San Jose Sharks Take on the Anaheim Ducks to Try and Get First Win of the Season
Once again, our attention turns to the San Jose Sharks. At 0-4-2 on the season, this team is in action again against the Anaheim Ducks, and the Sharks are looking to get their first win of the season. Only the Sharks and Nashville Predators remain winless this year. Two points tonight would bring the Sharks to a 1-4-2 record, which isn't great, but it's getting better. More respectability will breed confidence for this young roster.
The Sharks still don't have Macklin Celebrini, as he's still recovering from that hip injury. We're all excited to see the future superstar get back onto the ice, but this team needs to start putting the pieces in place without him. Young players like Will Smith must step forward in his absence and show us their talent. Smith's struggles to start the season aren't a cause for concern, but it would be ideal to get more from him.
Vitek Vanecek was the one in net for the loss to the Avalanche, so it'll probably be Mackenzie Blackwood with a start tonight as the rotation continues. Blackwood was hung out to dry in the thrashing the Sharks took in Winnipeg. The skaters owe this netminder a better performance, so let's see if we get that tonight. Blackwood had his issues, but the team in front of him did not help him much during his time in San Jose.
Projected Lineups
San Jose Sharks
Fabian Zetterlund - Mikael Granlund - Tyler Toffoli
William Eklund - Alex Wennberg - Barclay Goodrow
Danil Gushchin - Will Smith - Luke Kunin
Carl Grundstrom - Nico Sturm - Ty Dellandrea
Jake Walman - Cody Ceci
Mario Ferraro - Jan Rutta
Henry Thrun - Jack Thompson
Mackenzie Blackwood
Vitek Vanecek
Anaheim Ducks
Cutter Gauthier - Leo Carlsson - Robby Fabbri
Trevor Zegras - Isac Lundestrom - Alex Killorn
Frank Vatrano - Ryan Strome - Troy Terry
Brock McGinn - Mason McTavish - Brett Leason
Cam Fowler - Tristan Luneau
Olen Zellweger - Radko Gudas
Pavel Mintyukov - Brian Dumoulin
Lukas Dostal
James Reimer
Puck Drop
With this being an NHL Frozen Frenzy night, the Sharks will see the puck drop at the unusual time of 7:15 Pacific. The NHL has staggered puck drops across the league so fans can flip between games, enjoy the action, and ensure that there's always someone playing to skip the commercials. San Jose will be the penultimate game to start tonight, so there's something for you to do in the buildup.