Celebrini is the reason anyone outside the Bay Area should watch. The 20-year-old went into the Ottawa game leading the Sharks in both goals (5) and assists (9) after a 115-point season, even though he missed 2 games earlier this month with a lower-body injury. Michael Misa and Tyler Toffoli also scored in the Montreal comeback, so he is not doing all of it alone. Still, the offense starts with him.
Boston's case starts in net. Jeremy Swayman shut out Nashville 6-0 in the Bruins' last game, with Boston scoring 2 goals in every period on the 2nd night of 3. Before that game he was 6-1-0 with a 1.85 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage. David Pastrnak led the team with 12 points as of October 20, and Fraser Minten and Morgan Geekie were tied behind him at 8 each. The only loss in Boston's last 5 was a 3-2 game in Dallas, and that one went beyond regulation.
The availability gap is real. San Jose is without center Alexander Wennberg, Igor Chernyshov is day-to-day on the wing, and Quentin Musty and goalie Kyle Keyser are still on non-roster IR. Boston's report is empty.
Without Wennberg, more of the matchup work at center falls on Celebrini and the young forwards around him, against a Boston team that is getting scoring from several lines and elite goaltending behind it. The Sharks' best argument is how they have played lately: 2 one-goal road wins and an OT comeback say they do not fold when they fall behind. Puck drop is 7:00 PM ET Saturday.