Celebrini extends point streak to 11, Sharks pull away from Blue Jackets

SAN JOSE -- Macklin Celebrini scored to extend his point streak to 11 games, and Alexander Wennberg had a goal and two assists for the San Jose Sharks in a 5-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at SAP Center on Tuesday.

Celebrini has 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) during his streak.

Pavol Regenda scored his fourth goal in the past two games, and Mario Ferraro had a goal and an assist for the Sharks (21-18-3), who have won four of five. Alex Nedeljkovic made 34 saves.

"We talked about bouncing back, but we got to move on and continue to get better," San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky said. "I thought our game tonight, we got better as the game went on."

Zach Werenski and Sean Monahan scored for the Blue Jackets (18-17-7), who had won four of six (4-1-1). Jet Greaves, who started his seventh straight game, made 31 saves.

It was Monahan’s first game after missing the previous four with an undisclosed injury.

"We missed a couple opportunities,” Columbus coach Dean Evason said. “We're giving up breakaways. It's not a good remedy for a win.”

Regenda gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead at 19:11 of the first period. Wennberg fed a 2-on-1 pass to a streaking Regenda, who finished over the glove of Greaves.

Wennberg’s power-play goal extended it to 2-0 at 4:14 of the second period. Wennberg received a pass in the left corner, went to the front of the net and beat Greaves five-hole on the backhand.

It was Wennberg’s first game since signing a three-year, $18 million contract ($6 million average annual value) with San Jose on Sunday.

"Obviously, for the confidence and just the fact to do that, but I mean, at the end of the day, I mean, it's all about the team," Wennberg said. "I'm just happy to find a way to win this game."

Werenski cut it to 2-1 at 19:15, gathering the puck in the right circle and scoring on a wrist shot over Nedeljkovic’s blocker.

"We didn't really have much in the first half of the game. We got some jump at the end of the second," Werenski said. "I didn't think our third period was bad."

Zack Ostapchuk made it 3-1 at 15:16 of the third period. Werenski sent a back pass out of the offensive zone, and Ostapchuk raced down the ice on a breakaway and beat Greaves with a backhand move.

"Fastest man in the world. [Darn] race horse, blew by everybody," Sharks forward Ryan Reaves said of Ostapchuk. "It's a lot of fun playing with him. He brings a lot of speed, a lot of physicality. I mean, silky mitts on that breakaway."

Monahan scored 49 seconds later to cut it to 3-2 at 16:05. Ivan Provorov's wrist shot from the left point produced a rebound, and Monahan swept the puck into the net.

Ferraro scored an empty-net goal to push it to 4-2 at 17:46, and Celebrini also scored into an empty net at 18:31 for the 5-2 final.

NOTES: San Jose forward Ty Dellandrea was helped off the ice late in the second period and did not return after crashing into Columbus' net on the rush. Warsofsky did not have an update. ... Celebrini tied Todd Elik (11 games in 1993-94) for the fifth-longest point streak in Sharks history. The only players with a longer streak are Erik Karlsson (14 games in 2022-23), Mikael Granlund (13 in 2023-24), Rob Gaudreau (12 in 1992-93) and Jonathan Cheechoo (12 in 2005-06).