Sharks move forward with adjustments with Hertl doubtful to play versus Kings
SAN JOSE » Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said he might go back to dressing 12 forwards and six defensemen for today’s game against the Los Angeles Kings even if Tomas Hertl is unavailable to play.
DeBoer labeled Hertl, who has missed the past four games with a lower body injury, as doubtful to play against the Kings. The team will know more this morning with the game, the Sharks’ last at home this month, at 1 p.m.
The Sharks looked lethargic in their 5-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday as they played with 11 forwards and seven defensemen for the fourth straight game without Hertl. The Sharks put 33 shots on net, but felt they didn’t get enough traffic in front of Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck and lost too many one-on-one battles for the puck.
“I thought we hit the wall a little bit last night,” DeBoer said Thursday. “So we might have to change that up.”
Hertl skated again Thursday and said there’s a chance he could return to play the Kings. The Sharks are 3-1-0 without him in the lineup, but several of their
forwards have had to play more minutes than usual, especially with the team having to kill 17 penalties in that time.
In the last four games, Evander Kane has averaged 23 minutes and 41 seconds of ice time, second most behind Chicago’s Patrick Kane (24:18) among all NHL forwards during that span. Timo Meier has averaged 20:04 per game, roughly three minutes more per game than he averaged last season.
The Sharks are also in a busy part of their schedule. Wednesday’s game was their fifth in nine days. After this afternoon game at SAP Center, the Sharks fly to Arizona to face the Coyotes at 5 p.m. (PST).
In Thursday’s practice, the Sharks still had Barclay Goodrow as the second-line center. The fourth line had Antti Suomela at center and Dylan Gambrell and Noah Gregor.
“I don’t want to be there to just be there. It’s not helping,” Hertl said. “I want to be 100 percent sure I can help to win the game, and finish the game, too. I don’t want to be in there for the first and (tell DeBoer) ‘I don’t feel right, I can’t play any more.’
“It’s a big decision and I want to make the right (one). We’re not in the playoffs right now. For sure, I want to be back and help the guys.”
• Not since the start of the season have the Sharks struggled like this on the power play. The Sharks enter today on an 0 for 13 streak with the man advantage in their past five games, their longest dry spell since they went 0 for 14 in the first three games of October.
Winger Kevin Labanc said the Sharks were trying a new look on the power play, with him in the middle instead of the right half-wall and other players in unfamiliar spots. Labanc added the Sharks might go back to their more traditional look for today’s game.
“We tried something new and it was kind of off a little bit,” Labanc said. “We haven’t got to practice with the new spots. The best thing we can do right now is just keep it simple, get through the (neutral zone), make sure we have possession, get shots to the net and things will start opening up.”
The Sharks went 0 for 6 with the man advantage against the Jets. Before that, though, they had just seven power-play tries in their last four games. The Sharks’ power play entered Thursday ranked 20th in the NHL at 18.1 percent. They were 12th in the league at 21.4 percent on the morning of Nov. 18.
“We’re going through a little bit of a cold spell,” DeBoer said. “I don’t think it’s an accident with Tommy Hertl out of the lineup. He’s a big piece for us on there. So we’ve got to find a way.
“I’ve said since day one, I’m confident when we look up at the end of the year we’re going to have a power play that has helped us more than hurt us.
“There’s no doubt with personnel and some injuries, we’re a little cold right now.”