Preview/Lines #38: Ferraro Thankful To Be Back After Big MacKinnon Hit

Mario Ferraro will be ready to go for the San Jose Sharks after a bit of a scare on Sunday.

The 25-year-old defenseman missed most of San Jose’s New Year’s Eve clash with the Colorado Avalanche after taking a hard hit from Nathan MacKinnon.

“I feel a little bit sore, but I feel good now,” Ferraro said.

MacKinnon collided with Ferraro’s midsection at full force, which caused Ferraro to leave the game favoring his upper body.

“My ribs just got banged up and I was in a lot of pain right when I took that hit,” Ferraro said. “I just got X-Rays and stuff just to make sure. Obviously, with your ribs, you’ve got your lungs and stuff, so I was too sore to come back and then you also have to make sure that there’s nothing affecting the lungs.

”Thankfully not.”

Ferraro did not have much time to react to the hit.

He had just intercepted a pass intended for MacKinnon when the 6-foot, 200-pound center came barreling at him in pursuit of the puck.

And Ferraro took the full brunt of it.

“He’s a big boy, that’s for sure,” Ferraro joked.

Doctor’s Take: Ferraro Leaves Game With Upper-Body Injury

SAN JOSE SHARKS (9-25-3)

Okhotiuk out, Burroughs in.

Smith upgraded to day-to-day.

Quinn thinks Blackwood, who is still getting back to speed after his illness, should be available to start Thursday

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 2, 2024

#SJSharks lines at morning skate, looks like Ferraro is in, would guess not with Couture:

Eklund-Hertl-Duclair
Zetterlund-Granlund-Hoffman
Barabanov-Studnicka-Kunin
Zadina-Carpenter-Bailey
Smith-Couture-Labanc

Ferraro-Emberson
Thrun-Rutta
Addison-Burroughs
Okhotiuk-Vlasic

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 2, 2024

DETROIT RED WINGS (17-6-4)

West Coast Generally Unkind to Red Wings

WHERE TO WATCH

Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings is 7:30 PM PT at SAP Center. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.