SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks have created some excitement in recent weeks, enough to believe that they can make a run at their first playoff appearance since 2019.
That’s the good news. The other part of that equation is that if the Sharks make the postseason, they’ll likely have to face an elite team like the Dallas Stars in the first round.
The Sharks hung around the Stars on Thursday, but an egregious puck-handling error by goalie Alex Nedeljkovic that led to a Dallas goal proved to be the difference in a 5-3 loss before an announced crowd of 15,808 at SAP Center.
The Sharks trailed by two when Macklin Celebrini won a faceoff in the Stars’ zone and later sent a shot to the front of the net, where Collin Graf scored his seventh of the season on a second effort at the 16:44 mark.
But in a moment eerily similar to the Sharks’ season-opening loss, Nedeljkovic, playing the puck behind his net, tried to pass to in front to Alexander Wennberg, who couldn’t react in time. The pass, instead, went right to Stars winger Justin Hryckowian, who scored his fourth of the season at the 19:17 mark for a 4-2 Dallas lead.
Ned misplays the puck. Wennberg doesn’t catch the pass intended for him. Justin Hryckowian doesn’t get an easier goal than that. As @Steve_Dangle would say, “If you’re a goaltender…”#TexasHockey 4, #TheFutureIsTeal 2 pic.twitter.com/4yEyvfAr8q
— TEAL TOWN USA – A San Jose Sharks Podcast (@TEALTOWNUSA) December 19, 2025
Nedeljkovic also had two notable puck-handling gaffes in San Jose’s first game of the season on Oct. 9 against the Vegas Golden Knights. Nedeljkovic was unable to handle a seemingly innocent dump-in by Jack Eichel that went into the Sharks’ net, tying the game 3-3 with 1:34 to play.
In overtime, Nedeljkovic came far out of his net to play a loose puck, but his pass deflected right to Golden Knights forward Reilly Smith, who scored the game-winner on an empty-net.
Graf scored twice for the Sharks, both off assists from center Celebrini, and Nedeljkovic finished with 25 saves as the Sharks had their three-game winning streak snapped.
Igor Chernyshov assisted on Graf’s second goal at the 4:32 mark of the third period for his second helper in two career NHL games.
Defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin also scored for the Sharks, who lost 4-1 to the Stars in Dallas on Dec. 5. San Jose had won four of five games going into Thursday as they held the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.
Wyatt Johnston scored twice for the Stars (23-7-5), whose 51 points are the second-most in the NHL, four points behind the Colorado Avalanche (24-2-7).