Sharks played without Timo Meier on Monday. It went better than expected

SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks received a peek at what their lineup appears like with out Timo Meier — and Tomas Hertl, for that matter — on Monday as they continued a season-long homestand.

It wasn’t the prettiest endeavor, at the least for the primary half-hour, because the Sharks managed simply six photographs and a few high-danger possibilities.

However Logan Couture, Evgeny Svechnikov, and Noah Gregor all scored within the last 9:15 of the second, and goalie James Reimer earned his second shutout this season in a 4-0 win over the Seattle Kraken earlier than an introduced matinee crowd of 13,445 at SAP Middle.

Mikey Eyssimont scored an empty internet purpose to spherical out the scoring for San Jose.

Reimer, making his first begin since Jan. 27, completed with 26 saves because the Sharks snapped a three-game dropping streak and improved to 6-14-7 on dwelling ice this season.

Seattle is definitely the one crew the Sharks face on the remainder of the homestand that’s truly in a playoff place. San Jose additionally hosts Nashville, Chicago, Montreal, St. Louis and Washington over the subsequent 12 days.

Monday, the Sharks silenced a Kraken crew that had solely been shutout two different instances this season and entered the sport because the fourth-highest-scoring group within the NHL.

Monday’s recreation marked the primary time since March 8, 2021, that the Sharks had performed with out each Meier and Hertl. Meier had performed in all 57 Sharks video games this season.

Meier is taken into account day-to-day with an upper-body harm however needs to be accessible when the Sharks host the Predators on Thursday, coach David Quinn stated earlier than the sport. Hertl missed the sport for private causes, Quinn stated, however was not anticipated to be out previous Monday.

Meier has clearly been a focus across the NHL, as he’s broadly thought-about the perfect participant accessible previous to the March 3 commerce deadline. Groups that look like probably the most taken with Meier, a pending restricted free agent, embrace the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes.

“We haven’t bubble-wrapped anyone,” Quinn stated. “Not up to now.”

Quinn stated Meier was injured within the second interval of the Sharks’ recreation with the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday. Meier was in a position to end the sport, however began to really feel worse in a single day and didn’t follow Sunday.

Meier was at SAP Middle on Monday however left the sector roughly two hours earlier than the sport’s 1 p.m. begin.

Meier and Hertl lead the Sharks’ ahead group with 52 and 47 factors, respectively. With out them, Hertl, particularly, the Sharks on Monday recalled winger Martin Kaut from the San Jose Barracuda.

Kaut has one purpose and 5 assists with the Barracuda, the Sharks’ AHL affiliate, since he and defenseman Jacob MacDonald was acquired from Colorado on Jan. 25 as a part of a commerce that despatched Matt Nieto and Ryan Merkley to the Avalanche.

Kaut had a purpose and an help in 27 video games with the Avalanche this season. He has six factors and three objectives in 47 profession NHL contests.

“He’s performed effectively down there. We have been excited to get him after we acquired him,” Quinn stated of Kaut. “He’s received numerous expertise. Generally in conditions — Colorado’s received a great, deep ahead group and it’s a troublesome lineup to crack. The trail to the NHL is tough for some gamers due to the conditions they’re in — to the fault of no one — and positively he’s going to have a chance right here.”