Following the Sharks' defeat last night, Tomas Hertl returned to the SAP Center. A disappointing defeat at the hands of the Golden Knights left the Sharks with a bitter taste in the mouths of many fans. Thankfully, the Sharks get a chance to remedy the situation tonight as they complete a back-to-back with a game against the Calgary Flames. The two teams look to fight to get back in the win column.
Yaroslav Askarov is the expected starter tonight as the Sharks continue their rotation in the net. With Vitek Vanecek out week to week with a fractured cheek, the Sharks will rely on the young Russian netminder to continue developing. He's coming along nicely, but the Sharks will need him to play a more significant role in the coming weeks. He's been nothing short of sensational during his time in teal, and the Sharks will be looking for more of the same from Askarov.
Elsewhere, Nikolai Kovalenko is set to sit out tonight. He's been shaky since he had that three-assist game early in his Sharks tenure, so he'll make way for Klim Kostin, who will return from injury tonight. Hopefully, the Sharks can get going with the injection of the prominent Russian forward. This is another player who is hoping to play himself into a good deadline trade for a Stanley Cup Contender.
Projected Lineups
San Jose Sharks
Klim Kostin - Mikael Granlund - Tyler Toffoli
Fabian Zetterlund - Macklin Celebrini - Will Smith
Barclay Goodrow - Alex Wennberg - Luke Kunin
Carl Grundstrom - Nico Sturm - Ty Dellandrea
Henry Thrun - Cody Ceci
Mario Ferraro - Timothy Liljegren
Shakir Mukhamadullin - Jan Rutta
Yaroslav Askarov
Alexandar Georgiev
Calgary Flames
Jonathan Huberdeau - Nazem Kadri - Martin Pospisil
Blake Coleman - Mikael Backlund - Matt Coronato
Yegor Sharangovich - Connor Zary - Jakob Pelletier
Ryan Lomberg - Kevin Rooney - Walker Duehr
Kevin Bahl - Rasmus Andersson
Joel Hanley - Mackenzie Weegar
Jake Bean - Brayden Pachal
Dustin Wolf
Dan Vladar
Puck Drop
This is a 7 p.m. puck drop from the Tank as these two teams will go again. The Flames started the season flying high, but they've stalled lately. If the Sharks can start strong, they will have a chance at taking the two points and building something they can take heading into the new year. It's a chance to end a dismal calendar year on a high before 2025.