San Jose Sharks
Preview/Lines #51: What Did Sharks Need During Epic Collapse? Askarov Starts, Sturm/Kostin Injury Updates

What did the San Jose Sharks need during Tuesday’s collapse?
The Sharks had a 5-1 lead midway through the game, and a 5-3 lead going into the third period, but lost 7-5.
It was the greatest comeback in Nashville Predators history.
Head coach Ryan Warsofsky offered these thoughts on Thursday, in something of a post-mortem: “We need a line to give us a shift and take some pressure away at times.
“You see teams that are really good in this league, and they get under siege. I watched games last night, the Florida and LA game. The Washington-Edmonton game. Washington’s under siege. But then they get a shift, and it can take some pressure away.
“We don’t get that shift right now. Right now, it’s right back at us on our heels. We need some guys to step up in some situations and realize what’s going on and go make a play. It can be the littlest thing. It can be just forechecking a puck, having an O-zone shift, and nothing might happen. It could be a hit.”
Warsofsky has spoken a lot about the Sharks just flipping pucks out under pressure, but of course, he knows it’s not that simple. San Jose is flipping pucks out, because when they try to make plays, it’s not there, whether because of the opposition’s forecheck on top of them or lack of execution or something else.
There’s a delicate balance between trying to make plays and forcing plays. Because the Sharks were doing that during their collapse on Tuesday too.
For what it’s worth, not speaking for Warsofsky, but I read all this as simply the Sharks need better players. That’ll happen in time, but I know patience is thin after one of the worst collapses in San Jose history on Tuesday.
San Jose Sharks (14-30-6)
Yaroslav Askarov will start.
Tyler Toffoli will return to the line-up after a three-game absence with a lower-body injury.
#SJSharks morning skate lines, looks like Toffoli back in:
Zetterlund-Granlund-Smith
Eklund-Celebrini-Toffoli
Kovalenko-Wennberg-Duehr
Goodrow-Kunin-Dellandrea— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 23, 2025
Vlasic was out late, so #SJSharks pairings tonight should be:
Walman-Ceci
Ferraro-Liljegren
Thrun-Rutta— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 23, 2025
Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Carl Grundstrom, and Collin Graf appear to be out.
Warsofsky says that both Nico Sturm and Klim Kostin have week-to-week lower-body injuries.
Sturm was a late scratch against the Predators on Tuesday, and was seen post-game with a small boot on his right foot.
Nashville Predators (17-22-7)
Preds morning skate lines in San Jose:
Forsberg-Stamkos-Marchessault
Nyquist-O’Reilly-Hinostroza
Novak-Svechkov-L’Heureux
Smith-McCarron-SissonsJosi-Barron
Skjei-Blankenburg
Wilsby-SchennSame lineup as last game @1025TheGame
— Max Herz (@MaxHerzTalks) January 23, 2025
Where To Watch
Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators is 7:30 PM PT at SAP Center. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.