SAN JOSE – Time is starting to run out for the San Jose Sharks to save their season.
Maybe it comes right down to this week, and even their next game.
With their playoff hopes dwindling, the Sharks begin a three-city street journey with their greatest recreation of the yr to date on Tuesday once they face the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.
The Sharks, losers of 4 straight and caught on 70 factors for over every week, have simply 14 video games left and enter Tuesday 5 factors again of the Predators for the second wild card spot within the Western Conference, with two video games in hand. They’re additionally seven factors behind the Edmonton Oilers for third place within the Pacific Division, with three video games in hand.
A win on Tuesday may give the Sharks (32-30-6) some badly wanted momentum as they continue their road trip with stops in St. Louis on Thursday and Columbus on Saturday. A loss in regulation time may begin to put a wild card spot out of attain, with the Sharks now tied for eleventh place within the West, and behind the Los Angeles Kings and Seattle Kraken.
Their playoff hopes, as of Monday, were at 15.8%, per Moneypuck.com. So it’s just about now or by no means for the Sharks, who’ve been wound too tight with every recreation carrying higher significance.
“Everyone knows it’s an important game,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky stated of Tuesday. “But again, we’ve just got to play, and we’ve got to compete and do the things that we do well, more consistently than we’ve been doing, and the rest will take care of itself.”
One constructive for the Sharks: They are on the verge of getting some injured players back.
Forwards Tyler Toffoli, Ty Dellandrea, and Igor Chernyhov, defensemen Vincent Desharnais, and goalie Yaroslav Askarov all practiced Monday morning in San Jose earlier than the crew’s flight to Nashville.
Toffoli, the Sharks’ third main scorer with 44 factors, wasn’t on the flight to Tennessee however will possible be capable of be part of the crew in some unspecified time in the future on the journey, Warsofsky stated. Toffoli suffered a lower-body injury within the first interval of final Thursday’s 5-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres and needed to miss Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Chernyshov and Desharnais may very well be choices to play in opposition to the Predators, stated Warsofsky, who added that ahead Ryan Reaves (hand damage), is now thought of week-to-week. With solely three-plus weeks left within the common season, it’s unclear as as to if Reaves will be capable of return if the Sharks don’t make the playoffs.
Chernyshov, who sustained a head damage within the Sharks’ recreation in opposition to the Montreal Canadiens on March 14, took line rushes with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith on Monday morning. Chernyshov was on that line in Montreal earlier than his damage, which precipitated him to overlook the final 4 video games.
Desharnais, who additionally needed to miss Saturday’s recreation with an higher physique damage, was paired with Nick Leddy throughout Monday’s apply. Dellandrea, out since Jan. 6 with a lower-body damage, skated with none restrictions Monday and traveled with the crew to Nashville, though it was unknown when he could be cleared to play.
Askarov hasn’t performed since March 10, when he allowed 5 objectives on 25 pictures within the Sharks’ 6-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The preliminary phrase from Warsofsky was that Askarov “tweaked something” the morning of the crew’s recreation in opposition to the Boston Bruins on March 12, however Askarov stated Monday he was injured the day earlier than throughout apply.
Askarov didn’t count on the damage to maintain him out for shut to 2 weeks, because the Sharks went 2-4-0 in his absence. While it was unknown whether or not Askarov would begin in opposition to the Predators, who drafted him 11th overall in 2020, he’s not less than in a spot the place he can again up Alex Nedeljkovic.
With Askarov again, goalie Laurent Brossoit was reassigned to the Barracuda.
The Sharks have been outscored 18-8 on a manned internet throughout their four-game skid, with their issues coming at each ends of the ice.
During the dropping streak, the Sharks, per Natural Stat Trick, have allowed 45 high-danger possibilities, fourth most within the NHL in that point. They’ve additionally scored simply seven even-strength objectives, with none coming from Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Alex Wennberg, or William Eklund, 4 of their prime 5 scorers this season.
“Just the little details,” Toffoli stated when requested what’s been lacking. “I think a lot of our mistakes are ending up in the back of our net. Obviously, it’s a little frustrating, but (with) a couple of bounces here or there, it can go the other way. We’ve just got to stick with it.”
Warsofsky talked to the group early Monday morning.
“We’ve just got to loosen up here a little bit,” Warsofsky stated of his message. “These guys have been enjoying hockey, a few of them, since they have been two years previous. The recreation doesn’t change a lot. We’ve simply acquired to get again to having fun with the sport and the place we’re at and embrace the scenario and the place we’re.
“No one thought we’d be here, but we’re here. But we also can’t grip it and really try to force things. Just play and just compete.”
WARSOFSKY REMEMBERS PIERCE
Warsofsky expressed his condolences Monday to the household of Jessi Pierce, an NHL reporter who, alongside with her three younger youngsters, have been killed Saturday in a home hearth in Minnesota.
Pierce, 37, had lined the Minnesota Wild because the NHL.com correspondent for the previous decade, usually interacting with and reporting on the visiting crew.
“Just a lovely person that we got to know, going to Minnesota. My thoughts and prayers are with her family,” Warsofsky stated. “Every time you went into Minnesota, she was always smiling. Just a tragic event. Loved the game, and did a great job covering the Minnesota Wild. My heart breaks for the family.”
