San Jose Sharks, with fading NHL playoff hopes, face Nashville Predators

SAN JOSE – Time is starting to run out for the San Jose Sharks to save their season.

Maybe it comes right down to this week, and even their next game.

With their playoff hopes dwindling, the Sharks begin a three-city highway journey with their largest recreation of the yr to date on Tuesday once they face the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.

The Sharks, losers of 4 straight and caught on 70 factors for over per week, have simply 14 video games left and enter Tuesday 5 factors again of the Predators for the second wild card spot within the Western Conference, with two video games in hand. They’re additionally seven factors behind the Edmonton Oilers for third place within the Pacific Division, with three video games in hand.

A win on Tuesday may give the Sharks (32-30-6) some badly wanted momentum as they continue their road trip with stops in St. Louis on Thursday and Columbus on Saturday. A loss in regulation time may begin to put a wild card spot out of attain, with the Sharks now tied for eleventh place within the West, and behind the Los Angeles Kings and Seattle Kraken.

Their playoff hopes, as of Monday, were at 15.8%, by Moneypuck.com. So it is just about now or by no means for the Sharks, who’ve been wound too tight with every recreation carrying better significance.

“Everyone knows it’s an important game,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky stated of Tuesday. “But again, we’ve just got to play, and we’ve got to compete and do the things that we do well, more consistently than we’ve been doing, and the rest will take care of themselves.”

One constructive for the Sharks: They are on the verge of getting some injured players back.

Forwards Tyler Toffoli, Ty Dellandrea, and Igor Chernyhov, defensemen Vincent Desharnais, and goalie Yaroslav Askarov all practiced Monday morning in San Jose earlier than the group’s flight to Nashville.

Toffoli, the Sharks’ third main scorer with 44 factors, wasn’t on the flight to Tennessee however will possible be capable to be part of the group sooner or later on the journey, Warsofsky stated. Toffoli suffered a lower-body injury within the first interval of final Thursday’s 5-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabers and needed to miss Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Chernyshov and Desharnais may very well be choices to play towards the Predators, stated Warsofsky, who added that ahead Ryan Reaves (hand harm), is now thought-about week-to-week. With solely three-plus weeks left within the common season, it is unclear as as to if Reaves will be capable to return if the Sharks don’t make the playoffs.

Chernyshov, who sustained a head harm within the Sharks’ recreation towards the Montreal Canadiens on March 14, took line rushes with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith on Monday morning. Chernyshov was on that line in Montreal earlier than his harm, which brought about him to overlook the final 4 video games.

Desharnais, who additionally needed to miss Saturday’s recreation with an higher physique harm, was paired with Nick Leddy throughout Monday’s apply. Dellandrea, out since Jan. 6 with a lower-body harm, skated with none restrictions Monday and traveled with the group to Nashville, though it was unknown when he could be cleared for play.

Askarov hasn’t performed since March 10, when he allowed 5 targets on 25 photographs within the Sharks’ 6-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The preliminary phrase from Warsofsky was that Askarov “tweaked something” the morning of the group’s recreation towards the Boston Bruins on March 12, however Askarov stated Monday he was injured the day earlier than throughout apply.

Askarov didn’t anticipate the harm to maintain him out for shut to 2 weeks, because the Sharks went 2-4-0 in his absence. While it was unknown whether or not Askarov would begin towards the Predators, who drafted him 11th overall in 2020he is not less than in a spot the place he can again up Alex Nedeljkovic.

With Askarov again, goalie Laurent Brossoit was reassigned to the Barracuda.

The Sharks have been outscored 18-8 on a manned web throughout their four-game skid, with their issues coming at each ends of the ice.

During the dropping streak, the Sharks, per Natural Stat Trickhave allowed 45 high-danger possibilities, fourth most within the NHL in that point. They’ve additionally scored simply seven even-strength targets, with none coming from Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Alex Wennberg, or William Eklund, 4 of their prime 5 scorers this season.

“Just the little details,” Toffoli stated when requested what’s been lacking. “I think a lot of our mistakes are ending up in the back of our net. Obviously, it’s a little frustrating, but (with) a couple of bounces here or there, it can go the other way. We’ve just got to stick with it.”

Warsofsky spoke to the group early Monday morning.

“We’ve just got to loosen up here a little bit,” Warsofsky stated of his message. “These guys have been taking part in hockey, a few of them, since they have been two years previous. The recreation does not change a lot. We’ve simply bought to get again to having fun with the sport and the place we’re at and embracing the scenario and the place we’re.

“No one thought we’d be here, but we’re here. But we also can’t grip it and really try to force things. Just play and just compete.”