Sharks' young players, Nedeljkovic lead way in crucial win over Blackhawks

Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News on Apr 7, 2026

Published in Hockey

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SAN JOSE – Will Smith’s third-period goal turned out to be the game-winner as the San Jose Sharks held on for a crucial 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday at SAP Center.

Macklin Celebrini found Collin Graf with a pass near the net after he carried the puck into the Blackhawks zone, and Graf sent a backhand pass to Smith, who beat goalie Spencer Knight for his 23rd goal of the season and his 100th point of his NHL career.

Kiefer Sherwood also scored, and William Eklund added a goal and assist as the Sharks kept pace in the race for the second and final wild card spot in the Western Conference.

Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic allowed goals to Ryan Donato and Frank Nazar but finished with 25 saves as the Sharks improved to 4-1-0 on this six-game homestand that ends on Wednesday against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.

With his team trailing by a goal, Eklund was checking Wyatt Kaiser inside the Sharks’ blue line before he intercepted a pass intended for Connor Bedard. Eklund then took control of the puck, raced in on a breakaway, and beat the Blackhawks’ goalie to tie the game 1-1.

The Sharks took a 2-1 lead with 5:05 left before intermission.

After Alex Wennberg won a draw in the Blackhawks zone, Sherwood sent the puck around the boards and behind the net to Eklund. Sherwood found some open ice on the edge of the circle near the slot, and one-timed a pass from Eklund past Knight for his 22nd goal of the season.

Eklund now has five points in his last three games, after managing just three points in his previous 10.

The Sharks had just four shots on goal during 5-on-5 play in the first period, and trailed 1-0 after a power play-influenced goal by Ryan Donato.

With Macklin Celebrini’s holding penalty about to expire, Connor Bedard gathered a loose puck in the corner to the left of the Sharks’ net and then fired a seam pass that got past two San Jose players and right to Frank Nazar, whose shot was stopped by Alex Nedeljkovic before Donato pounced on the rebound for his 15th goal of the season.

Monday’s game felt like one the Sharks needed to win – for a host of reasons.

Obviously, the Sharks, with 79 points, entered the day two points behind the Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings, with the Predators holding the second and final wild card spot in the Western Conference due to having more regulation time wins than the Kings.

The Blackhawks had also won just one of their last six games before Monday, and since the Olympic break, per Natural Stat Trick, they were the NHL’s worst team at allowing high-danger chances against. In the last 20 games before Monday, the Blackhawks, with the NHL’s youngest roster, allowed a combined 256 high-danger chances.

The Sharks, coming off a 6-3 loss to the Predators, also have a challenging schedule ahead. Starting with Wednesday’s home date with the Edmonton Oilers, the Sharks have six games in 11 days, with four on the road and three against teams now in a playoff spot.

So the Sharks needed to take care of business against the Blackhawks, like a playoff-caliber team should, although San Jose lost 6-3 in Chicago on Feb. 2.

“This is a team that gets up the ice,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said of the Blackhawks on Monday morning. “They’ve got young skill that can make plays. They can score quickly. So we’ve got to be on top of them.”

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