Teal Chronicles #1: Sharks vs. Panthers

Game 1 of 84

Result: SJS 4, FLA 3 (OT)

Record: 1-0-0

The San Jose Sharks kicked off their 2026-2027 season in front of a packed SAP Center on Thursday night. This new-look Team Teal was immediately put to the test against the two-time Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. After a down year, Florida entered the season looking to climb back atop the NHL following the acquisition of Brady Tkachuk and the return of captain Aleksander Barkov, who missed the entire 2025-2026 campaign following ACL/MCL surgery.

Despite squandering an early 3-0 lead, the Sharks managed to outlast the Panthers in their home opener at the Tank, as Luca Cagnoni became the first player in San Jose's history to score his first NHL goal in overtime.

The Good

• Mason Marchment's first goal as a Shark
  
  During the offseason, Marchment signed a five-year, $33.75 million contract with San Jose. His late father, Bryan Marchment, played more than 300 games with the Sharks during his NHL career. It was a special moment for Mason to net San Jose's first goal of the season — and ring in the Sharks' new goal song, "Holiday" by Green Day.
  
  
• WillMack is Back
  
  In the second period, Macklin Celebrini found Will Smith on a shorthanded rush, and Smith buried the puck behind Florida goaltender Akira Schmid. Less than five minutes later, the pair combined for another goal. Celebrini threw the puck toward the net, and Smith got his stick on it to knock home his second tally of the night. The duo also each picked up assists on Cagnoni's overtime winner, completing a six-point night for WillMack.
  
  
• Season-Opening W
  
  San Jose has gotten off to some brutal starts in recent years:
  
  2022: 0-5-0
  2023: 0-10-1
  2024: 0-7-2
  2025: 0-4-2
  
  Thursday marked the Sharks' first season-opening victory since 2021. It was great to see this team face adversity and continue playing hard after watching a three-goal lead disappear, ultimately resulting in an unlikely hero striking for the game-winner.

The Bad

• Man In The Box
  
  Perhaps it goes without saying, but giving a championship-caliber team SIX power play opportunities is hardly a formula for success. Some of it might be chalked up to playing hard — Darnell Nurse picked up multiple cross-checking infractions — but eventually the Florida power play was bound to convert, cutting into the Sharks' early 3-0 lead.
  
  
• Squandered Three-Goal Advantage
  
  On paper, blowing a 3-0 lead looks ugly, but there's a little more to it. Florida's second goal came on a shot from the blue line that redirected off both Eetu Luostarinen and Luca Cagnoni before ending up in the back of the San Jose net. Looking to capitalize on the momentum, Matthew Tkachuk fired one past Yaroslav Askarov just 17 seconds later to even the score. The Sharks still escaped with the win... this time.
  

The Ugly

• Barkov Injury
  
  After missing the entire 2025-2026 campaign due to injury, Barkov went down awkwardly on his left leg during a second-period battle along the boards and left the ice visibly frustrated. If the Panthers' captain is forced to miss another extended period of time, it would undoubtedly be a major blow to their championship aspirations.
  
  
• Targeting Celebrini
  
  If you followed the Sharks last season — or follow Brady Tkachuk in general — the "take a run at 71" strategy is something you might have expected. Even so, it was a bit of a hold-your-breath moment when the younger Tkachuk brother created a Celebrini sandwich along the boards. At least this new-look Sharks squad appears willing and able to protect its captain.

Final Thoughts

The Sharks kick off the Captain Macklin era with a victory over a legitimate, battle-tested Stanley Cup contender. It's easy to get ahead of ourselves after one game, but this was an encouraging start to the season — particularly the first period, when the Sharks were fast and physical, flying around the ice, protecting their star player, and netting the opening goal.

There are obviously things to clean up. Six penalties and a blown three-goal lead aren't going to be sustainable. But unlike so many games over the past few seasons, the Sharks found a way to finish this one.

Team Teal will be back in action Saturday night when the Kings come to town. #BeatLA