As if coming back from 2-0 down in the Stanley Cup Final wasn’t going to be difficult enough, the Sharks will now have to win a crucial Game 3 without forward Tomas Hertl (undisclosed).
On Friday, Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said Hertl wasn’t practicing because he was taking a maintenance day. Today, DeBoer confirmed that the injury would keep his top line forward out of Game 3.
Melker Karlsson will likely get bumped up to the top line with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski, while veteran Dainius Zubrus takes Hertl’s spot in the lineup.
Tomas Hertl is out for Game 3.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 4, 2016
The Sharks forward took this hit from Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist in the third period on Game 2:
The 22-year-old played 7:22 in the first period and 7:05 in the third frame, but he had just 4:33 of ice time in the middle period. He played just three shifts over the final 10 minutes of Game 2.