Sharks’ game with Vegas changed to end of the season
The Sharks’ home game with the Vegas Golden Knights on April 23 has been moved to May 10, the end of the regular season.
The game was originally supposed to be played Feb. 25 but was postponed after Sharks center Tomas Hertl tested positive for COVID-19. An NHL spokesman couldn’t immediately be reached to explain why the April 23 game was moved.
The Sharks will now play three games next week instead of four, with games in Vegas on Monday and Wednesday and one at home on April 24 with Minnesota. The Sharks’ regular season now ends with a five-game homestand, as the team faces Colorado on May 3 and 5 and Arizona on May 7 and 8.
The April 23 game was supposed to be the first where the Sharks could host fans. Earlier this month, the California Department of Public Health announced that starting today, it would allow indoor venues across much of the state — including sports arenas — to host events with a limited amount of spectators.
As of Wednesday, Santa Clara County was in the orange tier. In that tier, capacity is limited to 10% or 2,000 people, and capacity increases to 35% if all guests are tested or show proof of full vaccination. SAP Center’s seating capacity for hockey is 17,562.
GOALIE GETS CHANCE >> Goalie Josef Korenar will get more chances to make an impression on the team’s coaching staff and front office.
Even though the Sharks feel they have another promising goalie in the pipeline in Alexei Melnichuk, coach Bob Boughner said this is an ideal time for Korenar to take over as the team’s backup goalie role for the rest of the regular season.
Melnichuk, 22, is in his first season of North American professional hockey after he signed with the Sharks out of the KHL last May. Korenar, 23, is in his third full season in the Sharks’ organization.
“The plan is right now is Korenar is going to get his opportunity and hopefully he runs with that,” Boughner said. “Melnichuk is in his first year over here and he’s playing some games with the Barracuda and there’s definitely nothing that says Korenar’s playing one and then we’re going to switch and flip-flop. No.
“We want to see how Josef does and we want to give him a chance, and it’s going to be a position that’s earned. He’s definitely getting a good look here.”
The Devan Dubnyk trade opened the door for Korenar to get an increased role after he went 5-1-2 with a .898 save percentage in eight AHL games this season.
Jones has been kept exceptionally busy as he started 11 of 12 games from March 22 to Monday — and the Sharks schedule doesn’t let up from here. Starting with Friday’s game in Minnesota against the Wild, the Sharks play 14 games in 25 days, with four back-to-back situations, and will no doubt need a second netminder to contribute.
The Sharks enter Wednesday’s game with 40 points, four points behind the St. Louis Blues for the fourth and final playoff spot in the West Division.
ARRIVAL TIMES >> Defenseman Greg Pateryn, acquired from the Avalanche in the Dubnyk trade, is in San Jose and could play for a couple games for the Barracuda before he potentially joins the Sharks’ active roster or taxi squad. Boughner said forward Alexander Barabanov should be arriving this week. Barabonov, who the Sharks acquired Monday from Toronto for Antti Suomela, will have to quarantine but figures to get into AHL games sometime this month.