Can the Florida Panthers defense stop Macklin Celebrini? Breaking down the high-stakes clash with the Sharks
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Jonathan Ouimet
Jan 18, 2026 (11:57 PM)
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Photo credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Image
Panthers Sharks night at Amerant Bank Arena puts Florida forecheck and Macklin Celebrini heat against a battered lineup waiting on Matthew Tkachuk.
San Jose is not the punchline anymore, they come in 24-20-3 and sitting third in the Pacific.
That record looks even louder when you remember how recently this team lived in the basement.
The headliner is Macklin Celebrini, who already has 72 points in 47 games, third in the entire NHL scoring race.
If Florida gives him the middle of the ice on transition, he will take it and turn it into chaos fast.
Sunday's wrinkle is Nick Leddy going on waivers, with the clear idea of opening space for Vincent Desharnais to slide back into the lineup.
It's a pretty blunt signal that the Sharks want more bite and more mobility on their blue line.
Florida Panthers forecheck meets Macklin Celebrini surge
As a Panthers fan, this is the kind of game where you just want a boring first ten minutes.
When Florida plays clean exits and keeps the puck below the dots, the building gets that quiet confidence back.
The Sharks can score, but they also bleed chances, they're allowing 3.55 goals per game, worst in the league, and their power play sits 16th at 20.4 percent.
That screams track meet, unless Florida makes it a grind.
For the Panthers, the record is 25-19-3, and Saturday's 5-2 win in Washington showed the template still works.
Play heavy, win walls, and let the opponent get frustrated first.
The injury picture is still the story, Brad Marchand has been on injured reserve while Paul Maurice says Matthew Tkachuk is getting closer.
That makes the margins smaller, but it also forces everyone else to play honest hockey.
One bright spot is Uvis Balinskis earning a two-year extension, and it matters because Florida needs steady minutes, not adventure shifts.
He has also scored two goals in his last two games, a nice little jolt from the blue line
If the Panthers keep shots against down around 26 a night, Sergei Bobrovsky usually only needs to steal one period.
This one comes down to whether Florida can choke off Celebrini's entries and make San Jose defend for full shifts.
If the Panthers do that, the next milestone is simple, stack another win and buy more time for the stars to come back.
Also read on Sunrise Hockey Insider :
Surprising moment from Paul Maurice after Florida Panthers win vs. Washington
Surprising moment from Paul Maurice after Florida Panthers win vs. Washington
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 18 | 29 ANSWERS Can the Florida Panthers defense stop Macklin Celebrini? Breaking down the high-stakes clash with the Sharks Can the Florida Panthers contain Macklin Celebrini and still play their forecheck game? | ||
| Yes they can | 18 | 62.1 % |
| No chance | 11 | 37.9 % |
| List of polls | ||