Celebrini has a hat trick and a 5-point game, Sharks beat Rangers in OT for 1st win this season

NEW YORK (AP) — Macklin Celebrini had his second career hat trick and set up Will Smith’s goal in overtime as part of a five-point game, and the San Jose Sharks picked up their first win of the season by beating the New York Rangers 6-5 on Thursday night.

Celebrini scored in the first period, then twice in the second to become the 15th player in NHL history with multiple hat tricks before turning 20. In the third, he had the secondary assist on Will Smith’s goal that came a second after a lengthy 5-on-3 power play expired.

Smith scored 1:38 into 3-on-3 OT off a pass from Celebrini, who was stopped by Igor Shesterkin on a chance just before.

San Jose entered 0-4-2 after opening with at least five losses in a row for a fourth consecutive season. The Sharks are in the midst of a lengthy rebuilding process and are counting on Celebrini, Smith and 2025 No. 2 pick Michael Misa, also in the lineup, to lead the turnaround.

Despite Taylor Raddysh also scoring three goals for his second hat trick in the league, the Rangers have lost five in a row at home to start for the first time since 1943-44. They got five goals after scoring just once in their first four games at Madison Square Garden combined, with Mika Zibanejad and Juuso Parssinen also each getting one.

New York lost big forward Matt Rempe to injury, stemming from his fight with Ryan Reaves in the first period. Rempe left the ice rather than going to the penalty box, and the team said he would not return with what’s being called an upper-body injury.