Nedeljkovic has unforgettable game as Sharks rough up Panthers

Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News on Jan 19, 2026

Published in Hockey

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

If the San Jose Sharks make the playoffs for the first time in seven years this season, they might look back at what happened Monday as a big reason why.

The Sharks started the day by bolstering their lineup – and seemingly their postseason hopes – by acquiring do-it-all forward Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks.

Then, fueled by the belief that general manager Mike Grier showed in the group by making the trade, the Sharks earned a wildly entertaining 4-1 win over the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla.

There was also a goalie fight, just for good measure.

The Sharks played one of their better second periods of the season, scoring three times in 5:22 to take a 3-0 lead at the 6:12 mark. Forward Will Smith scored his 14th of the season just 50 seconds into the period, followed by goals by defensemen Vincent Desharnais and Mario Ferraro 3:31 apart.

That was enough offense for goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, who finished with 36 saves in a tremendous and unforgettable performance.

A scrum between the Sharks and Panthers to the right of the San Jose net turned into a rare goalie fight, as Nedeljkovic and Sergei Bobrovsky went toe-to-toe early in the third period.

Desharnais upended Panthers forward Mackie Samoskevich along the boards in the San Jose end. Evan Rodrigues then came in and leveled Desharnais with a hit from behind.

That caused a melee to the side of the Sharks’ net, with Nedeljkovic jumping to get a piece of Rodrigues. A few seconds later, Bobrovsky skated the length of the ice to get at Nedeljkovic.

Nedeljkovic’s mask came off first, and Bobrovsky’s was ripped off a bit later as the two goalies tried to land right hands. Nedeljkovic landed on top of Bobrovsky to end the fight.

Sharks players on the bench, including Macklin Celebrini and Michael Misa, went wild with approval.

Both Nedeljkovic and Bobrovsky were assessed five-minute fighting majors and two-minute minors for leaving the crease at the 6:00 mark of the third period, as the Sharks held a 3-1 lead.

Desharnais was activated off injured reserve before Monday’s game and was paired with Sam Dickinson. Desharnais has missed the last seven-plus weeks with an upper-body injury, last playing on Nov. 26, when the Sharks lost 6-0 to the Colorado Avalanche.

Desharnais was not injured in that game, but said Monday he had surgery, which was not announced by the Sharks, to repair a bothersome elbow.

Before his injury, Desharnais was the Sharks’ top penalty-killing defenseman, with a team-leading 3:27 in average shorthanded time on ice in 20 games. The Sharks’ penalty kill on Nov. 27 ranked 18th in the NHL at 80%, and entered Monday ranked 25th at 76.9%.

The Sharks on Sunday made room for Desharnais’s return to the 23-man roster by placing veteran defenseman Nick Leddy on waivers. The 34-year-old Leddy, whose contract carries a $4 million cap hit, cleared waivers on Monday and was assigned to the Barracuda of the AHL.

It didn’t take long for Desharnais to get involved, as he and Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk got into a scuffle at the 8:41 mark of the first period. Both were given roughing penalties, with Desharnais getting the extra minor for slashing.

Tkachuk will be making his season-debut for the Panthers after he had surgery in August to repair a torn adductor muscle and sports hernia. He last played on June 17, 2025, when the Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 to win the Stanley Cup Final in six games.

“I’m feeling great,” Tkachuk said. “Just so excited to be back. It has been a little over five months since the surgery, so I have just been champing at the bit to come back. Really happy the day is finally here.”

Monday’s game was the third on the Sharks’ four-game road trip that ends on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Earlier Monday, the Sharks acquired forward Sherwood from the Canucks for second-round draft picks in 2026 and 2027 and AHL defenseman Cole Clayton.

The Sharks (24-20-3) entered this week locked in a tight playoff battle. San Jose, before Monday’s games, was the Western Conference’s second wild-card team with 51 points, the same as Pacific Division rivals Seattle Kraken, Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings. The Nashville Predators are right behind with 50 points.

____