The San Jose Sharks received a boost within their forward ranks as Barclay Goodrow and Ben Smith were recalled from the San Jose Barracuda. It was a good thing as well as Goodrow was forced into the lineup against the Montreal Canadiens last night as Tomas Hertl was unable to play due to a lower body injury.
Goodrow played an effective fourth-line role for the Sharks last night, garnering 8:36 of ice time which included a huge hit against Montreal defenseman P.K. Subban. That hit led to a fight between Goodrow and former Shark Torrey Mitchell.
Goodrow has featured in 13 games with San Jose to date and he’s recorded three assists and 16 penalty minutes during his time in teal. He began the season with the Sharks, but was sent down on Nov. 4 to the Barracuda where Goodrow has really flourished.
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In 15 games with the Barracuda, Goodrow registered a team-leading eight goals and three assists, and capped it all off by being named the AHL Player of the Week for the week ending on Dec. 6. During that period, Goodrow netted four goals, three assists along with a plus-seven rating and his first ever professional hat trick.
Goodrow’s performance is a reflection of the benefit of giving players time to develop in the AHL. He appeared overmatched during his initial stint with the Sharks, but now he returns as a confident player who is more sure of himself on the ice.
Meanwhile, Smith returned to the Sharks after spending a two-game conditioning assignment with the Barracuda last weekend. Smith has appeared in only four of San Jose’s first 30 games as he’s battled concussion symptoms for most of the season after taking a puck off the head on Oct. 17 in a game against the New York Islanders.
With Smith and Goodrow now back in the fold, it will be interesting to see how Peter DeBoer decides to ice his lineup. He’s already been shuffling his lines as he looks for any sort of consistent spark and performance from his team. Now, it still remains to be seen whether Hertl will miss any other games on this trip, but expect Goodrow to continue to feature in the bottom-six forwards. Smith has struggled to maintain any sort of position this season, and may find himself on the outside looking in on most nights.
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Regardless, this is a positive step for the Sharks as they continue to get healthier bodies back and can ice a professional lineup on a consistent basis. San Jose will need to rely upon their depth as they try to build any sort of momentum as their six-game losing streak set them back.