Macklin Celebrini and the San Jose Sharks take down Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks

In a battle between the last two No. 1 overall picks, Macklin Celebrini and the San Jose Sharks were victorious as they secured a 4-2 win over Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks Thursday.

With the win, San Jose moves to 18-40-9 of the season, ending their three-game skid. The Blackhawks fall to 20-37-9, losing three in a row (0-2-1). Spencer Knight made 21 saves for the Blackhawks while Alexander Georgiev made 26 saves for the Sharks.

The Sharks dominate the first period...

San Jose wasted no time getting on the board. Will Smith walked in and ripped a slapshot past the blocker of Spencer Knight 3:48 in the first period to make it 1-0 Sharks. His good buddy and teammate Macklin Celebrini picked up the assist.

Midway through the period, Collin Graf picked up his third goal of the season off a backhand pass from Alexander Wennberg with a one-timer near the right circle to make it 2-0 Sharks.

The Sharks controlled the pace throughout the opening frame, taking a two-goal lead in the first intermission.

Blackhawks pick up momentum in the second...

Frank Nazar, known for his speed and acceleration, striked 10 seconds in the second period after a faceoff win to cut it to a one-goal game.

However, the Sharks regained momentum later in the period. On the power play, Colin Graf netted his second goal of the game off a redirect shot from Will Smith, restoring San Jose's two-goal lead.

Ilya Mikheyev found the back of the net on a bang-bang play to make it a one-goal game again. Ryan Donato and Teuvo Teravainen picked up the assists.

Despite the Blackhawks efforts, they couldn't find the equalizer in the third period as Tyler Toffoli sealed the game on a empty-net goal with 33 seconds left to go in the final frame for the 4-2 final.

Bedard vs. Celebrini Matchup

Even though that this was the battle of the two worst teams in the NHL, the spotlight was on Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini. The two North Vancouver natives took the opening faceoff draw to start the game.

This was the first time the two young stars faced off and what could be the next rivalry in the NHL, despite the Hawks playing in the Central Division and the Sharks in the Pacific Division.

4 Key Takeaways from this marquee matchup...

1. Blackhawks' Sloppy Play: Chicago got off to a slow, sluggish start in the first period. They had trouble generating offensive pressure, which allowed San Jose to capitalize on many opportunities.

2. Sharks' Defensive Resilience: The Sharks defended well in this game and sustained pressure on the Blackhawks in the ozone. Despite the Blackhawks having the edge on shots on goal (26-25), Alexander Georgiev stood tall in net.

3. Connor Bedard's "Penalty:" Connor Bedard received a 10-minute game misconduct with 10:50 left to go in the third period for "abuse of officials." He only returned to action with 50 seconds left in the final frame.

4. The Kids are Alright: Both the Blackhawks and Sharks have a lot of young talent on their teams and it certainly showed in tonight's contest. Frank Nazar, Wyatt Kaiser, Will Smith, Macklin Celebrini, William Eklund, and Colin Graf all registered a point in the game.

What's Next: The Chicago Blackhawks wrap up their four-game road trip in Vancouver against the Canucks Saturday at 9 p.m. CST. The game will air on CHSN and ESPN+.