Ironman Labanc plays in his 300th game in victory
There was a time near the start of Kevin Labanc’s professional career when a spot in the Sharks’ lineup was anything but a guarantee. He played in 55 games in his rookie season in 2016-17, but also spent time with the Barracuda, and maybe even a brief stint in thencoach Pete Deboer’s doghouse.
Fast forward four years and not only has Labanc become one of the leaders of his draft class in terms of games played, but his ironman streak is now the third-longest on the Sharks’ roster.
Labanc played in his 300th career NHL game Saturday, and his 227th straight, as the Sharks beat the St. Louis Blues 5-4 to close out a two-game series at Enterprise Center.
Labanc had two assists Saturday and Logan Couture scored his second goal of the game in the third period to provide the winning margin.
Labanc, selected by the Sharks in the sixth round, 171st overall, in
2014, is the 13th player from his draft class to reach the 300-game milestone, and the only one selected after the fourth round. Among current Sharks, only Patrick Marleau (870) and defenseman Brent Burns (557) have active ironman streaks that are longer.
“To be in the NHL for that long, it’s something that you only dream about as a kid. It’s something you’ve been working for your whole life, so it’s a great milestone,” Labanc said before Saturday’s game.
Of the 12 players who were drafted in 2014 and have already passed 300 games, 10 were taken in the first round, one was taken in the third round (Brayden Point), and one in the fourth (Viktor Arvidsson).
Labanc led the Ontario Hockey League with 127 points in 2015-16 and followed that up with seven goals in his first 24 NHL games in his rookie NHL season. Toward the second half of that year, though, Labanc had a 28-game goal drought, which, at the time, may have hurt his confidence. His struggles bled into the following year, as he spent two games in the AHL in Nov. 2017.
He said he never lost faith in himself that he could be a longtime pro in the NHL, and has played in every Sharks game since his recall to the Sharks on Nov. 12, 2017.
His long-term future is secure, too, as he’s in the first season of a four-year, $18.9 million deal.
“I thought I could play right from the get-go. I’ve always had that kind of confidence and I always felt good about myself,” Labanc said. “You have some great leaders that you played with and you kind of learn to take some of the things that you learned from their game and incorporate it into your own. Just being a professional on and off the ice.
“That’s how you prolong your career, by putting the time and work in on and off the ice, taking care of your body, eating right. Playing with (Joe Thornton), Patty, (Logan Couture), Tomas (Hertl), there’s so many great leaders on the team that really set the bar and set the standard for how you should take care of yourself.”
BACK IN NET: >> Devan Dubnyk got the start Saturday as he made his first appearance since Feb. 6. Martin Jones had started the previous five games for the Sharks, going 2-2-1 in that time.
Dubnyk was playing well before missing time with a lower body injury. In three starts since a 5-4 Sharks’ loss to the Blues on Jan. 18, Dubnyk had a .934 save percentage and a 2.22 goals against average. His record, though, was 0-2-1 in that time since the Sharks managed a combined three goals in those three games.
INJURY UPDATE: >> Boughner said defenseman Radim Simek (upper body) has been skating in St. Louis but that it’s too soon to say whether he’ll be available to play Monday when the Sharks return home to play the Minnesota Wild. Boughner said Erik Karlsson, also on injured reserve with a groin issue, has been rehabbing off the ice since Wednesday when he remained home as the Sharks departed for St. Louis.
Boughner said Karlsson could be on the ice for practice Monday morning “if all things have gone well by then.”
Karlsson and Simek’s absences opened the door for Nicolas Meloche and Fredrik Claesson, who started their third straight game together as a defense pair Saturday.
In Thursday’s game with the Blues, Claesson had 12:35 of ice time and Meloche had 10:58 as he picked up his first NHL point, an assist on Noah Gregor’s second period goal. In just under 19 minutes in two games together before Saturday, Claesson and Meloche, at even strength, had a 66.7 Corsi-for percentage, per naturalstattrick.com.
“I think they’ve done a great job,” Couture said Friday of the new pair. “Obviously not an easy situation to come in, when you haven’t played any preseason games or anything like that. Stepping into a lineup when teams are 14, 15 games into their season isn’t easy.”