Ceci lifts Sharks past Devils with 25 seconds left

SAN JOSE -- Cody Ceci scored the go-ahead goal with 25 seconds left in the third period, and the San Jose Sharks defeated the New Jersey Devils 3-2 at SAP Center on Saturday.

Alexander Wennberg fed Ceci for a one-timer from just inside the blue line. The shot hit New Jersey goalie Jacob Markstrom's glove and trickled into the net.

"It feels great. We've been on the other side of it, and now to come out on this side, it's good for our group," Ceci said. "[I] just saw Wennberg coming up the wall, and then he saw me opening up, passed it to me, and just tried to use the guy coming out at me as a screen, and [it] ended up going in short side."

Macklin Celebrini and Nikolai Kovalenko scored for the Sharks (13-23-6), who have won two in a row after losing the previous eight. Yaroslav Askarov made 28 saves.

"We started getting our identity going early in the year and [were] not getting the result, and now we're starting to get rewarded for it these last two especially," San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky said. "Our guys are starting to see the recipe and how you need to play and compete."

Nico Hischier and Paul Cotter scored for the Devils (24-15-3), who have lost four straight overall and five in a row on the road. Markstrom made 21 saves.

"When we play hard and we play with structure and purpose, we've shown we're a good team," New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe said. "We've also shown that when we don't, we're not a good team."

Kovalenko put the Sharks in front 1-0 at 17:40 of the first period. William Eklund passed in front for Kovalenko, who went to the net and scored with a low shot that got through Markstrom.

It was Kovalenko's first goal in 11 games with San Jose since he was traded from the Colorado Avalanche on Dec. 9.

"It's [an] amazing feeling," Kovalenko said. "I'm just happy for this moment and I'm going to keep trying to score."

Hischier tied it 1-1 with a power-play goal at 4:19 of the second period. Jack Hughes sent a pass from low in the left circle that went in off Hischier's skate at the right post.

"We're frustrated," said Hischier, the New Jersey captain. "Obviously, we're going through a rough stretch right now. We've got to stick together because when you do, you grow together and come out of the other side."

Celebrini put the Sharks ahead 2-1 at 1:53 of the third. He took a pass from Will Smith on the rush and scored from the top of the left circle with a wrist shot through the five-hole.

Cotter tied it 2-2 at 5:07, taking a pass from Luke Hughes in the neutral zone, dangling around Marc-Edouard Vlasic in the right circle and beating Askarov to the far side.

NOTES: Celebrini scored his 13th goal of the season to pass Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov for the lead among NHL rookies. ... Celebrini is one of three 18-year-olds over the past 40 years to have 28 or more points through the first 30 games of his career. The others were Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (32 in 2011-12) and Sidney Crosby (31 in 2005-06). ... Eklund returned to the Sharks lineup after missing the previous four games with an upper-body injury. He had an assist and four shots on goal in 18:08 of ice time. ... Hischier, who turned 26 on Saturday, scored on his birthday for the third time (also in 2019 and 2023). He is one of six active players to score on his birthday in three different years, joining Adam Henrique (four), Leon Draisaitl (four), Elias Lindholm (three), Kyle Connor (three) and Alex DeBrincat (three).