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Preview/Lines #47: Vlasic To Play 1,300th Game, Kovalenko & Kostin Injury Updates

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Credit: Dean Tait/Sport Shots

Marc-Edouard Vlasic is still working on his craft.



Vlasic will play his 1,300th game, all with the San Jose Sharks, on Thursday. The 37-year-old is just the second defenseman in NHL history, after Niklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings, to suit up for that many games with just one team on his resume.

Vlasic missed training camp with an upper-body injury, and didn’t appear in his first game until Jan. 2.

But Vlasic hasn’t been resting on his laurels, according to head coach Ryan Warsofsky.

“He worked really hard to improve his game, as well as get in shape and [good] conditioning, to get ready to play hockey. For a 37-year-old to continue to work on his game, after having the injury,” Warsofsky said. “The biggest thing he’s worked on is his puck play…He’s worked on it a lot with [assistant coach Doug Houda] while he was hurt. It wasn’t just a bag skate.”

Warsofsky has noticed the gains.

“He’s really improved from last year,” Warsofsky said of Vlasic, who has contributed two assists in his three appearances. “He’s efficient with the puck. He’s executing more heads up, making plays. He’s just more confident.”

The Sharks have won all three games that Vlasic has played in this season.

“I put myself through a grind the last four months, but it’s all worth it. I love playing the game. I love practicing,” Marc-Edouard Vlasic told San Jose Hockey Now two weeks ago. “I’m still having as much fun as I did my first year.”

“He’s an ultimate teammate,” Warsofsky said. “He’s been really good on our bench throughout the game and a calming influence for the defensemen, the young guys. He knows how to play the position at an extremely high level.”

San Jose Sharks (14-26-6)

Alexandar Georgiev will start.

Warsofsky says it’s the same lines and pairings as last game too, so we’re looking at:

Graf-Granlund-Zetterlund
Eklund-Celebrini-Toffoli
Kunin-Wennberg-Smith
Goodrow-Sturm-Dellandrea

Walman-Ceci
Liljegren-Ferraro
Vlasic-Rutta

Georgiev

Warsofsky also gave updates on wingers Nikolai Kovalenko and Klim Kostin, both still in San Jose:

Columbus Blue Jackets (21-17-6)

Where To Watch

Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets is 4 PM PT at Nationwide Arena. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.

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