The San Jose Sharks will try to end their early season road trip on a high note with a victory in their Sunday matinee in New Jersey against the Devils.
Team Teal has gone 2-1-1 through four games of the five-game roadie after dropping their Thursday night contest with the New York Rangers 3-2 in overtime. San Jose held a 2-1 lead in the third frame of that game until New York’s Brendan Smith scored the tying goal with less than three minutes left in regulation. Defenseman Brady Skjei deposited the game-winner 37-seconds into overtime play.
The Devils shut out the Stanley Cup-defending Washington Capitals 6-0 behind a 23-save effort from netminder Keith Kinkaid. New Jersey has only played two games so far this season, both of which have been on their home ice.
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SIGN UP HERE The Sharks will reportedly continue to be without forward Joe Thornton for the Sunday matinee against the Devils. There was previously speculation Thornton could rejoin the team for this last contest of the road trip. Thornton returned to San Jose following the Sharks’ 3-2 overtime win over the LA Kings last Friday night after he experienced swelling in his surgically-repaired knee. According to Paul Gackle of the San Jose Mercury News, Thornton has not rejoined the team yet.
Defenseman Erik Karlsson missed practice Saturday because he was feeling under the weather. Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer didn’t have a definitive answer as to whether the two-time Norris Trophy winner would miss Sunday’s game.
Sharks projected lines and pairs:
Evander Kane – Joe Pavelski – Kevin Labanc
Tomas Hertl – Logan Couture – Timo Meier
Marcus Sorensen – Antti Suomela – Joonas Donskoi
Barclay Goodrow – Rourke Chartier – Melker Karlsson
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Erik Karlsson
Joakim Ryan – Brent Burns
Brenden Dillion – Justin Braun
San Jose Sharks
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Martin Jones – confirmed starter
Aaron Dell
Devils projected lines and pairs:
Taylor Hall – Nico Hischier – Kyle Palmieri
Marcus Johansson – Pavel Zacha – Stefan Noesen
Miles Wood – Travis Zajac – John Quenneville
Brian Boyle – Blake Coleman – Jean-Sebastien Dea
Mirco Mueller – Sami Vatanen
Andy Greene – Damon Severson
Will Butcher – Ben Lovejoy
Keith Kinkiad – confirmed starter
Eddie Lack