Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic will start his third straight game, and defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin will play for the first time in 10 days as the San Jose Sharks face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday at Scotiabank Arena.
Nedeljkovic started for the Sharks against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday when Yaroslav Askarov came down with an illness and was unable to play. Nedeljkovic stopped 26 of 29 shots as the Sharks lost 4-1.
Askarov flew from Philadelphia to Toronto on Wednesday and will back up Nedeljkovic as the Sharks look to avoid their fourth loss in five games. Nedeljkovic is 4-6-2 this season with a .899 save percentage.
Askarov could start on Sunday when the Sharks play the Pittsburgh Penguins to finish their challenging five-game road trip.
Mukhamadullin hasn’t played since Dec. 1 when the Sharks beat the Utah Mammoth 6-3. He was close to playing on Tuesday, with Timothy Liljegren dealing with a lower-body injury, but was scratched again as Liljegren played and had 18:30 of ice time.
Mukhamadullin, who was paired with Mario Ferraro in Wednesday’s practice, has a goal and four assists in 14 games this season, and has averaged 16:29 in ice time in primarily a second or third defense pair role.
THRUN MAKES LEAFS DEBUT
Former Sharks defenseman Henry Thrun, who will be making his Maple Leafs debut Thursday, was asked if he was looking to prove anything against his former team.
“I mean, you always do right,” Thrun told reporters Thursday. “It’s a league where you’re trying to prove yourself every night. I’m more just worried about myself and playing my game.”
The Sharks traded Thrun to the Maple Leafs in July for tough guy forward Ryan Reaves. While Reaves has fit right into the Sharks’ lineup and has nearly played every game this season when he’s been healthy, Thrun was placed on waivers in October before the start of the regular season.
After he cleared waivers, Thrun was assigned to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, where he had nine points in 19 games. Thrun was recalled on Wednesday as the Leafs deal with injuries to defensemen Brandon Carlo, Chris Tanev, and Dakota Mermis.
“It’s super exciting, obviously,” Thrun said of his return to the NHL. “Toronto is the biggest hockey market in the world, so to be able to get a chance to represent the NHL team here is pretty special.”
REAVES’ RETURN
Reaves met with a throng of reporters on Thursday and was asked about his unceremonious departure from the Leafs in July.
“They basically said that I couldn’t play in this league anymore,” Reaves said at Scotiabank Arena. “And I’m back.”
In the second year of a three-year, $4.05 million contract, Reaves was healthy scratched 15 times in the Leafs’ first 42 games last season. He ended up only playing in 35 of 62 games before he was placed on waivers in March and assigned to the AHL, where he hadn’t played since 2011.
“I think throughout the year, not just that situation, I think there were other situations that could have been handled differently,” Reaves said. “At the time, I had been in the league for 15 years, and just a little honesty and communication would have been nice. But like I said, every team handles things differently.
“It is what it is. I ended up in a great organization in San Jose, and I’m having a great time playing there. I guess (Toronto) was a stepping stone to get here.”
Reaves, now in his 16th season, said he didn’t hold any grudges against the Leafs.
“It’s another game. I played on seven teams. Almost every barn is like that,” Reaves said. “I mean, it’s always fun playing against your buddies, and you never want to lose against them, so they’re always a little more special for you. But I’ve done it many times.
“I enjoyed my time here. It was a great experience. The guys I met on this team will hopefully be friends forever, and I’ve met some really good people on this team and in the city.”
Leafs coach Craig Berube held the same role as Reaves during his own 17-year career, which spanned five teams.
“I’ve known Reavo for a long time,” Berube said. “I think Reavo’s had a great career, in terms of what he does and his role as a player. Things happen; that’s just the way the game goes. You get a little older, get towards the end of your career. I went through it; I totally understand where he’s at and what he thinks. It’s all good, I love Reavo.”
