After a disappointing game in Boston yesterday morning, the San Jose Sharks will begin their trek back home with a stop tonight in the Music City. Losses against Columbus, Boston, and Long Island have followed that loss in Detroit, making this a game the Sharks need to win to get off the bottom of the NHL standings. It's not been good for Team Teal with the injuries endured by the team, and they can try to put lipstick on the pig with two points against a struggling opponent tonight.
After Yaroslav Askarov gave his best yesterday, Alexandar Georgiev from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, will be here tonight. This Predators team has struggled to get points despite their big free-agent spending, and we'll see if the Sharks can take advantage to close the gap on another team that's around them in the standings and try to get off the bottom of the league overall.
Former Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos is enduring his first season with the Nashville Predators. Former Vegas Golden Knight and one of the original Golden Misfits in Vegas, Jonathan Marchessault, is also in his first year in Nashville, and both have struggled to get up to speed. Nashville also spent big on the blue line with Brady Skjei but whiffed, leaving this organization as an example for the San Jose Sharks not to bank on the free-agent market. It rarely works.
Projected Lineups
San Jose Sharks
Fabian Zetterlund - Mikael Granlund - Will Smith
William Eklund - Macklin Celebrini - Alex Wennberg
Carl Grundstrom - Luke Kunin - Collin Graf
Barclay Goodrow - Nico Sturm - Ty Dellandrea
Jake Walman - Cody Ceci
Mario Ferraro - Timothy Liljegren
Henry Thrun - Jan Rutta
Alexandar Georgiev
Yaroslav Askarov
Nashville Predators
Filip Forsberg - Steven Stamkos - Jonathan Marchessault
Gustav Nyquist - Ryan O'Reilly - Vinne Hinostroza
Tommy Novak - Fedor Svechkov - Zachary L'Hereux
Cole Smith - Michael McCarron - Colton Sissons
Roman Jose - Justin Barron
Brady Skjei - Nick Blankenburg
Adam Wilsby - Luke Schenn
Justus Annunen
Juuse Saros
Puck Drop
It'll be a 5 p.m. puck drop from the music city as the Sharks try to get back into the win column. Points have dried up for Team Teal, and the Sharks need something to try and build on because losing will leave a bitter taste in the mouth of their young superstars. While the list of absentees for the Sharks continues to grow, it'll get more complicated, but the Sharks cannot make excuses if they want to be a contender in this league.