San Jose Sharks vs. Boston Bruins Pick & Prediction JANUARY 20th 2025
Preview and Prediction
The San Jose Sharks will be over 3,000 miles away from their home ice when they face off against the Boston Bruins on Monday afternoon. However, it wouldn't be far-fetched to call this a homecoming game for some of the Sharks players.
Four members of the Sharks team, including Will Smith, Collin Graf, Henry Thrun, and Macklin Celebrini, have ties to Massachusetts and will feel right at home at TD Garden. Celebrini, who was drafted as the No. 1 overall pick last summer and won the Hobey Baker Award at Boston University last season, will be playing his first NHL game against the Bruins.
The Sharks, who are currently on a five-game road trip, have struggled recently, losing five out of their last six games. In their most recent game against the New York Islanders, they were missing key players like goaltender Yaroslav Askarov and leading scorer Tyler Toffoli due to illness and injury.
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Despite being benched last weekend, 19-year-old rookie Will Smith is gaining confidence and making an impact on the ice. His highlight-reel pass to Mikael Granlund almost resulted in a goal in their game against the Islanders.
Smith stated, "I'm just trying to improve every game and contribute offensively while also being reliable on defense. I think that's the type of player I am, someone who can create offense in different ways."
According to first-year Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky, Smith is not alone in his development. Collin Graf, who has played in eight NHL games this season, has also been learning and growing alongside the young team. Warsofsky believes that the team as a whole needs to improve on winning 50-50 pucks in order to create more scoring opportunities.
Macklin Celebrini, who currently ranks as the third-leading rookie scorer in the NHL, will be a key player to watch in the game against the Bruins. The Bruins themselves have had a rollercoaster of a season, with back-to-back wins followed by a heartbreaking loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
Despite a slow start and a late-game collapse, Bruins forward David Pastrnak has been on fire, recording three straight three-point games. However, the team will be missing key players like defenseman Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm, who are both out with injuries.
The Bruins' goaltender Jeremy Swayman has faced over 40 shots in each of his last three games, but the team has been able to bounce back from these high-pressure situations. However, with four games in six days ahead, the Bruins will need to find a way to improve their performance and secure crucial points in the standings.
Even captain Brad Marchand has struggled in recent games, leading to his absence from the overtime and shootout in their game against the Senators. However, interim coach Joe Sacco believes that Marchand will be ready to bounce back and contribute to the team's success in the upcoming games.
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Sacco stated, "Knowing Marchy and the way he prepares, the way he works, he'll be ready to go. He's dialed in...we're on the same page."
With both teams looking to improve their standings and secure a spot in the playoffs, Monday's game between the Sharks and Bruins is sure to be an intense and exciting matchup.
San Jose Sharks vs. Boston Bruins Recap JAN 20TH 2025
Charlie Coyle scored the tying and winning goals in the third period as part of a three-point effort, helping the Boston Bruins surge past the visiting San Jose Sharks 6-3 on Monday afternoon.
Coyle was the beneficiary of Matthew Poitras' primary assists on both late-game goals, including the deciding tally at 14:11.
David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand and Elias Lindholm each registered a goal and an assist, while Vinni Lettieri also scored for Boston, which is 3-0-1 in its last four games.
Bruins goaltender Joonas Korpisalo made 25 saves.
Rookie Will Smith, a native of nearby Lexington, Mass., led the Sharks with a goal and an assist in his first NHL game in Boston.
Barclay Goodrow and Fabian Zetterlund also scored and Yaroslav Askarov stopped 27 shots for San Jose, which has lost three in a row and six of seven.
Performing well with new linemate Marchand, Coyle took a Poitras feed off the rush and banked the go-ahead goal off Askarov's pads. The game-tying goal came several minutes earlier at 8:22 when Poitras fed Coyle a backhand pass, who sniped a shot past Askarov from the slot.
Marchand and Lindholm iced the game with empty-netters in the final 1:15.
The Sharks had scored twice in the second period to turn around a 2-1 deficit, with Smith bringing them back even at 8:52. The local native capitalized on a neutral-zone turnover by placing a perfect glove-side wrist shot off a give-and-go with Mikael Granlund.
Smith's goal was his seventh and the 25th goal by Sharks rookies this season, the most in the NHL.
A successful penalty kill helped vault San Jose to its first lead when Zetterlund scored with 4:42 left before the second intermission. After Smith's shot was blocked, Zetterlund picked up the puck, skated down the wing and buried his own rebound after a net drive.
Boston's opening goal came as Vinni Lettieri tipped Jordan Oesterle's shot from the right point five-hole on Askarov at 9:21 of the first. It was his second tally in as many games.
Goodrow evened the score for San Jose at 13:16, charging down the middle of the ice to snap home Nico Sturm's centering pass from behind the end line.
The Bruins' power play converted for the fourth time in as many games at 7:02 of the second. Pavel Zacha circled the cage and fed Pastrnak for a one-time goal from close range just below the right circle for a 2-1 Boston lead.