October 20th 2024.
The San Jose Sharks are gearing up for their upcoming game against the Colorado Avalanche, hoping to end a tough five-game losing streak. Fans will be relieved to hear that both Will Smith and William Eklund will be returning to the lineup on Sunday.
Eklund, who played in the Sharks' first game of their road trip on Tuesday against the Dallas Stars, unfortunately had to sit out the following day's practice in Chicago due to an injury. However, he pushed through the pain and managed to make an impact in Thursday's game against the Blackhawks, tallying two assists while playing for over 19 minutes.
With three assists in four games and an average of over 21 minutes of ice time, Eklund has been a valuable asset to the team. In fact, he ranks second among all Sharks forwards in terms of ice time. Meanwhile, Smith also put on an impressive performance against the Blackhawks, earning praise from coach Ryan Warsofsky for what he deemed to be the young center's best game of the season. However, as part of the team's development plan for the 19-year-old, Smith was given a rest day for the following game against the Winnipeg Jets, which unfortunately resulted in a disappointing 8-3 loss for the Sharks.
Warsofsky has announced that Givani Smith will not be playing on Sunday, but Danil Gushchin will remain in the lineup after his appearance in Friday's game against the Jets. After their less-than-stellar performances against the Blackhawks and Jets, the Sharks are eager to get back to the level of play they displayed in their first three games. Although they lost in overtime to the St. Louis Blues on October 10, they were able to keep the score close with a 5-4 result. They then fell 2-0 to the Anaheim Ducks two days later before engaging in a tight 3-2 shootout loss to the Stars.
Unfortunately, the Sharks have also been dealing with injuries to key players such as Logan Couture, Thomas Bordeleau, and Macklin Celebrini, who are all currently on injured reserve. There is no indication that any of them will be returning to the lineup anytime soon, adding even more pressure to the team's current struggles. Nevertheless, the Sharks are determined to bounce back and put on a strong performance against the Avalanche on Sunday.
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