Celebrini shines as Sharks snap losing streak to Predators, keep playoff hopes alive, for now

Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News on Apr 13, 2026

Published in Hockey

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

The San Jose Sharks finally played with the necessary amount of desperation as they faced elimination from playoff contention.

Igor Chernyshov scored a first-period power-play goal, and Macklin Celebrini scored twice in the third period as the Sharks beat the Nashville Predators 3-2 at Bridgestone Arena, remaining alive, for now, in their bid to capture the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic finished with 25 saves, including 10 in the third period, as the Sharks snapped a three-game losing streak and beat the Predators for the first time in their last 16 tries.

Since a 2-1 shootout win over Nashville on Nov. 9, 2019, the Sharks had lost their last 15 games to the Predators, including two losses in the last three weeks, damaging their already fragile playoff hopes.

The Sharks’ win on Monday, though, kept them alive pending the result of the Los Angeles Kings’ game against the Seattle Kraken late Monday night. The Sharks would be eliminated with a Kings’ win in any fashion.

The Sharks entered Monday having lost four of their last five games and with their playoff hopes barely intact.

With 82 points, the Sharks coming into Monday were tied for 10th place in the Western Conference and trailed the Kings for the second wild-card spot by five points with three games to play. The Sharks were also four points behind the Predators before Monday, with one game in hand.

Passing the Kings and the Predators to make the playoffs for the first time since 2019 was unlikely at best for the Sharks, with moneypuck.com pegging their chances at threading that needle at .2%.

Besides that, the Sharks hadn’t been playing very good hockey in recent days, going just 1-3-1 since beating the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 2. In that time, the Sharks were outscored 23-12 and were 1 for 11 on the power play.

That was one of the reasons why defenseman Luca Cagnoni was recalled from the Barracuda on Sunday and played his seventh career NHL game on Monday.

Cagnoni started the game on the third pair alongside Vincent Desharnais and also played the point on the Sharks’ top power play unit with Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Alex Wennberg and Tyler Toffoli.

Cagnoni had a breakaway chance in the first period, stopped by Predators goalie Justus Annunen, and rang a shot off the post on a Sharks power play in the second.

Cagnoni is the Barracuda’s top-scoring defenseman this season with 43 points in 67 games.

“I feel like we had a really good team with the ‘Cuda down there,” Cagnoni told the Sharks Audio Network before Monday’s game. “We’ve been pretty strong throughout the year. Individually, just trying to find that balance of being really good offensively and defensively.

“Try and learn that was and then just drive (offense). They want me to do more 5-on-5 this year. I think I’ve done a pretty good job of that.”

____