Tough test: Rookie Sharks goalie to make first NHL start vs. McDavid, Oilers
San Jose Sharks rookie Magnus Chrona will make his first career NHL start against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers at SAP Center.
Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood remained ill and unavailable for a second straight night Thursday and the San Jose Sharks will have rookie Magnus Chrona make his first career NHL start against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers at SAP Center.
Blackwood, 27, flew to Los Angeles with the Sharks on Wednesday morning but felt ill, didn’t take part in the team’s morning skate, and was a scratch for San Jose’s 5-1 loss to the Kings.
Chrona, 23, was recalled from the Barracuda and backed up Kaapo Kahkonen, who stopped 37 of 42 shots in what became the Sharks’ sixth straight defeat.
Blackwood’s last game came on Saturday as he stopped 19 of 25 shots in a 7-4 Sharks loss to the Vancouver Canucks. For the season, Blackwood, in 23 games, is 4-14-2 with a .889 save percentage.
It wasn’t immediately clear when Blackwood would be available to play again. The next game for the Sharks (9-23-3) is Sunday in Denver against the Colorado Avalanche.
Chrona, a first-year professional, made his NHL debut under trying circumstances on Nov. 4 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. After Blackwood allowed six goals on 18 shots, Chrona came on in relief midway through the second period and gave up four goals on 17 shots in what became a 10-2 Sharks loss.
Thursday, Chrona will face an Oilers team that has won 10 of its last 13 games to vault itself back into postseason contention. After a modest month of October, McDavid has 35 points in his last 23 games as Edmonton (15-15-1) entered Thursday seven points out of a playoff spot.
Chrona, a fifth-round draft pick by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2018 and a four-year standout at the University of Denver, was acquired by the Sharks in April 2021 for defenseman Fredrik Claesson.
In 11 games with the Barracuda this season, Chrona, who won an NCAA title with the Pioneers in 2022, is 3-6-2 with a .900 save percentage.
TRANSACTION: The Sharks placed winger Givani Smith on injured reserve Thursday, creating a roster spot for center Ryan Carpenter, who was activated off IR.
Smith hasn’t played since he was injured Dec. 21 by a hit from Arizona Coyotes defenseman Matt Dumba. Carpenter has been on IR since Dec. 4, a day after he was hurt in the third period in the Sharks’ game against the New York Rangers.