Preview/Lines #2: Sharks Happy To Be on Road Again

MONTREAL – Hey, the San Jose Sharks are still playing a game tonight.

Lost in the Evander Kane fallout, San Jose is actually on their first “normal” hockey road trip since March 2020. Of course, the Sharks took road trips last year, but because of COVID restrictions, there wasn’t a lot of interaction between players and they didn’t go very far.

Of course, the Kane suspension is front and center. So much so, we forgot to confirm lines with San Jose Sharks head coach Bob Boughner this morning – we’re going off line rushes and Adin Hill getting off the ice first.

The San Jose Sharks, naturally, were happy to talk about anything except Kane.

What Aren’t We Hearing From Sharks About Kane?

Logan Couture, for example, lit up when I asked about having the fans back at Saturday’s home opener at SAP Center.

“I was pleasantly surprised in that game in San Jose. Didn’t know what to expect going in fan-wise. But they were loud, the arena was full. It was a lot of fun play hockey,” Couture said after morning skate. “Last year was so difficult with half-full to nearly-empty arenas all season. It brought back that good feeling.

“Tonight will be similar, probably full building, looking forward to it.”

Normalcy, hopefully, is returning for the San Jose Sharks.

“[It’s] just like little things,” Boughner offered. “Getting off the bus last night and guys being able to go out in their groups. Being able to eat and go to local establishments and things like that.”

He recounted: “We had none of that [last year]. You went to your hotel, you picked up your Uber Eats or whatever, you went to your room, and no one saw each other until the next day.”

The San Jose Sharks are happy to be back in the thick of things. A raucous, fun season opener at home, then right into a five-game road trip through Canada, Boston, and Nashville.

“It’s important for team bonding,” Boughner said. “This is what makes teams tight. Being on the road and being able to battle together. I think that’s going to be really important for us.”

San Jose Sharks

No projected changes for the #SJSharks as they start their 5 game road trip against the #GoHabsGo.

We previewed the game and how the Sharks should be able to take advantage of a Habs team that hasn't found its footing yet.

📺https://t.co/JlgOd7Zfzk
🎧https://t.co/wmyWBR90aU pic.twitter.com/rwWHlKah4i

— The Content Boyz (@LockedOnSharks) October 19, 2021

Montreal Canadiens

Per NHL.com:

Tyler Toffoli — Nick Suzuki — Cole Caufield
Jonathan Drouin — Christian Dvorak — Josh Anderson
Mike Hoffman — Adam Brooks — Brendan Gallagher
Artturi Lehkonen — Cedric Paquette — Joel Armia

Alexander Romanov — Jeff Petry
Ben Chiarot — David Savard
Brett Kulak — Chris Wideman

Jake Allen

Where to Watch

Puck drop against Montreal is 4:00 PM PT at Bell Center. Watch it live on NBC Sports Bay Area, TSN2, RDS, and ESPN+. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.