Defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic all the time attracts a crowd of reporters contained in the visiting locker room at Bell Centre every time San Jose Sharks make their annual go to to Montreal to play the Canadiens, and this 12 months was no totally different.
The subject cette fois? Vlasic’s quite a few wholesome scratches.
Since lacking the primary 40 video games of the season for harm and conditioning causes, Vlasic has performed in simply eight of the Sharks’ final 19 video games and is averaging 15:05 in ice time. Now in his nineteenth NHL season, and with 1,304 video games to his credit score, Vlasic’s function with the Sharks — in the mean time — is as their sixth or seventh defenseman.
Requested by reporters about being out and in of the lineup, Vlasic stated, “It’s not up to me to decide, but when I played, I did well. Obviously, we’re rebuilding, but it’s not my decision. You’d have to ask the coach.”
Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky stated Vlasic will play in his second consecutive sport Thursday in Montreal. San Jose is trying to snap a six-game street dropping streak.
“We’re a younger team; we’ve got some younger defensemen that we want to see what they can do,” Warsofsky stated when requested about Vlasic, a Montreal native. “I thought (Vlasic) came in (Monday) and gave us some really good minutes.”
Getting into the lineup for an injured Timothy Liljegren, Vlasic had over 17 minutes of ice time and was credited with 4 blocks within the Sharks’ 2-1 additional time loss to the Winnipeg Jets.
The sport was Vlasic’s first since Jan. 30, as he was scratched for 3 straight video games in early February and once more on Sunday in Calgary, which grew to become a 3-2 Sharks loss of their first sport following the completion of the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Vlasic missed coaching camp and the primary half of the common season with an upper-body harm. As he labored his manner again, and with Warsofsky saying the veteran wanted time to enhance his conditioning, Vlasic was thought-about a non-roster participant.
Vlasic’s first two video games got here on Jan. 2 and 4 at house in opposition to Tampa Bay and New Jersey. Vlasic averaged 12:20 in ice time because the Sharks received each video games, however he was taken out in favor of Shakir Mukhamadullin for ensuing video games in opposition to Vegas and Utah. Mukhamadullin and Vlasic have been scratched on Jan. 11 when Jake Walman returned to the lineup after lacking eight video games with an harm.
Vlasic is inspired by how the Sharks performed to start out their street journey.
“Against the Jets and the Flames, we had two good games,” Vlasic stated. “In addition, against the Jets, we arrived at 3 a.m. and it was our second game in two days while they were rested. It’s positive not to get down 8-2 or 8-3 in every game. We have to continue in this direction for the last few games.”
Initially Printed: February 26, 2025 at 8:10 PM PST
