This weekend was an interesting one for the San Jose Sharks, and we’re here late on Sunday Surmising to explain. On Saturday, the Sharks played a weirdly amazing and fantastic game against the Dallas Stars, the second-best team in the Western Conference. After falling behind 4-2 in the third period at home, San Jose scored the tying goal to force overtime, and then the Sharks won it on a rare power-play situation there.

That victory came on the heels of another win last Wednesday night in Los Angeles: San Jose coughed up a lead in the third period and then some, before coming back to tie it up with barely a minute left in regulation—and then winning in overtime on one of the more beautiful goals you’ll see in the sport. The young Sharks are exciting and provide highlight-reel dazzlement almost every night out these days.

Almost every night out.

Tonight, against the Vegas Golden Knights in San Jose, the home team laid an absolute egg. The Sharks lost, 7-2, in a game they sort of quit on, in truth. We can say they were tired (whatever), but this was a game the San Jose roster demonstrated it still has a long way to go despite currently occupying a Top 6 position in the Western Conference. With a 23-19-3 record, though? The team is just three points short of last year’s total.

That is amazing in itself, so we can forgive the on-ice disaster tonight. We can focus on the wins over Los Angeles and Dallas for being the incredible comebacks they were. And that does take a lot out of a team, win or lose, so when the Sharks were down 5-2 entering the third period tonight, it was unreasonable to expect them to mount yet another stirring third-period rally. Yet it was rough to see them kind of quit.

But moving on, this is what we noted on December 21, and the Sharks did us two wins better than expected. Sometimes it’s two steps up and one step back, right? For sure, especially with the young roster. More than halfway into the season, San Jose is sitting in a postseason slot. Whether or not they make the playoffs come April may be irrelevant; this team is set up for long-term success now, and it will just continue to grow up.

Center Macklin Celebrini, in just his second season, is showing just how good he is: 70 points in 45 games, good enough for third in the entire NHL, only behind two former Hart Trophy winners (Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid). The three Macs are the only players at 70-plus points right now, and considering the team quality surrounding the other two centers, it’s incredible what Celebrini is doing here.

MVP? It’s possible if San Jose ends up in a postseason position. No joke, folks.