Sharks prove they belong with heroic comeback in ‘playoff-style' win over Stars originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
In front of a sellout crowd of 17,435 screaming fans, the Sharks and their fans turned back the clock during an unforgettable 5-4 comeback win over the Dallas Stars that unfolded in an atmosphere reminiscent of the glory days at SAP Center
Despite facing multiple two-goal deficits against one of the NHL’s best teams, the home crowd’s energy never wavered, with the Sharks feeding off that exuberance to pull off their second come-from-behind overtime win in as many games.
Tyler Toffoli’s wicked one-timer secured the win in the extra frame, putting the finishing touches on another win that can’t help but lead one to believe that this Sharks squad is a team of destiny.
Toffoli, a Stanley Cup winner and 14-year NHL veteran, has seen his share of postseason action with 93 career playoff games under his belt.
After logging three key points in Saturday’s win, Toffoli didn’t mince words while stated that the rocking atmosphere and high-octane action at the Shark Tank had the feel of an NHL playoff game — an environment which San Jose could find itself playing in within a matter of months after missing the postseason for six consecutive campaigns dating back to 2019.
“I thought we earned everything we got tonight, that was definitely a playoff-style game,” Toffoli told reporters. “It was a lot of fun, and obviously being able to get a win goes a long way.”
It was San Jose’s ninth consecutive overtime win, the second-most in NHL history under the current rule format, trailing only the 2024-25 Toronto Maple Leafs (10 consecutive OT wins).
San Jose’s success against Dallas can be directly traced back to its success on special teams, as the Sharks capitalized four times with the man advantage, converting four of their six power-play opportunities in the win.
The Sharks hadn’t recorded more than two power-play goals during the 2025-26 NHL season prior to Saturday’s win, so what exactly led to San Jose doubling that output against an elite opponent?
“I thought we were working hard, we were working for our opportunities and our chances and shooting the puck and getting pucks back,” Toffoli explained. “It sounds really cliche, but that’s how it was. We were doing a really good job of moving pucks quick and getting pucks to the net.”
The Sharks capitalized on a key power-play opportunity while trailing 4-2 in the third period, with Macklin Celebrini logging one of his three assists in the win by finding Toffoli in front of the net for a decisive goal that got San Jose within one, and more importantly keeping belief alive in the building.
Celebrini extended his point streak to 13 games Saturday, the second longest by a teenager in the history of the NHL. The superstar sophomore now has 70 points in 44 games, firmly placing himself in the Hart Memorial Trophy discussion as the NHL’s MVP.
With just over five minutes remaining, a Sam Dickinson shot from the blue line connected with Adam Gaudette’s stick to deliver the game-tying goal, setting San Jose up for an overtime ending that typically has gone in the Sharks’ favor this season.
After a Mikko Rantanen penalty gave the Sharks a 4-on-3 advantage in overtime, Toffoli didn’t let the golden opportunity slip through San Jose’s fingers, blasting a puck into the back of the net past Stars goalie Casey DeSmith for an emphatic winner.
The Shark Tank erupted in jubilation, which led to an emotional postgame interview from Toffoli who acknowledged the raucous crowd’s impact on the team’s heroic comeback.
“It was awesome, that was the rumor it was going to be packed … this is awesome,” Toffoli told NBC Sports California’s Tara Sloane with a big grin on his face.
The Sharks have not only one of the NHL’s best fanbases, but one of the most loyal and supportive as you’ll find in professional sports anywhere.
While the Sharks navigated a five-year rough patch as one of the league’s worst teams, you could still bank on seeing teal sweaters in the stands at SAP Center showing up night in and night out.
But sellouts like this only come as a byproduct of a talented or exciting team that leaves the local population with no choice but to build their plans around ensuring they have a seat in the building to watch their beloved squad take the ice.
This 2025-26 Sharks team checks both of those boxes, and the special part is you get the sense this is just the beginning of what will be a prolonged period of excellence for proud franchise seeking to reclaim it’s place among the NHL’s best.
Soon, these sellouts won’t be celebrated or even acknowledged, because they will simply return to being the norm.
And that’s the way it should be. Hockey as a whole is better when the Shark Tank is a place even the toughest opponents fear when they see a road game in San Jose on their calendar.
It’s starting to feel like that again, and it all starts with the confidence and belief that these Sharks and their beloved fans have in one and other.
“We like playing good teams and we like beating the good teams, because we’re a good team,” Gaudette confidently stated after Saturday’s win.
