Injury bug hits Sharks’ blue line hard
SAN JOSE >> For most of the season, the Sharks have carried eight defensemen, going essentially with the same lineup on the blue line until Radim Simek bumped Joakim Ryan out of the mix on Dec. 2.
Jacob Middleton, 23, made his NHL debut against the Tampa Bay Lightning (32-7-2) Saturday as Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Justin Braun and Radim Simek sit the game out to recover from injuries.
Tim Heed will also return to the lineup, suiting up for his fourth game of the season while Ryan skates in just his third game since Dec. 1.
“There were times this year when you thought that another d-man was never going to get into the lineup. Now, we’ve got a few extra ones,” captain Joe Pavelski said. “This group doesn’t need to do it all by themselves. We’ve got to use each other, work together.”
The Sharks placed Justin Braun on injured reserve Saturday with a right-knee injury suffered in Denver Wednesday, so the earliest he can return to the lineup is Jan. 16. Head coach Pete DeBoer labeled Vlasic and Simek’s injuries as “day-to-day” ailments.
Vlasic suffered an undisclosed injury in the third period of the Sharks win over the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday. Simek received a concussion on a questionable hit from Calgary Flames forward Sam Bennett on Monday.
As a result, the team recalled Middleton from the AHL Barracuda to make his NHL debut against the Lightning Saturday night.
“These are the moments you prepare for,” Middleton said. “I’ve had a few years pro, so you know what to expect in these big games. If you just play simple and play the game that you’re called up to play, then things will hopefully work your way.”
Middleton got word of his recall just as he was pulling into the Sharks practice facilities Friday to jump on the bus and head to the airport for a flight to San Diego with the Barracuda.
Instead of squaring off against the San Diego Gulls, Middleton will make his debut against a team that’s averaging 4.17 goals per@ game in the NHL, posting a 15-0-1 record since Nov. 29.
“It’s been quite a turnaround,” Middleton said after the Sharks morning practice Saturday. “(Friday), I was getting ready to hop on a Southwest flight down to San Diego to play with the Barracuda and (Saturday) morning I took a pregame skate with the Sharks.”
The 23-year-old is used to adapting to unfamiliar circumstances. In 201617, he landed a spot on the Barracuda’s roster after showing up at training camp as an unproven walk on. His junior team, the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67s, was reportedly shocked when he didn’t return to the squad after his tryout with the Barracuda.
As a 20-year-old, Middleton quickly earned head coach Roy Sommer’s trust, working his way into a topfour role on the blue line by the season’s midway point. Last year, he skated on the team’s top pairing, playing a shutdown role with his reliable stay-at-home style of play.
In 26 AHL games this season, Middleton, who’s listed at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, recorded 12 points (2 goals, 10 assists ) with a plus-15 rating.
“It’s a great story,” DeBoer said. “Walk on guy who’s worked his way up and wasn’t really on anyone’s radar three years ago. He’s become a captain down there and one of their best defensemen.
“Nice to see a kid like that get rewarded.”
Middleton looked to draw on the experience of earning a spot with the Barracuda
as a walk on when he was thrown into the fire against the Lightning on Saturday.
“It was the unknown for me coming into an American League camp and it’s kind of the same scenario I’m in now,” Middleton said. “You’ve just got to take it shift by shift, play simple and don’t try to do too much.”
The words “play simple” could be heard on repeat throughout the Sharks dressing room Saturday morning. With three additions to the blue line, the Sharks want to put together a structured game against the high-flying Lightning.
Play clean in the neutral zone, get pucks in deep, limit the turnovers. They want to make sure that they aren’t feeding the Lightning’s transition offense.
Fortunately, it’s blueprint that aligns itself well with Middleton’s risk-adverse style of game.
“He’s not the kind of guy that’s going to be overwhelmed,” DeBoer said. “His game is simple. It’s easier said then done when you’ve got a lot of speed coming at you and the (high) pace of play at this level in a game like this tonight. But I have all the confidence in the world that he’s going to be able to come out here and give us some good minutes.”