Preview/Lines #31: Kovalenko Might Play, Will Smith on IR (But On the Ice), Belief in Vanecek, Another Game-Time Decision

RALEIGH, N.C. — Here’s why you watch morning skate.

Will Smith didn’t start morning skate with the San Jose Sharks, but he jumped on late, though he didn’t participate in line rushes.

“Still day-to-day. Step in the right direction,” head coach Ryan Warsofsky said of his upper-body injury. “We’ll see how he is in St. Louis.”

Also, late in the skate, during power play practice, Klim Kostin was struck with a shot, it appeared, in the left ankle or foot region. He left the ice in pain and was limping afterwards.

Warsofsky called him a game-time decision.

This would be tough luck for Kostin, if he can’t play tonight. He’s been building momentum with his game this season and was promoted to the top power play unit, and to play with Macklin Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli (which was the Sharks’ design on the first day of training camp) during Monday’s practice.

San Jose Sharks (10-15-5)

Ryan Warsofsky confirmed that Vitek Vanecek will start and Alexandar Georgiev (who will wear No. 40) will back up.

“I think he’s got to get his confidence back. When a player is struggling, you got to dig your way out of that,” Warsofsky said of the struggling Vanecek, who’s given up five goals in each of his last two starts. “We still have a ton of belief in this goaltender. He’s won a lot of hockey games in the National Hockey League, and we got to be there to help him and support him and get him through these tough times.”

He added: “At the end of the day, we have to be better for our goaltenders defensively, and that’s been the big message.”

Both Georgiev and Nikolai Kovalenko (who will wear No. 15) missed morning skate, landing shortly thereafter.

Warsofsky also said that Barclay Goodrow will be back in the line-up. Goodrow is on IR, so the Sharks will have to make a move with their 23-man roster, which they did by putting Smith on IR.

Smith was injured during the Dec. 5 game versus the Tampa Bay Lightning. IR means he’s out for at least a full week, starting on the day after the injury. So Smith is automatically out from Dec. 6 to Dec. 12, ruling him out for the Dec. 12 game at St. Louis.

Goodrow, who played with Georgiev with the New York Rangers, said of the Sharks’ new goaltender: “He’s a good goalie. I was only with him for a year, so didn’t I get to know him that well. I think we’re excited to have him.”

Lines this morning looked the same as yesterday’s practice, but Warsofsky said that Kovalenko is both a 5-on-5 and power play option tonight.

So these lines may not mean anything, especially with Klim Kostin being a game-time decision and the Kovalenko possibility:

Eklund-Granlund-Zetterlund
Kostin-Celebrini-Toffoli
Kunin-Wennberg-Goodrow
Dellandrea-Sturm-Grundstrom

Walman-Ceci
Ferraro-Liljegren
Thrun-Rutta

Carolina Hurricanes (17-9-1)

All the usual suspects on the ice. Kochetkov in the starter's crease.

Line rushes:
24-20-88
37-11-48
50-18-53
28-82-96

— Cory Lavalette (@corylav) December 10, 2024

Where To Watch

Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and Carolina Hurricanes is 4 PM PT at Lenovo Center. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.