Michael Misa scores first NHL goal, helping Sharks approach league record

Michael Misa, the San Jose Sharks’ top forward prospect, scored his first NHL goal on Sunday against the Minnesota Wild.

In the first period, Sharks defenseman Timothy Liljegren took the puck toward the Wild net, but Minnesota goalie Jesper Wallstedt saved his shot from close range. But with Wallstedt out of position, a nearby Misa calmly scored at the 13:35 mark to give the Sharks a 2-0 lead.

Misa, the second overall pick in June’s NHL Draft, is playing in his fifth NHL game Sunday and now has three points this season, collecting assists in Sharks games against the New York Islanders and New York Rangers earlier on this road trip.

Misa re-entered the lineup for Sunday’s game after he was scratched Friday when the Sharks played the New Jersey Devils and lost 3-1.

With the goal, Misa became just the sixth player in Sharks history to score as an 18-year-old, joining Patrick Marleau, Macklin Celebrini, Vlastimil Kroupa, Jeff Friesen, and Milan Michalek. Marleau was the youngest to do it at 18 years and 34 days old.

Celebrini assisted on the Sharks’ first goal on Sunday, as William Eklund scored on the power play at the 5:28 mark. With that assist, and Misa’s goal, a teenager figured into 11 straight Sharks goals, which was two shy of the NHL record held by the 1090-81 Edmonton Oilers.

That streak ended in the second period, as Eklund, 23, scored his second goal at the 11:15 mark off an assist from Philipp Kurashev, 26, to give San Jose a 3-2 lead. Ryan Reaves scored his second goal of the season just 19 seconds later for a 4-2 Sharks lead.

With the assist on Eklund’s first goal, Celebrini became the fifth teenager in NHL history to record 10 points through his team’s first five road games of the season, joining Sidney Crosby (13 in 2006-07), Phil Housley (10 in 1983-84), Dale Hawerchuk (10 in 1982-83) and Wayne Gretzky, (10 in 1980-81).

The Wild came back to tie the game 2-2 before the end of the first intermission, as Marcus Johansson scored a power play goal at 17:02, and Marco Rossi scored just 32 seconds later at even strength after a Sharks turnover.