November 16th 2024.
The San Jose Sharks have some changes in store for their upcoming game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. While one change is necessary due to an injury, the other is an intriguing decision. Nico Sturm, who sustained an upper-body injury during the previous game against the New York Rangers, will be replaced by Klim Kostin, who will be making his first appearance since October 28th. Kostin, who has been a healthy scratch for the past eight games, will finally have a chance to show what he can do on the ice.
It is not yet known how long Sturm will be out for, but head coach Ryan Warsofsky has stated that he is day-to-day. The Sharks have a busy schedule ahead, with a game against the Detroit Red Wings on Monday, followed by road games against the Dallas Stars and the St. Louis Blues. Sturm may not be the biggest contributor in terms of ice time, but he is a valuable player in the faceoff circle and is a key player on the penalty kill.
With Sturm out, Kostin has the opportunity to turn his season around. He has only played in seven out of 18 games so far and has averaged just over eight minutes of ice time. He will be playing on a line with Luke Kunin and Carl Grundstrom, and hopefully, this will be the start of a successful season for him. In addition to Kostin, defenseman Jake Walman will also be returning to the lineup after missing the last five games. He will be paired with Jan Rutta, while Jack Thompson will sit out. The Sharks will have Vitek Vanecek in goal, and they are hoping to finish their four-game road trip with a winning record.
The Sharks began their trip with a 1-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils, followed by a 4-3 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers and a regulation loss to the Rangers. For Saturday's game, head coach Warsofsky has made some changes to the lines. Will Smith, who was drafted as a centerman in 2023, will now play on the same line as Macklin Celebrini and Barclay Goodrow. Up until now, Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli have been linemates, but Toffoli will now play with Alexander Wennberg and Ty Dellandrea.
The left-wing spot on the top line has been a rotating position for the Sharks lately, with players such as William Eklund, Dellandrea, Mikael Granlund, and Goodrow all taking turns. Smith, who has been playing on the wing during this road trip, will now have the chance to prove himself as a valuable player on the top line. In his last five games, Smith has one assist and a -6 rating, and he has been averaging just over 14 minutes of ice time.
Saturday's game will also mark the first time that Smith and Celebrini will face off against the Penguins and their star player, Sidney Crosby, who is just two goals away from reaching 600 goals in his career. The Penguins have had a rough stretch lately, with a record of 1-3-2 in their last six games, and they are currently in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division with 15 points. The Sharks, on the other hand, have a record of 5-3-1 since their 7-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on October 26th, but they are in eighth place in the Pacific Division.
This game will also be the first time that the Sharks face their former coach, David Quinn, who joined the Penguins coaching staff in June. Quinn was fired by the Sharks organization in April, after two years as head coach, during which the team struggled and finished last season with a record of 19-54-9. The Sharks will be looking to redeem themselves against their former coach and earn a win against the Penguins.
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