Macklin Celebrini and Kaedan Korczak were going at it behind the play last night, with the Sharks star throwing jabs.
It happened in the Penguins' 3-2 shootout win in San Jose on Wednesday night, a game Celebrini played at a high level. He scored a goal, added an assist, finished +2 and logged 25:14, the most ice time of any skater listed in the box score.
That's what makes the scene stand out. A 20-year-old first overall pick doesn't usually spend his night trading shots with a 6-foot-3 defenseman who is five years older.
Korczak has three inches and 15 pounds on him. Celebrini is listed at 6 feet and 190 pounds, and he still wanted a piece of Pittsburgh's blueliner.
Korczak isn't a soft target either. He finished the night with 4 penalty minutes in 18:17, and he has 10 PIM through 19 games this season.
Celebrini has 14 PIM through 19 games, so he isn't a stranger to the box this year. But he has 86 over 171 career games, and that is not the résumé of a player who goes looking for scraps. The sheet doesn't say how either player's penalty minutes came about last night, and we won't guess.
Why Celebrini's edge stands out at 20
Players of his calibre are usually protected. Teams build their game plans around keeping them on the ice and out of trouble, and the star's job is to score, not to engage with the other team's defenseman.
Celebrini is doing both. He has 8 goals and 15 assists in 19 games, and he's still willing to get his hands dirty behind the play.
We think that's good news for San Jose. The Sharks are 2-7-1 in their last 10 and sit 24th in the NHL, so a young franchise player who refuses to be pushed around sends a message to a dressing room that has already needed a players-only meeting last week.
It also fits a pattern. Celebrini was seen taking a fall while arguing with a ref in Los Angeles, which shows a player who is wired tighter than a typical 20-year-old.
The risk is obvious. San Jose can't afford to lose its best forward to a penalty box or a suspension while the team is already minus-21 in goal differential.
The Sharks play at Utah on Saturday, while the Penguins host Ottawa the same day. Whether Celebrini's edge shows up again will be one of the things to watch.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Should the Sharks want Macklin Celebrini to keep this edge in his game?
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