Predators, who finished the night at 38-33-10. The team had been 4-1-1 in its previous six games, and their playoff push was very much alive heading into Monday—until it wasn’t.

Nashville missed the playoffs for the second straight season, a disappointment that extended beyond the final scoreboard.

“We Put Ourselves in Position”—But Missed the Mark

Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky noted the importance of the win after a long personal drought versus the Predators.

San Jose goaltender Nedeljkovic said the atmosphere matched the stakes.

“They were fighting for their lives… We played pretty good… We were solid.”

Celebrini’s Historic Night

Celebrini’s performance added a notable line to an already impressive season. With 112 points, he trails Joe Thornton (114 in 2006-07) for the most points in a single Sharks season. Celebrini also has 44 goals, tying Owen Nolan (1999-2000) and Patrick Marleau (2009-10) for second most in Sharks history for a season, behind Jonathan Cheechoo’s 56 (2005-06).

Predators coach Andrew Brunette said the group had done the work to put itself in position.

“You’re disappointed we didn’t get the result… Probably disappointed in we really didn’t get to our game fast enough.”

Nashville’s playoff hopes carried the weight of a season that started with major trouble. The Predators’ early-year struggles—an 6-12-4 record in the opening 22 contests—left them chasing momentum they couldn’t sustain, even with improvement over the rest of the schedule.

And now, as the organization moves into its offseason, the team faces major changes behind the bench and beyond.

Nashville will close its season Thursday with a home game against the Anaheim Ducks before entering a period of transition expected to include a new general manager following the retirement of Barry Trotz.

Whether that leadership change alters the coaching staff remains unclear; Brunette finished second in the NHL’s Coach of the Year voting after the 2023-24 season, but the Predators have failed to reach the playoffs in each of the past two years.