San Jose Sharks finally return home to the Bay to host the Tampa Bay Lightning
By Conor Power
More pain and suffering await the San Jose Sharks and their fans as the bottom team in the NHL standings tries their luck against one of the powerhouses of the recent past in the league, the Tampa Bay Lightning. With the Bolts gearing up for the Spring when the playoffs start, this roster will be looking to iron out the issues before it takes to the stage in the postseason to try and capture a fourth Stanley Cup.
As for the Sharks, there is some good news! Mackenzie Blackwood was activated from the injured reserve today as Magnus Chrona was sent down to the San Jose Barracuda. Getting shelled in your last game before returning to the minors isn't great, but it is always lovely to see Blackwood healthy, as he has been a rock behind a shaky San Jose Sharks defense for the majority of the season.
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Anthony Duclair will be returning to San Jose tonight with the Lightning after he was dealt to back to the state of Florida ahead of the 2024 NHL trade deadline. He was a good mentor for the young Sharks coming through and trying to break into the league while also producing on the top line alongside guys like Fabian Zetterlund, Mikael Granlund, and Tomas Hertl. If you are attending tonight, please welcome him back warmly because this season is not his fault.
Projected Lineups
Tampa Bay Lightning
Anthony Duclair - Brayden Point - Nikita Kucherov
Brandon Hagel - Anthony Cirelli - Steven Stamkos
Michael Eyssimont - Nick Paul - Conor Sheary
Tanner Jeannot - Luke Glendening - Tyler Motte
Victor Hedman - Darren Raddysh
Mathew Dumba - Erik Cernak
Calvin De Haan - Nick Perbix
Jonas Johansson
Andrei Vasilevskiy
San Jose Sharks
Fabian Zetterlund - Mikael Granlund - Klim Kostin
Filip Zadina - William Eklund - Luke Kunin
Thomas Bordeleau - Nico Sturm - Justin Bailey
Givani Smith - Ryan Carpenter - Jacob MacDonald
Mario Ferraro - Kyle Burroughs
Henry Thrun - Jan Rutta
Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Calen Addison
Mackenzie Blackwood
Devin Cooley
Puck Drop
This is a 7:30 puck drop from the Shark Tank. Your sharks are trying to snap a five game skid that recently resulted in the group getting blasted by the Predators. With Tampa coming in tonight in a similar vein of confidence and rythem to the Predators, this could be another depressing score line if the players are not careful. Only time will tell us though.