Donskoi’s return to lineup provides boost to forwards
SANJOSE » Joonas Donskoi smiled a bit when it was suggested to him Thursday that he skated well in Game 4 of the Sharks’ second-round playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights, looking like he did before he came down with a lower body injury.
“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” Donskoi said. “I think a big part ofmy game is my skating. That’s what I try to bring every night. I’m glad if it looked good.”
It certainly wasn’t bad considering Sharks coach Pete DeBoer didn’t know if Donskoi would even be available until minutes before Wednesday’s game. Donskoi, who missed Game 3, had been considered a game-time decision but felt well enough to play after warmups.
He responded with his first goal of the series, a nifty individual effort late in the first period where he nearly went coast-tocoast before he fired a shot from the high slot that got through defenseman Brayden McNabb’s legs and past Marc-Andre Fleury’s glove.
The Sharks went on to a 4- 0 win to level their series with the Golden Knights at 2-2.
Donskoi went in to the team’s practice facility Thursday for treatment and is probably still not 100 percent. He played just three shifts in the third period Wednesday and finished with 11:12 of ice time as DeBoer took some extra precaution, but he should be healthy enough to play in Game 5 today in Las Vegas.
Asked if it was frustrating for the first couple of games in the series when he wasn’t able to skate as he normally does, Donskoi said, “Well, yeah, but that’s not an excuse. Everybody’s dealing with something this time of the year. It doesn’t really matter. Just try to bring your best game every night.”
“I do know that we had a conversation with him about, don’t come in unless you feel you can really go,” DeBoer said. “We didn’t need him at 50 percent, because we had healthy guys. He was confident he could play, and when he’s playing, that’s what he looks like.”
Donskoi’s presence and the way he played in limited minutes allowed the Sharks’ to roll out a much more normal looking forward group.
Donskoi was back with Joe Pavelski and Evander Kane, a trio that formed instant chemistry right after Kanewas acquired Feb. 26. Chris Tierney was moved fromfirst to third line center, taking over his familiar role and replacing Barclay Goodrow, who filled that spot for Game 3, a 4-3 Sharks loss in overtime.
“We have depth, but nobody has depth to take multiple top- six guys out of your lineup and replace that,” DeBoer said. “I think we have the depth to survive short-term and get through some of those situ- ations, but to have himand (Joe Thornton) out at the same time is a tough ask.
“Despite that, I thought we played a real good game. We could have won Game 3, and him getting back helped in Game 4.”
• The Sharks have killed off eight straight penalties going into Game 5, including five in a row in Game 4 when they spent 9:36 of the game shorthanded. They’ve been shorthanded 23 times in the series, with the Golden Knights right behind at 21 times.
“It seems like I’m playing halfmyminutes on the penalty kill,” Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic said of the penalty amounts in Game 4. “I don’t mind. ( The penalty kill) was great ( Wednesday).”
The Sharks’ infractions Wednesday that led to Vegas power plays were interference (twice), roughing, tripping and hooking. Vegas is 5 for 23 on the power play in the series, the Sharks are 4 for 21.
“They’re calling the game tight,” DeBoer said. “I don’t look at any of those penalties as discipline issues or lazy penalties. We’re competing hard, they’re calling it tight, and you’ve got to win the special teams battle.”
• Asked about defenseman Joakim Ryan’s smooth transition back to the lineup after a six-week layoff, DeBoer said, “He’s a smart kid, he’s a skater, he doesn’t play a complicated game. So you come in, you move the puck and do your job. I wasn’t surprised.”