Fourteen days after the team’s last game, the San Jose Sharks return to the ice a little healthier but not as healthy as the team had hoped. While players like Givani Smith, Mikael Granlund, Mario Ferraro and Ty Emberson look healthy enough to return to the lineup, the Sharks added two new players to the injured list just a few days ago. Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl won’t be playing anytime soon. The former just re-aggravated the injury that kept him out most of the season, while the latter had knee surgery and will spend weeks recovering.
Which leaves the Sharks’ lines all mixed up. Losing your top two centers will do that to you.
While it’s hard to remember what happened two weeks ago on Jan. 31, the last time the Sharks played, here’s a quick refresher. The Sharks lost to Anaheim 3-2.
San Jose comes out of the break to play a Winnipeg team that is nowhere near as rusty as it is. The Jets returned to action following the All-Star weekend and have played three games since. The most recent was a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, which snapped a five-game losing streak.
Winnipeg desperately needs a win tonight. While it was once the top team in the Central Division, the string of losses dropped the Jets down in the standings. The Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche now have more points than the Jets, leaving Winnipeg in third place. Luckily for the Jets, the St. Louis Blues are nine points behind them in the standings, but that gap can close quickly if another losing streak starts.
If history is any indication, losing won’t be an issue tonight. This is the final game of this season’s West Side Story series and it’s the rubber match. The Sharks won the first round 2-1 on Dec. 12 in San Jose. The Jets flipped the script on Jan. 4 and won 2-1 in Winnipeg. Using those two games as a guide, the Jets should win this one by a similar 2-1 score since the game’s in Winnipeg.
Mark Scheifele is Winnipeg’s leading scorer with 43 points. Even after missing several weeks due to injury, Kyle Connor remains the team’s leading goal scorer with 19. He could break that 20-goal mark tonight. Who’s in net tonight will probably depend on how desperately the Jets want to win. Connor Hellebuyck backstopped the team in its win in January. Laurent Brossoit was in the net when the Jets lost in December.
San Jose Sharks lines Feb. 14, 2024
With Hertl and Couture out of the lineup, San Jose’s forward groupings look weak. Granlund, who has never truly been a top-line center, will now be asked to fill the role. William Eklund will slot in as the second-line center. The big decision in the forward groupings is who sits. There are two extra forwards with the team in Winnipeg.
On defense, the return of Ferraro should help. It’s questionable whether Henry Thrun is healthy enough to play today. Even if he can’t, there’s also an extra defenseman that will need to sit.
The Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka reports that Kaapo Kahkonen will start in net.
Here’s what we expect the lines to look like.
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
Kaapo Kahkonen
Mackenzie Blackwood
Winnipeg Jets lines versus San Jose Sharks
The Jets will be without defenseman Brenden Dillon, who will serve the final game of his suspension for a hit to the head on the Penguins’ Noel Acciari on Feb. 6.
Brenden Dillon has been suspended for three games for this hit on Noel Acciari.pic.twitter.com/Z7aBfUji3k
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 7, 2024
Other than losing Dillion to suspension, the Jets are healthy. San Jose will see Winnipeg’s full lineup tonight. According to the Daily Faceoff, this is what the lines are expected to look like for the Jets.
Forwards
Kyle Connor – Mark Scheifele – Nikolaj Ehlers
Cole Perfetti – Sean Monahan – Gabriel Vilardi
Nino Niederreiter – Adam Lowry – Mason Appleton
Morgan Barron – Vladislav Namestnikov – Alex Iafallo
Defensemen
Josh Morrissey – Dylan DeMelo
Dylan Samberg – Neal Pionk
Logan Stanley – Nate Schmidt
Goaltenders
Connor Hellebuyck
Laurent Brossoit
How to watch San Jose Sharks at Winnipeg Jets Feb. 14, 2024
San Jose Sharks fans can watch tonight’s game on NBCSCA or listen through the Sharks Audio Network, sjsharks.com/listen. Streaming is also available through ESPN+/Hulu, though blackout restrictions may apply.
For Jets fans, you can watch the game on TSN3 or through the TSN app. You can also listen on the radio at 680 CJOB.
The puck drops at 4:30 p.m. PT/6:30 p.m. CT/7:30 p.m. ET at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg.
You can also join in here to watch the Sharks game with other fans.
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