Macklin Celebrini’s hat trick helped the San Jose Sharks edge the visiting Utah Mammoth 3-2 in overtime on Monday night.
Celebrini snapped a shot past a screened Vitek Vanecek on a power play at 2:52 of the extra period as the Sharks avoided a third straight loss.
Will Smith added a pair of assists, and goaltender Yaroslav Askarov made 24 saves as the Sharks improved to 5-3-3 on home ice and 9-4-1 over their last 14.
JJ Peterka responded with a pair of goals for Utah, which dropped to 2-5-3 over its last 10. The loss was the second overtime loss in as many nights for the Mammoth and their third straight 3-2 OT defeat after losing to the New York Islanders on Friday and the Anaheim Ducks on Monday.
Vanecek, who appeared in 18 games with the Sharks last season, stopped 19 shots.
Peterka scored twice in the third period to tie it 2-2.
Peterka cut the Sharks’ lead in half at 9:25 of the third period, beating Askarov glove side for his seventh of the season.
The 23-year-old tied it at 17:09 of the final period, putting a wrist shot under the glove of Askarov.
Celebrini snapped a three-game goalless drought with a pair in the first period to give the Sharks a 2-0 lead.
The 19-year-old opened the scoring, snapping home a Smith cross-ice feed for his 11th of the season at 1:47 of the first.
San Jose took a 2-0 lead at 5:58 as Celebrini beat Vanacek under the right pad on a partial break.
Celebrini became the fourth teenager in NHL history to post 30 points through their first 20 games of a season.
Sharks defenseman John Klingberg was a healthy scratch on Tuesday and replaced in the lineup by Sam Dickinson.
Tuesday was the second of three meetings between the clubs. Utah won the first contest 6-3. The two teams wrap up the season series on Dec. 1 in San Jose.
–Field Level Media
