SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 9: San Jose Sharks goaltender Adin Hill (33) catches the puck throughout their recreation towards the Minnesota Wild within the second interval on the SAP Middle in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
SAN JOSE — The Sharks are going to be leaning on goalie James Reimer for the subsequent a number of days, and presumably longer.
Adin Hill, bothered by an undisclosed lower-body damage in latest weeks, is not going to follow anytime within the rapid future, Sharks coach Bob Boughner mentioned, leaving Reimer because the workforce’s lone skilled goalie because it tries to stay within the hunt for a playoff spot.
Hill hasn’t performed since Jan. 22 and the Sharks have been hoping that he could be obtainable to play as soon as they returned from their prolonged break over the weekend. Hill skated with the workforce on Saturday and Sunday and was additionally on the ice for Tuesday’s follow, however Boughner mentioned Hill continues to be in discomfort after every skate.
“It wasn’t getting higher as we wished it to, so we determined simply to shelve him for a number of days and preserve him out of form,” Boughner mentioned of Hill. “He’s getting by means of follow when he does, however, the subsequent day, he all the time has some ache in it. So we’re going to close him down for a number of days and see if that’ll assist him.”
Reimer has began the Sharks’ final 5 video games and will probably be in internet once more Thursday and Sunday towards the Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights, respectively.
Subsequent week, although, the Sharks play in Anaheim on Feb. 22, adopted by house video games with the New York Islanders on Feb. 24, Boston Bruins on Feb. 26 and Seattle Kraken on Feb. 27, respectively, to finish a stretch of 5 video games in eight days.
“This week is okay, however subsequent week when you could have 5 video games in eight days, that’s a priority. An actual concern,” Boughner mentioned. “In order that’s the explanation we’re attempting to be good with Hill and make it possible for we now have him and Reimer subsequent week as a result of we’re going to want them each.
“We are able to’t kill Reimer right here.”
Zach Sawchenko stays the Sharks’ backup goalie. He has seen motion in two NHL video games, as he performed for simply over two minutes Monday late within the first interval when Reimer had a skate concern. Reimer returned for the second interval and completed the sport, a 3-0 Sharks loss.
Sawchenko’s first profession NHL recreation got here Jan. 2 in Pittsburgh when he stopped 20 of 21 pictures in reduction of Reimer.
“In Pittsburgh, he battled for us onerous, so (he’s) an choice as nicely,” Boughner mentioned. “However ideally you need your two veteran guys to have the ability to play.”
Reimer, in 27 video games this season, has a 13-10-1 report with a decent .916 save proportion and a couple of.82 goals-against common.
The Sharks (22-21-4) entered Wednesday seven factors again of each the Edmonton Oilers for third place within the Pacific Division and the Los Angeles Kings for the Western Convention’s second wild-card spot.
MERKLEY TO RETURN: With the Sharks determined for offense, Boughner mentioned he’ll seemingly insert defenseman Ryan Merkley into the lineup Thursday. It seems Merkley will probably be paired with Marc-Edouard Vlasic towards the Canucks as he’ll costume for the second time within the Sharks’ final 5 video games.
No NHL workforce has averaged fewer targets per recreation during the last three-plus weeks than the Sharks – one thing a minimum of partially attributable to Erik Karlsson’s absence from the lineup.
Since Karlsson’s final recreation on Jan. 20 in Seattle, the Sharks have averaged 2.00 targets per recreation, tied for worst within the league with the Bruins. The Sharks have gone 1-3-2 in that point.
Merkley has two factors in 15 video games this season however Boughner is hopeful that he’ll assist the Sharks break the puck out of their very own zone with some effectivity. Merkley’s additionally a extra pure power-play quarterback than Mario Ferraro, who ran the purpose in Monday’s loss to Edmonton.
Boughner mentioned he needs his forwards to get again to taking pucks to the web, creating visitors in entrance, and dealing for second and third possibilities. Nonetheless, of the 12 targets the Sharks have scored in Karlsson’s absence, solely two have come from defensemen, though Brent Burns has three assists.
“We’re not going to out-skill anyone by any means, however there are issues we will do: driving to the web tougher, sticking across the blue paint, extra screens and visitors in entrance,” Boughner mentioned. “We talked about shot quantity. It’s basic math, the extra you place to the web, the higher likelihood you’ve obtained to the rating, proper? We didn’t do this the opposite evening.”
BALCERS IMPROVES: Winger Rudolfs Balcers, injured in Monday’s recreation, practiced Wednesday and is taken into account possible to play towards the Canucks, Boughner mentioned. Balcers blocked a shot by Oilers defenseman Cody Ceci late within the second interval of Monday’s recreation and didn't return.