Boy, does everything change in a week. The Vegas Golden Knights defeated an upstart Utah Mammoth team on November 20 (over a week ago!), 4-1. Now? The Golden Knights are on a four-game losing streak, with their latest loss to the Montreal Canadiens being a brutal blow.
Now? They must face a San Jose Sharks team that's on their tails in the Pacific Division. Sure, Vegas has an all-time regular season record of 28-2-5 against the Baby Sharks (doo doo doo doo doo doo). However, this team... is different.
First, there's that Macklin (Time To) Celebrini guy who has 14 goals and 22 assists this season. He's aspiring to be the NHL's face of the league and is quickly becoming tough to stop. He's projected to score 46 goals and 72 assists, heading the 24th-best attack in the NHL (2.80 goals per game).
But that's the funny thing, isn't it? Celebrini has carried the scoring for the Sharks this season. It's similar to the story the Golden Knights have written in 2025-26. They've seen their depth scoring stay quiet, only to go off for a little bit, only to stay quiet again. However, that must change on Saturday against a classic divisional rival (and without any quirks).
How the Vegas Golden Knights will defeat the San Jose Sharks (historically speaking)
All of those years that the Golden Knights have beaten the Sharks, there has been one recurring theme: depth scoring. It seems that it has suddenly disappeared this past week, with names like Brandon Saad going AWOL. Granted, it's part of the game when you go through dry spells and struggle to score.
Still, that rings true for Saturday's matchup. Think about all of those games where Reilly Smith (five goals and seven assists in his last 12 games against San Jose) or Shea Theodore (six goals and 26 assists in 32 career games against San Jose) came up big. That will loom large for Saturday's contest.
That also applies to San Jose if they wish to beat the Golden Knights. They haven't had much luck in defeating Vegas despite the puck luck, relying heavily on their megastar to carry the load. Speaking of Celebrini Time, what's the best way to preventing him from getting on the scoresheet?
How the Golden Knights will deter Macklin Celebrini from scoring
The simple answer is this: you take away space. No, he needs air to breathe, although Sharks prefer to be underwater. However, the premise is that you win all three zone battles and make him work for his open looks.
This is where you would've loved to have had William Karlsson in this spot. He's excellent at handling the biggest superstars in these situations, whether it's Celebrini or Connor McDavid. His intelligent style of play makes it tougher for opponents to get any room, leaving them feeling like a fish out of water.
It'll be tougher to do without him around. However, the Golden Knights have a similar player in Mark Stone. The Captain is also an established two-way veteran who can make this happen, despite being slower. Still, he's been on a mini-heater since returning from a wrist injury and could make life harder for the Baby Sharks (doo doo doo doo doo doo).