The Sharks have struggled as of late since blowing a 3-0 3rd period lead to the Oilers; they dropped two consecutive games to Chicago and Calgary, both teams well out of the playoff picture. The Sharks now find themselves 3 points out of the playoffs, as they prepare to take on the best team in the NHL, the Colorado Avalanche, in the final game before the Olympic break.
The Sharks will be getting some good news on the injury front. Kiefer Sherwood was activated from injury reserve and is expected to make his Sharks debut tonight. Sherwood was acquired from Vancouver a few weeks back for a pair of draft picks.
To make room for Sherwood, the Sharks have placed forward Ryan Reaves on injured reserve. Reaves' injury is considered day-to-day, and with the break on the horizon, it's expected he will be good to go when the league returns to action in late February.
The Sharks' projected lines for tonight are as follows.
Sherwood - Celebrini - Smith
Eklund - Misa - Toffoli
Kurashev - Wennberg - Graf
Goodrow - Ostapchuk - Gaudette
Orlov - Klingberg
Ferraro - Liljegren
Mukhamadullin - Desharnais
Askarov
Scratches: Dickinson, Regenda, Skinner
The Sharks' lines tonight could look very interesting. Sherwood looks like he will get a start on the top line with Celebrini and Smith, about as good a situation you could ask for when making your debut. Sherwood, in theory, is the perfect fit on that line with his forchecking and physical game complementing the creativity and skill of Celebrini and Smith.
Another interesting change is Misa moving up a line with Eklund and Toffoli. Wennberg has been a lock as the 2nd line pivot all season, but the Sharks are rewarding Misa for his recent stretch of play. Misa has started to find his game over the past week and is looking more comfortable at the NHL level. He will have a good opportunity to show what he can do in an elevated role tonight. Wennberg slots in nicely on a 3rd line, and is likely where the Sharks envisioned him when they extended him for 3 seasons.
On the backend, Dickinson draws out for Klingberg, who was scratched against Chicago. Like Misa, Dickinson has started playing much better down the stretch, but he struggled during the recent losing streak. Giving him a reset day against a strong Avs team is likely the right call.
Askarov will get the net again after being hung out to dry in Chicago. The Sharks need to play better in front of their young netminder, especially against the high powered Avalance offense.
A loss tonight would be a major shot to the momentum the Sharks built up over the past few months, but a win against the best teams could turn things back in the right direction. The Sharks will need to be at their best, though, if they plan on stealing one against the Avs on the road.