Sharks preview: At Chicago

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Head to head: The Sharks have taken two out of the three games to this point, beating the Blackhawks 6-5 in Chicago on Nov. 16 and 3-2 at HP Pavilion 10 days later. The Blackhawks handed the Sharks one of their three regulation home losses, 4-2 on Jan. 31.

Blackhawks update: For most of the season, Chicago has looked like a lock for the No. 4 seed in the West, but that was before a five-game winless streak that ended Sunday with a 4-1 victory over Los Angeles. And now, there's competition with Vancouver for the final home-ice spot in the first-round. RW Kris Versteeg leads all NHL rookies with 49 points and has three of his 20 goals against the Sharks.

Sharks update: Captain Patrick Marleau did not make the trip to Chicago so he could be at home with his wife Christina for the birth of their second child. Marleau is expected to rejoin the team before Thursday night's game in Nashville. With Marleau out of the lineup, Sharks Coach Todd McLellan had rookie LW Jamie McGinn skating on the top line with C Joe Thornton and RW Jonathan Cheechoo.

Blackhawks injuries: D Brent Sopel (undisclosed) is out; D Cam Barker (upper body) and D Matt Walker (upper body) are questionable.

Sharks injuries: C Marcel Goc (lower body), C Torrey Mitchell (broken leg), RW Claude Lemieux (jaw), C Tomas Plihal
(lower body), RW Mike Grier (knee surgery), C Jeremy Roenick (shoulder) and D Kent Huskins (foot surgery), D Rob Blake (lower body) are out.

 

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Roenick likely to return for Sharks today

Jeremy Roenick doesn't hide the fact that he loves returning to play in Chicago, where he started his NHL career 20 years ago.

Now it looks as if he'll get at least one more chance.

The Sharks forward has missed 39 games this season because of two shoulder injuries. But Tuesday all signs indicated he'd be in the lineup for the first time in nearly a month when San Jose faces the Chicago Blackhawks today at the United Center.

"J.R. will be a game-time decision, but he's looking like he's ready to go," Coach Todd McLellan said after practice, where Roenick skated on the third line with Travis Moen and Ryan Vesce.

Roenick sounded more certain.

"The injury is not an issue," he said. "Your body has to be ready and my body is ready."

What about mental preparation?

"Mentally," he said, "I'm dying to get in there."

The Sharks have to be hoping that Roenick is just the first of their nine injured players about to return as the NHL season enters the stretch drive. With 10 games remaining, San Jose is locked in a battle with Detroit for the overall No. 1 seed.

But, McLellan said, the incentive goes beyond that.

"The quicker we can get them back, the more time they have to prepare for the playoffs," the coach said. "It's not easy coming into the intensity of playoff game No. 1."

The Sharks continue to say they expect everyone available for the postseason, but will not set any timetables. Some players,
however, are obviously closer than others.

Claude Lemieux has been practicing for more than a week. Mike Grier took the ice Tuesday for the first time since his Feb. 28 injury and skated with Tomas Plihal and Kent Huskins as everybody else was heading to the airport.

Four other players ? Marcel Goc, Torrey Mitchell, Ryane Clowe and Rob Blake ? aren't skating yet, though McLellan said he expects Blake will be by Friday when the team holds its first practice after returning home from this two-game trip.

For now, though, the focus is on Roenick.

"J.R. has an energy to him. He's going to be excited about playing and he has the ability to help on the power play," said McLellan, pointing out the need to have a right-handed shooter like Roenick available.

But, he added, Roenick doesn't need to worry about taking on too big a load.

"We don't need J.R. to come in and be a savior," McLellan said. "We just need him to come in and be J.R."

Roenick is eager to resume a season in which he missed 28 games after dislocating one shoulder Dec. 28 against Anaheim, then came back in late February to play in five contests before hurting the other shoulder in Montreal on Feb. 28.

"It's been really tough," he said, "but obviously the season we've had has made it a lot easier to cope with. You're not watching a team lose every night."

Still, even though Roenick's scoring has been limited to three goals and 10 points in 33 games, the Sharks have a significantly better record with him in the lineup (26-5-2-0) than without him (22-9-4-4).

Missing all those games, however, has Roenick ? with Joe Thornton's encouragement ? reconsidering his plan to make this season his last.

"Being hurt sucks," Roenick said, "but Jumbo says to me every day, 'You can't count this year as a year. You've got another year in the tank.' "

 

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Marleau will not play Wednesday versus the Blackhawks.

Marleau stayed home for the birth of his son, Brody, who tipped the scales at 7 pounds and 12 ounces.

Patrick Marleau will return to the team for Thursday night's game against Nashville.

Source: San Jose Mercury News