Dahlen out again, could miss more time

SAN JOSE >> Forward Jonathan Dahlen will miss his second straight game Wednesday with an upper-body injury and could be out for the remainder of the Sharks’ homestand.

Dahlen was hurt in Saturday’s game at SAP Center with the Washington Capitals and missed the Sharks’ 2-1 overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday. He will not play against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday and is questionable for Friday when the Sharks play the Toronto Maple Leafs on the final date of a four-game homestand.

Dahlen, not yet cleared for contact, skated Tuesday afternoon after the Sharks held a brief practice to test out the injury. If Dahlen can’t play against Toronto, Sharks coach Bob Boughner believes he will be available sometime early on the team’s upcoming road trip, which starts Sunday in Chicago.

Dahlen remains the team’s coleading goal scorer with seven goals, with two assists, in 16 games.

Instead of Dahlen, the Sharks had Rudolfs Balcers on their top line with Timo Meier and Logan Couture’s for Monday’s game and could go back to that set-up against the Senators. The trio combined for 12 of the Sharks’ 27 shots on net against the Hurricanes,

Meier, Matt Nieto, and Mario Ferraro were given maintenance days Tuesday but will play Wednesday, Boughner said. SENATORS RECOVERING >> The Senators had eight players exit the NHL’s COVID Protocol on Saturday, a group that included former Sharks center Dylan Gambrell. Six of those players played Monday in the Senators’ 7-5 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in Denver.

Other Senators in the protocol were forwards Connor Brown, Alex Formenton, and Austin Watson, defensemen Josh Brown, Nick Holden, and Victor Mete, and goalie Matt Murray. Holden did not play against the Avalanche and Josh Brown was injured in the first period and will likely miss Wednesday’s game.

The Sharks on Oct. 24 traded Gambrell to the Senators for a

2022 seventh-round draft pick that was originally their own. Gambrell does not have a point in five games for Ottawa and is averaging just under 11 minutes of ice time per game. SHARKS 2, HURRICANES 1, OT (MON.) >> Alexander Barabanov scored 1:42 into overtime and San Jose handed Carolina only its third loss of the season.

Kevin Labanc tied it for the Sharks early in the third period before Barabanov won it just after a power play expired to give San Jose its second win in six games. Tomas Hertl sent the puck to Barabanov, who was alone at the side of the net for a tap-in.

The Sharks went more than 135 minutes without a goal before breaking through late against Antti Raanta and the Hurricanes.

James Reimer made 22 saves for San Jose.