NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Macklin Celebrini scored twice in the third period, including an empty-netter with 1:45 remaining, to reach 44 goals this season, and the San Jose Sharks defeated the Nashville Predators 3-2 on Monday night to end a 15-game losing streak in the series.
With the Predators’ loss, the idle Anaheim Ducks clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2018. Anaheim, just 3-5-2 in its past 10 games, hasn’t won a playoff series since 2017. But it has two regular-season games left to get it right, knowing now that it has a reservation to the postseason.
The Sharks are not so fortunate. Later Monday, they were eliminated from the playoffs for the seventh straight season after the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Seattle Kraken. San Jose missed the playoffs just six times during its first 27 seasons.
Celebrini’s 30th multipoint game of the season moved him into a tie with Owen Nolan (1999-00) and Patrick Marleau (2009-10) for second most by a Shark in a season — trailing only Jonathan Cheechoo’s 56 in 2005-06.
Igor Chernyshov netted his third goal in the past two games on a power play to open the scoring for the Sharks.
It was the longest skid for the Sharks against one opponent and had been Nashville’s longest winning streak against one opponent.
Luke Evangelista scored both goals for the Predators to reach 12 this season.
Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 25 shots in the win for the Sharks. Justus Annunen had 20 saves for the Predators.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
