Welcome to the first of a two-part series examining the most important games of the 2025-26 San Jose Sharks season. We’ll take a look at the wins and losses that marked the defining moments of the season, both positively and negatively, and will shape the campaign’s outcome.
Today, we focus on the wins that not only tell the story of the season but will prove to be the difference if the Sharks end up making the playoffs.
6-5 Overtime Win at Minnesota Wild, Oct. 26, 2025
In just the Sharks’ second win of the season, Macklin Celebrini set a tone for the role he was going to provide the team throughout the coming months. In overtime, with the Sharks stuck defending the Wild for well over three minutes, Celebrini got on the ice and almost immediately took possession of the puck, broke away, and scored.
Like numerous other games this season, the Sharks improbably found a way to win. They couldn’t have known it at the time, but the game served as a microcosm of the way Celebrini has impacted the Sharks and carried them to playoff contention. They held and held and held, fending off five Minnesota shots before Celebrini decided to do the rest, scoring off a one-man effort on what was basically the first time San Jose touched the puck during the entire 3-on-3 session.
Celebrini is unquestionably the Sharks’ most valuable player this season, and perhaps no game this season sums that up better than this one. His presence in overtime instantly turned a potential loss into a win. At the time, it seemed like a fun moment for an interesting young player and team that would have a difficult season. Now, it could be the single extra point that gets the Sharks into the playoffs.
6-5 Overtime Win at Pittsburgh Penguins, Dec. 13, 2025
With 13 minutes left in the third period of this game, the Sharks looked like they had no chance: They trailed 5-1 and had already lost Will Smith and Philipp Kurashev to injuries earlier in the contest. Like a number of other games the last few seasons, it seemed like one they would chalk up to being outmatched, accept the loss and move on.
Instead, the Sharks banded together for a furious comeback, relying on a combination of effort, execution, team chemistry and a few lucky bounces to come up with one of the most improbable and emotional regular-season wins in franchise history.
Related: Sharks Giving Bay Area Fans a Chance to Root for Cinderella
This game was defined by the phrase “at least.” When San Jose trailed by four goals, at least they didn’t let the game turn into an even more embarrassing blowout. At least they stayed together enough to manage a second goal. At least they got the game close enough to warrant pulling the goalie for an extra skater. At least they managed to get a point by sending the game to overtime. And then, suddenly and shockingly, they’d won.
The joy that came forth from the win perfectly exemplified the Sharks’ chemistry. The comeback itself and the feeling of winning for their injured teammates drew them closer together and gave them a genuine feeling they could make the playoffs. Their winning ways weren’t just a fluke or a novelty, but a sign of resilience and skill they didn’t have in previous seasons. Plainly put, that win drove the success they’ve mainly maintained sin.
7-5 Win vs. Montreal Canadiens, March 3, 2025
The Sharks found themselves on the other side of a comeback against Montreal, blowing a 5-2 third-period lead to allow the Canadiens to tie the game. But rather than falling apart, they held strong and did enough to reverse the negative trends to win in regulation, highlighted by Kiefer Sherwood’s first Sharks goal.
Many teams, including several San Jose squads of recent seasons, would have collapsed after conceding the three-straight goals that evened the score. These Sharks used the blown lead as an excuse to lock back in, re-take control of the game, and win. They also did so in front of one of the most electric SAP Center crowds of the season, affirming that fan enthusiasm and hype is back in full swing in San Jose.
This year’s Sharks still have their flaws, but they’re different from recent seasons. They have the most talent and resilience they’ve had in years, leading to their best and most important-wins of the season. Those skills, and the games in which they were evident, could make the difference for their first postseason appearance in seven years.
Of course, the Sharks are right on the edge of contention and could also miss the playoffs. Stay tuned for an examination of the most important losses of the season, which may make a difference in the opposite direction.
