Preview/Lines #48: What Does Nico Sturm Have in Common With Boston Bruins?

What does Nico Sturm have in common with the Boston Bruins?

“Every shift, you get that physical and mental effort. That’s what you want,” San Jose Sharks head coach David Quinn said of Sturm this morning. “To me, it’s what makes the Bruins the team they are. There’s a variety of reasons why they’re as good as they are, and they have the record they have, but more than anything, they play true team hockey, and there’s a consistent effort from what they do, and that’s been happening for a long time in their organization.”

Translation: Sturm is a winner. And he’s won, hoisting the Stanley Cup for the Colorado Avalanche last season. Which are among the reasons why the Sharks inked the 27-year-old UFA centerman to a three-year, $6 million dollar pact during the off-season.

Sturm had repaid GM Mike Grier in kind, leading the way with his compete and surprising scoring touch. The 6-foot-3 German has 11 goals in 39 games, matching his 2020-21 career high set in 50 games.

Suffice to say, long-term, the Sharks want more Sturm-like compete in their line-up.

“You get an honest effort out of him every night. That’s really all you can ask for from a player. He’s given us an awful lot from an energy standpoint,” Quinn said. “He’s very diligent about his preparation. He’s in world-class shape. There’s a high level of commitment from him. That’s what we want to build off of here.”

San Jose Sharks (14-24-9)

#SJSharks lines, Reimer starts, only other change is Cicek in for Benning. Ferraro up with Vlasic pic.twitter.com/gVj6EMzNHU

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 23, 2023

Boston Bruins (36-5-4)

The lineup looks like this. pic.twitter.com/5hRJfPc2QD

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) January 22, 2023

Where to Watch

The San Jose Sharks will take on Boston Bruins at 4 PM PST at TD Garden. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.