William Eklund scored just 42 seconds into the game, setting the tone as the San Jose Sharks earned their first home win of the season, defeating the New Jersey Devils 5-2 on Thursday night.
Eklund’s early breakaway goal ignited the Sharks, who added two more tallies in the opening period from Philipp Kurashev and Alex Wennberg to seize control. Will Smith and Tyler Toffoli scored late in the second to put the game out of reach, helping San Jose snap its six-game home skid.
Alex Nedeljkovic was steady in the net, stopping 29 shots, while San Jose’s offense delivered its most balanced effort of the season.
Rookie sensation Macklin Celebrini picked up an assist on Smith’s goal, extending his point streak to six games — the longest of his young career. The 19-year-old now has 17 points in 11 games, joining elite company; only Bryan Trottier (20), Steve Yzerman (19), Wayne Gretzky (18), and Sidney Crosby (18) had more points as teenagers through their team’s first 11 games.
For the Devils, Dawson Mercer scored both goals on the power play, but it wasn’t enough to avoid a second straight loss on their four-game road trip. New Jersey entered the game riding an eight-game winning streak before dropping back-to-back games in Colorado and San Jose. Goaltender Jake Allen made 23 saves, suffering his first defeat of the season after a 5-0 start.
Mercer’s first goal late in the first period cut the Sharks’ lead to 3-1, and the Devils dominated much of the second frame but couldn’t solve Nedeljkovic. San Jose then regained momentum when Celebrini won an offensive-zone draw and set up Smith, who scored on a rebound for his fourth of the season. Toffoli followed with a deflection off Dmitry Orlov’s shot to make it 5-1 heading into the third.
Up Next:
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Devils: Continue their road trip Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings.
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Sharks: Host the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night.
