Hertl’s injury appears ‘minor’
SAN JOSE >> Tomas Hertl has what coach Pete DeBoer termed a minor knee injury and does not figure to miss much time, if any, with he and the Sharks playing their best hockey of the season.
DeBoer said pictures taken of Hertl’s right knee Friday morning confirmed, “that it looks like it’s minor and that’s good news.”
Hertl said Friday he considers himself dayto-day and that the injury is nothing serious. He said he was going to see a team doctor Friday afternoon to get treatment.
The injury occurred in the third period of Thursday’s Sharks game in Anaheim against the Ducks. As the play was headed up the ice, Ducks forward Sam Steel briefly lost his balance and collided with Hertl’s leg, causing it to bend in an awkward manner.
Hertl fell and left the ice a few seconds before Brent Burns’ goal at the 8:05 mark gave the Sharks a 3-2 lead. Hertl did not return. The Sharks beat the Ducks 5-3 for their fifth straight win as they improved to 9-10-1.
“I was coming back and the guy was falling, for sure my knee, and fell on it,” Hertl said. “I’ve got some history, so we just take it back and just check. That’s why they take me out and I couldn’t even finish the game. We’ll see. For now, it’s just day-to-day. But nothing serious and hopefully be OK for game.”
The Sharks host the Detroit Red Wings tonight. Hertl said he hopes he can play, but will be cautious. DeBoer said the Sharks will wait to see how Hertl feels this morning before
they decide on whether they need to recall someone from the Barracuda.
The Sharks, who were carrying 13 forwards and 23 players on their active roster as of Friday, could elect to place Hertl on injured reserve to free up a roster spot or reassign a player who does not require waivers. If Hertl is placed on injured reserve, he would be ineligible to play for at least a week. The Sharks could also place injured defenseman Mario Ferraro on retroactive injured reserve to free up a spot. Ferraro has not played since Nov. 7.
“It’s still early in the season, and it’s not the playoffs,” Hertl said. “It all depends (how I feel) in the morning. It’s possible I could play (today).”
Hertl, 26, has been vital to the Sharks’ recent turnaround.
Hertl had two goals Thursday to give him 10 goals for the season and a team-high 21 points. Since he was put on a line with Timo Meier and Barclay Goodrow prior to the Sharks’ game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 5, Hertl has put together a career-best fivegame goal streak and has six goals and three assists in that time.
“It always (stinks), especially when your line gets on fire,” Hertl said. “You’re getting goals, you’re feeling good and we’re confident in our line.
“But I’m happy were just winning.”
Hertl had extensive knee issues earlier in his NHL career. In Dec. 2013, Hertl needed surgery after he suffered damage to the medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments in his right knee following an open-ice collision with Los Angeles Kings forward Dustin Brown.
Hertl re-injured his right knee after he collided with Patric Hornqvist of the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 2 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final. In November 2016, Hertl sprained his right knee and missed 33 games.
“Before it was always way worse, but sometimes even the small things you can make worse,” Hertl said. “But this time, hopefully, (it’s) just a little tweak or something and it will be all right.”
Hertl has worked extensively to strengthen the muscles around his knees and wears knee braces every time he’s on the ice, something he’s done since his first injury in 2013. Before every game, Hertl also works with bands and does squats.
“I do it all the time, even last year when I had no issue at all,” Hertl said. “I will never stop (until) I’m done in hockey, because you never know. Anything can happen. But I try to be as strong as possible and just work my muscles. The ligaments can be a little looser, but that’s why I have to have extra strong muscles.”