SAN JOSE – The Sharks’ lineup for Tuesday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins isn’t set in stone yet. But things are definitely looking positive for Joonas Donskoi.
The Finnish forward was sidelined in the first frame of the Sharks' contest on Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators after he appeared to get elbowed in the head. Donskoi tried to return to the game but was taken out when he didn’t feel well after taking a couple spins.
Donskoi participated in Monday morning’s optional skate, staying out on the ice for almost the full hour.
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“I feel pretty good,” Donskoi said afterward. “Nothing too serious, so that’s good.”
“It is a good sign,” Sharks’ head coach Peter DeBoer agreed. “I think in his mind he feels good. So this is one of the steps in coming back.”
DeBoer added it wasn’t a certainty, though, that Donskoi would be ready for game action the following evening.
“Whether he’ll be available tomorrow night, I don’t know yet,” DeBoer said.
San Jose Sharks
San Jose, no doubt, wants Donskoi healthy and in the lineup against Sidney Crosby and the Pens. The 26-year-old forward has scored five goals in six game played in the month of January and has registered 11 points (9 goals, two assists) since breaking through a month-long scoring drought on Dec. 20 against the Winnipeg Jets.
Donskoi has been a visible force to be reckoned with since being placed on a line with Tomas Hertl and Evander Kane, with the trio registering 16 total points for the Sharks over the last five contests. It’s a combination San Jose would like to have against Pittsburgh, who’s averaging just a few more goals per game than San Jose.
Nevertheless, Donskoi is happy he was healthy enough to take the ice for Monday’s practice.
“That was my main goal coming into the season, staying healthy,” Donskoi said. “Always scary and stressful when you have to leave the game. But it looks pretty good now.”