Sharks at Flames (game 53): Lines, game thread and how to watch

The Sharks were rusty coming out of a two-week layoff and it showed in last night’s 1-0 loss in Winnipeg. The good news is that San Jose can have a short memory and come out stronger today against the Calgary Flames.

53 games into the season and this is the first meeting between the Sharks and the Flames. Both teams are in sell mode as they enter this game, though Calgary has a better position in the standings and still has an outside chance of making the playoffs. The Flames traded Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks just before the All-Star break and have already worked one of the pieces in the deal, Andrei Kuzmenko, into the lineup. Rumors are circling the league that other pending RFAs like Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin are also available at a steep price.

All these trades and rumors aren’t hurting the Flames. The team has won four of its last five games and is now fifth in the Pacific Division, hovering in the wild card mix. Calgary trails the two Western Conference wild card teams, the St. Louis Blues and the Los Angeles Kings, by three points. While that’s close, the Flames will still need to go on a run to make the playoffs; LA has three games in hand, while St. Louis has one game in hand. There’s also the Nashville Predators to think about. The Preds are a point above the Flames in the race for the wild card.

The Sharks have no playoff dreams this season and are really focused on the trade market. One of the names that’s getting a little more attention this week is Kevin Labanc. Labanc has been healthy-scratched a lot this season in favor of other players performing just as poorly as him. His agent told The Hockey News yesterday that they are working with the team to find him a “new opportunity.”

A lot of other Sharks names are floating around the trade boards. You can find the Sharks’ best trade deadline options here.

As for tonight’s game. We know that even though he won’t start, Kaapo Kahkonen is okay. The goaltender looked to be injured in the final minutes of last night’s game against the Jets. He skated gingerly to the lockerroom after the final horn. However, he came out to give a postgame interview and said it was only a cramp. That’s good news since Kahkonen may be one of the Sharks’ best trade chips at the deadline.

It’s also good to know that Nico Sturm lasted no lasting damage after he hit his head last night in Winnipeg. Sturm left halfway through the third period and didn’t return. He’s expected to be healthy enough to play today.

San Jose Sharks lines Feb. 15, 2024

While Givani Smith and Henry Thrun are on the trip, they’re not expected to play today. Sharks’ Head Coach David Quinn wants to make 100% sure they’re healthy before they get into the game.

Quinn wants to be careful with Thrun and Smith, both close, but remain on IR: "Just kind of being cautious here. We've got the bodies. When they come in, we want them to be in, and not look back."

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) February 15, 2024

With that in mind, here’s what the Sharks lines will likely look like tonight according to the Daily Faceoff.

Forwards
Anthony Duclair – Mikael Granlund – Fabian Zetterlund
Alexander Barabanov – William Eklund – Luke Kunin
Jacob MacDonald – Nico Sturm – Mike Hoffman
Filip Zadina – Ryan Carpenter – Justin Bailey

Defensemen
Mario Ferraro – Jan Rutta
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Ty Emberson
Kyle Burroughs – Calen Addison

Goaltenders
Mackenzie Blackwood
Kaapo Kahkonen

Calgary Flames lines versus San Jose Sharks

On Calgary’s side of the puck, goaltender Dan Vladar appears to be close to returning after a lower-body injury forced him out of play for more than a week. He could be dressed as a backup today.

Meanwhile, the Flames’ Jakob Pelletier is questionable for today. He left Monday’s game against the New York Rangers after he was hit by Jacob Trouba.

With all that in mind, here’s what we think the lines will look like:

Forwards
Jonathan Huberdeau – Yegor Sharangovich – Andrew Kuzmenko
Connor Zary – Naren Kadri – Martin Pospisil
Andrew Mangiapane – Mikael Backlund – Blake Coleman
Cole Schwindt – Kevin Rooney – Walker Duehr

Defensemen
Noah Hanifin – Chris Tanev
Mackenzie Weegar – Rasmussen Andersson
Oliver Kylington – Brayden Pachal

Goaltenders

Dustin Wolf
Jacob Markstrom

How to watch San Jose Sharks at Calgary Flames

Sharks fans can watch tonight’s game against the Flames on NBCSCA. You can also stream on ESPN+ and Hulu, though blackout restrictions might apply. If all else fails, listen to the game on the Sharks Audio Network app or at sjsharks.com/listen.

Flames fans can watch the game on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.

The puck drops at 6 p.m. PT/7 p.m. MT/9 p.m. ET at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary.

Of course, you can also tune in here to commiserate with other Sharks fans during the game. It’s easier when you’re with friends.