The San Jose Sharks will welcome Jack Studnicka to the roster tonight. Studnicka was acquired in a trade with Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 15. He’s a former second-round draft pick by the Boston Bruins that never really found a place with top-heavy Bruins. There also wasn’t much of a chance for him to move up with the Vancouver Canucks, a team that’s currently icing four of the league’s top 20 scorers.
Studnicka opened the season with the Canucks, but as players got healthier, he was sent back to the Abbotsford Canucks. He had 7 points (1 G, 6 A) in 9 games with Abbotsford this season. He also had one goal in five games with the Canucks.
Studnicka filled a hole at center that the Sharks desperately need filled. With Logan Couture injured and Nico Sturm now on IR, the Sharks are light down the middle. Expect to see Studnicka slot into the third line center role, behind Tomas Hertl and Mikael Granlund.
It’s pretty easy to say watch out for Nathan MacKinnon anytime you play the Colorado Avalanche, but even more so tonight. MacKinnon has a 14 game point streak with 6 goals and 17 assists. The last time these two teams played was Oct. 14, when MacKinnon had 14 shots on Mackenzie Blackwood but never managed to score. It will be Blackwood tasked with stopping MacKinnon once again tonight.
The Avalanche are third in the Central Division, but only because the two teams ahead of Colorado (the Dallas Stars and the Winnipeg Jets) have a game in hand. All three have 38 points this season. Colorado lost to the Jets last night by a score of 6-2. Not only did the Avs play last night, but the team traveled from Winnipeg, which means the Sharks are rested and waiting.
San Jose Sharks line
Sounds like there’s no Anthony Duclair in tonight’s game. Jacob MacDonald will play in his place.
Per👇 Anthony Duclair is not playing tonight. Jacob MacDonald draws back in. Not sure if Duclair's absence is injury-related. https://t.co/MPPOvQwFS0
— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) December 17, 2023
Marc-Edouard Vlasic is reportedly back after dealing with a personal matter, but there’s no word on if he’ll make it into the lineup. Here’s what we expect the lines to look like tonight.
Forwards
William Eklund – Tomas Hertl – Alexander Barabanov
Justin Bailey – Mikael Granlund – Fabian Zetterlund
Mike Hoffman – Jack Studnicka – Luke Kunin
Kevin Labanc – Filip Zadina – Jacob MacDonald
Defensemen
Mario Ferraro – Kyle Burroughs
Nikita Okhotiuk – Jan Rutta
Henry Thrun – Calen Addison
Goaltenders
Mackenzie Blackwood
Kaapo Kahkonen
Colorado Avalanche lines
Here’s what the lines could look like. The Avalanche didn’t have a morning skate today since the team played yesterday.
Forwards
Valeri Nichushkin – Nathan MacKinnon – Mikko Rantanen
Jonathan Drouin – Ryan Johansen – Ben Meyers
Miles Wood – Ross Colton – Logan O’Connor
Andrew Cogliano – Fredrik Olofsson – Joel Kiviranta
Defensemen
Devon Toews – Josh Manson
Bowen Byram – Sam Malinski
Caleb Jones – Jack Johnson
Goaltenders
Alexandar Georgiev
Ivan Prosvetov
Expect to see Georgiev in net since Prosvetov played last night.
How to watch San Jose Sharks at Colorado Avalanche
Tonight’s game will be broadcast regionally on NBCSCA. Streaming is available with a subscription to ESPN+ (blackout restrictions may apply). The game is also set to air on the NHL Network. The radio call will be streamed through the Sharks Audio Network. Arizona Coyotes fans can watch the game on Altitude TV or listen on Radio 92.5 FM.
The game starts at 5:00 p.m. PT//6:00 p.m. MDT/8:00 p.m. ET at Ball Arena.
Check back then to follow along with all of the play-by-play action in the comment section below!
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