San Jose Sharks take on the Anaheim Ducks as they look to get back to winning ways
By Conor Power
It has been a difficult season to support those in the teal shirts of the San Jose Sharks, but the Sharks have a chance to provide a little bit more joy for the fans as we close in on the trade deadline. It's the time of year where the Sharks are more concerned about what they can get back for the trade bait on the roster than what is happening on the ice, but this is a beatable Ducks team and the Sharks have defeated them already this season.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic is a game time decision for tonight's game. He's missed the last couple with an upper-body injury. Trying to fix the Sharks flailing defensive problems does not fall entirely on Vlasic, but there is no denying that they are less severe with him in the line-up. The rotating cast the Sharks have had to deploy on the blueline will contribute to those frailties in their own zone, but it is something that will be better with the veteran.
After Mackenzie Blackwood was injured in the loss to the New Jersey Devils, it will be Kaapo Kahkonen that gets the reigns of the crease right now. He was responsible for all seven goals the Devils scored when the Sharks were routed. Trying to get Kahkonen back to playing well is important for his value at the deadline as well as getting back to winning.
Projected Lineups
Anaheim Ducks
Adam Henrique - Leo Carlsson - Alex Killorn
Frank Vatrano - Mason McTavish - Brett Leason
Isac Lundestrom - Ryan Strome - Jakob Silfverberg
Ross Johnston - Sam Carrick - Max Jones
Gustav Lindstrom - Cam Fowler
Urho Vaakanainen - Radko Gudas
Pavel Mintyukov - Ilya Lybushkin
John Gibson
Lukas Dostal
San Jose Sharks
Anthony Duclair - Mikael Granlund - Fabian Zetterlund
Filip Zadina - William Eklund - Luke Kunin
Alexander Barabanov - Nico Sturm - Kevin Labanc
Mike Hoffman - Ryan Carpenter - Justin Bailey
Mario Ferraro - Ty Emberson
Henry Thrun - Jan Rutta
Nikita Okhotiuk - Kyle Burroughs
Kaapo Kahkonen
Magnus Chrona
Puck Drop
A standard 7:30 puck drop from the Shark tank will pit these two squads against each other. If the Sharks are going to wash away the bad taste of defeat they suffered at the hands of the New Jersey Devils. Anaheim is a team that the Sharks have had some success against this season. They know they can beat this roster because they have done it before.