Playoff Watch/Lines #42: Kane, Boughner on Yesterday’s Team Meeting

The sixth-seeded San Jose Sharks remain four points behind fourth-place St. Louis for the final playoff spot in the West. San Jose is three points behind fifth-place Arizona. This morning, the Coyotes lost 5-2 to the Wild; the Blues host the Avalanche today.

San Jose Sharks (18-19-4)

Some major changes for the #SJSharks as Josef Kořenář make his first NHL start!

Gregor, Händemark and Meloche all draw in as well.

Follow along—>https://t.co/wmyWBR90aU pic.twitter.com/4Fxw0LymZ5

— Locked on Karlsson's Apple (@LockedOnSharks) April 14, 2021

Anaheim Ducks (13-23-7)

This was how the Ducks lined up in Monday’s victory over the Sharks. I’d expect John Gibson to start tonight:

Stolie gets the start with Gibson taking the night off because of back-to-back games. Getzlaf is out with a minor back injury and is day-to-day with hopes of playing Wednesday.#FlyTogether | @7UP pic.twitter.com/ltXyw88YKR

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) April 13, 2021

Where to Watch

Puck drop is 7:30 PM PT at SAP Center. Watch it on NBC Sports California, Bally Sports So Cal, or NHL.tv.

Morning Skate

Bob Boughner and Evander Kane touched more on the San Jose Sharks team meeting yesterday.

Bob Boughner, on the importance to staying positive for the rest of the reason, no matter the results:

I think one of the biggest things that we’ve worked on all year is our culture and being tight as a team. When you go through adversity, like we’re going through here in the last week and a half, you just start seeing little signs of things slipping a little bit, and some cracks, a couple cracks in the foundation. That’s when you have to nip it in the bud. That’s what we’re doing.

For the most part, it’s been real solid. But hey, it’s a lot of work. It’s daily. That’s where we’re getting back to. It starts with your attitude, it starts with your mentality when you come to the rink every day. If you’re feeling sorry for yourself, instantly for me that makes you feel fatigued or tired or your energy’s down. We can’t afford that. No one else is feeling sorry for us, we got to get back up and dust ourselves off here, just win a hockey game at home.

You got to be happy when you walk in these doors, you got to be excited to get to work everyday. Sometimes, when you’re in a losing streak, you have a little adversity, it’s easy to get shaken out and put on the other side of that.

Evander Kane, on yesterday’s meeting:

We had a good meeting yesterday, I think it was positive. We’ve done a good job for the majority of the year in creating a good environment in the room. And I think we saw it start to really translate onto the ice probably about four weeks ago. Just wanted to remind ourselves of that, make sure that keeps going tight, and at the same time, understand the seriousness of what it takes to win at this level, and the work that has to get put in on the ice.

These type of opportunities aren’t easy to come by, being in a playoff hunt late in the year, being in a race, and not to squander that opportunity and use excuses that we’re too young of a team or we were on the road for 40 days to start the season. Those are things that we couldn’t control that are in the past. We need to use that adversity to our advantage, and hopefully, it makes us hungrier down the stretch here to hopefully squeak into the playoffs.

Kane, on if it was the right time for such a meeting:

I think when things aren’t going your way, you’re gonna get frustrated. Whatever body language that may be or whatever you might be able to sense or not, it’s because guys care and guys want to be better and guys want to win. I’d rather have emotion than no emotion.

In saying that, I think it was a good time to have a chat and reset, especially after that game [versus] Anaheim.

Around the NHL

The hits keep coming for Buffalo and Dallas: Jack Eichel is done for the season, as are Ben Bishop and Alexander Radulov. Meanwhile, in Vancouver…

JT Miller thinks the Canucks are being rushed back after COVID outbreak. “What we're being asked to do is not too safe."

I also talked to a player last night who told me though he is cleared, he is still experiencing some after effects, like brain fog. https://t.co/b2J6wf33m1

— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) April 14, 2021

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