Preview/Lines #23: Sturm Doesn’t Think Carpenter Hit Was Dirty

Nico Sturm feels the hit from Ryan Carpenter wasn’t dirty.

The 27-year-old center felt there was an unfortunate sequence of events that led to his injury last Thursday night. “It’s an uncomfortable position to be in if you’re a lefty and you have to pick up the puck on the right side of the boards,” said Sturm. “Because you have to turn your whole body in order to pick up the part from what’s right.

“I didn’t even think it was like a malicious hit or anything. It just it’s tough to protect yourself in that situation.”

Different angles of #NYR Carpenter’s hit on #SJSharks Nico Sturm. pic.twitter.com/8hNN9fTALe

— TEAL TOWN USA – A San Jose Sharks Podcast (@TEALTOWNUSA) November 20, 2022

Carpenter even reached out to Sturm afterwards, but the San Jose Sharks forward reiterated his thoughts on the play: “It wasn’t malicious intent or anything, it’s just unfortunate.”

The San Jose Sharks have been on the receiving end of some questionable head shots recently. In addition to Sturm, Nick Cicek fought Mark Kastelic after receiving a hit to the head and Radim Simek was sidelined with an upper-body injury after being hit high by Mason Shaw.

Sturm, however, does not feel that the team is going unprotected by the Department of Player Safety. “I don’t think I would go that far. I would hope not…I don’t think that these guys maliciously tried to go for head contact,” he said. “It’s just such a fast-paced game and I do think the league’s really going in the right direction where guys just make better reads.”

The San Jose Sharks placed Sturm on IR retroactive to their contest against the New York Rangers, meaning his first chance to return should be Sunday against the Canucks. Head coach David Quinn feels optimistic about that potential return to the line-up: “He’s certainly trending in the right direction.”

SAN JOSE SHARKS (7-12-3)

Quinn confirms that Simek is in for Cicek, Gadjovich has an illness so he's game-time, Svechnikov would slide in for him. Reimer starts

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 25, 2022

LOS ANGELES KINGS (11-9-2)

Projected lines, per LA Hockey Now:

Adrian Kempe-Anze Kopitar-Kevin Fiala
Trevor Moore-Phil Danault-Viktor Arvidsson
Carl Grundstrom-Blake Lizotte-Gabe Vilardi
Jaret Anderson-Dolan-Rasmus Kupari-Arthur Kaliyev

Mikey Anderson-Drew Doughty
Sean Durzi-Matt Roy
Alex Edler-Sean Walker

Jonathan Quick
Cal Petersen

WHERE TO WATCH

The San Jose Sharks will take on the Los Angeles Kings at 7:30 PM PST at SAP Center. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.