Macklin Celebrini credited the San Jose Sharks’ overall team effort for Thursday’s win, but it was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft whose two second-period goals and first-period assist that really pave the way to a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues.

“I could say the world about (Celebrini). He’s the engine of our team,” said Sharks defenseman Jake Walman. “When he’s going — and he’s pretty much always going — he’s a playmaker. He can take over a game. We’re fortunate to have him, and it’s a treat to watch.”

Certainly, if he keeps this up, Celebrini would have to be the favorite — or close to it — to win the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year. He was already named the league’s best rookie for November

With his second three-point game of the season Thursday, Celebrini now has 19 points (10 goals, 9 assists) through 20 games, tied for second-most among all NHL rookies with 20-year-old Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson, his ex-Boston University teammate. Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov, who just turned 20 on Dec. 9, has 27 points in 28 games.

As of Thursday night, Michkov was a -200 favorite to win the Calder on DraftKings, and Celebrini was the nearest competitor at +175. On FanDuel, Michkov was -195 and Celebrini was +135.

Regardless, Celebrini is just the 11th 18-year-old in NHL history to record 19 points or more through their first 20 career games and only the fourth in the last 30 years.

The others? Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (20 points in 2011) and future Hockey Hall of Famers Sidney Crosby (24 points in 2005) and Patrick Kane (22 points in 2007). Kane won the Calder, and Crosby and Nugent Hopkins were runners-up.

Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association vote on the award.

It’s doubtful that Celebrini is thinking about the Calder, not with 50 games left in the regular season. If anything, he probably wants to find a way to be even better.

But it will probably be a topic of conversation from now until April, especially if Celebrini continues to have games like the one he had Thursday.

“He’s a true winner. He’s going to be a winner here for a long time,” Walman said of Celebrini. “So I’m excited to play with him. I’m fortunate I can be a part of this chapter. But we’re fortunate to have him. He’s a hell of a player.”

Senators blank Hurricanes: Shane Pinto scored twice, Linus Ullmark stopped 32 shots, and Ottawa beat Carolina 3-0 on Friday night.

Nick Jensen had a goal and an assist as the Senators won for the fourth time in five games. Nick Cousins and Michael Amadio both had two assists..

Ullmark got his second shutout of the season and 10th of his career.

Pyotr Kochetkov made 19 saves, but the Hurricanes were shut out for the second time in six games and lost for the fifth time in the last seven.

The Senators beat the Hurricanes for only the sixth time in the last 20 meetings.