Injury may cause Pavelski to miss SoCal games
Sharks’ captain suffered lower-body injury in loss to Preds
SAN JOSE » After making due without Evander Kane and Erik Karlsson for seven games, the Sharks will now need to figure out a way to make ends meet without Karlsson and their captain, Joe Pavelski.
Pavelski has a lower-body injury that coach Pete DeBoer has characterized as “a little longer than day to day.” That suggests Pavelski, who did not play in the 7-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night, will miss both of the team’s games in Southern California this week.
Pavelski appeared to suffer the injury in the first period of the Sharks’ loss to Nashville on Saturday, falling awkwardly on his right leg after he took a hit into the boards. Though he left the game for a chunk of the opening frame, he returned for the second and third periods. Still, he missed his first game because of injury since Jan. 11, 2011 on Monday. Pavelski had suited up for 649 of the Sharks previous 650 games, skipping the team’s season finale on April 8, 2017 to rest up for the playoffs.
Now, some other thoughts: LOGAN COUTURE IS CONCERNED. YOU SHOULD BE, AS WELL » If Monday’s game served as a playoff preview, the Sharks could be on the golf course by May 1.
The Golden Knights have looked like the superior team in all three of their meetings this season. Monday, the Knights outskated the
Sharks, set a physical tone and their backup goalie, Malcolm Subban, out-dueled Jones, who got chased from the game in the first period.
The Sharks looked dizzy trying to contain the Golden Knights’ speed.
“I’m concerned. We haven’t played well,” Couture said. “We’re giving up too many chances, too many goals, too many easy goals. We’re giving up too many odd-man rushes. Every time we give them an opportunity like that, they’re going to put it in the back of our net.”
At this point, it’s hard to find a lot of flaws in Vegas’ lineup. The line of Reilly Smith, William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault looked as dangerous as last season, combining for 10 points Monday. With the additions of Mark Stone, Paul Stastny and Max Pacioretty, the Golden Knights now have a shutdown line that’s combined for 62 goals. In addition, the defense is mobile and the fourth line packs a punch thanks to Ryan Reaves.
The big question mark right now is Marc-André Fleury’s health. Fleury missed Monday’s game with a lower-body injury. If it’s a muscle injury, the NHL leader in wins (35) and shutouts (8) might not be fully healed for the playoffs. Regardless, the Sharks aren’t looking that far down the road. The team’s focus right now is earning the top seed in the West, which would give it a first-round matchup against a wild-card team.
“You can’t think about that. You’ve got to get ready for L.A.,” defenseman Justin Braun said, referring to Thursday’s showdown with the Kings. “You can’t be worried about what you’re doing three weeks from now. We need to get points now.” JONES GIVES DEBOER SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT » DeBoer wanted to start Jones in every meaningful game the rest of the way. He walked that back a little Monday after Jones gave up three goals on 11 shots and was given the hook at 12:24 of the first.
Asked who would start in LA on Thursday night, DeBoer said: “I haven’t thought about who we’re starting. Jonesy’s a great goalie. He’s been a great goalie for us all year. We’ll sit down tomorrow, take a deep breath, look at the tape and come up with a plan for the next game.”
Jones let Karlsson’s breakaway attempt slide past his left pad early in the period. Then, after Stone scored the Golden Knights’ second goal, he let Marchessault score from a sharp angle after he overcommitted to his blocker side.
Though Jones had posted a .917 save percentage in seven March starts, his lackluster start on Monday provided a reminder of why goaltending is the Sharks’ biggest concern heading toward the playoffs.