
Sure, the Sharks were able to pull out a win on Thursday night in Las Vegas despite being short a few skaters by the end of the night.
But with injuries piling up and one of the hottest teams in the NHL coming to Silicon Valley this weekend, they might need to recreate that magic yet again.
San Jose could potentially be without Tomas Hertl for a second straight game as he recovers from an unspecified lower-body injury he sustained in last Tuesday's game against the Edmonton Oilers. Additionally, Melker Karlsson is expected to be out of Saturday's lineup after sustaining an upper-body injury in Thursday's game against the Golden Knights. Defenseman Radim Simek also sustained an injury in Thursday's game and, like Hertl, is considered to be day-to-day.
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This means the Sharks wouldn't just potentially be without a top forward in Hertl. They'll be missing a penalty-killing staple in Karlsson, and potentially Simek who, as fans are probably well aware, helps keep responsibilities evenly spaced out through San Jose's blue line.
Those are some big pieces missing as the New York Islanders come into town.
For starters, New York has won nine out of their last 10 contests and is currently riding a five-game winning streak, collecting points in a whopping 16 straight games. Granted, they're a middle-of-the-pack team on paper, ranking 11th overall in average goals scored per game (3.25), 11th overall on the power play (22.7-percent success rate), and 12th overall on the penalty kill (83-percent success rate.) But the Isles are finding ways to win games at the moment, both in regulation and in overtime. Forward Matthew Barzal has been on a major hot streak tallying 20 points in 20 games, while former Shark Thomas Greiss has been a wall between the pipes with a .934 save percentage that is tied for second-best in the league.
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What does this mean for the Sharks? There's still potential for them to pull off a "gutsy" win as they did on Thursday, but certain factors have to come into play.
If San Jose is, in fact, without a healthy Hertl in their lineup to help generate offense, then this won't be a game where the Sharks can potentially outscore their problems. Even on a night when Greiss gives up four goals, the team in front of him turns around and scores five. A tighter defensive game like the one they played against Vegas -- yes, even if Simek isn't in the lineup -- is their best solution in regards to keeping New York from running away with the game.
The Sharks need to be on their toes late in the game, too. San Jose has shown some cracks in the mold in regards to letting in late goals, which could be costly against a team like the Isles who have been winning many of their recent games with late pushes. Heck, four of their last seven games have been decided after regulation. Any letup late in the game could be the difference between San Jose winning and losing on Saturday.
Now, how the lineup shakes up remains to be seen. With Simek possibly out, Tim Heed will no doubt be back in the lineup. San Jose rolled out 11 forwards and seven defensemen on Thursday with only Hertl out of the lineup, but if both he and Melker Karlsson are sidelined, it's possible Lukas Radil will pencil back in after being scratch on Thursday night. As of Friday afternoon, the Sharks hadn't recalled anyone from the Barracuda -- who play at home in San Jose on Friday night -- although that could change.
This isn't to say the Sharks can't pull out a win in the face of adversity, especially since they just did so on Thursday against the Golden Knights. But with more players potentially out with injuries, the team will be tested even more with a tough opponent coming into their building.