Dellandrea Chosen Over Gaudette: How Sharks Rest Celebrini?
Ty Dellandrea returns to the San Jose lineup Monday. He missed more than two months after tearing his right PCL on Jan. 6.
Return and roster move
Dellandrea made his first appearance since the injury on April 1 against Anaheim. Monday will be his second game back.
He is expected to slot onto the fourth line alongside center Zack Ostapchuk and winger Barclay Goodrow. The move means Adam Gaudette will be out of the lineup.
Reasons behind the choice
Head coach Ryan Warsofsky cited Dellandrea’s ability to win draws. He also pointed to Dellandrea’s penalty-kill experience and high pace.
Gaudette has three goals in his past seven games. Still, the coaching staff prioritized face-offs and defensive coverage for this matchup.
Philipp Kurashev last played March 21, and Pavol Regenda last appeared March 24. Both have provided significant minutes this season.
Lines, pairing and goalie
San Jose’s projected forward group for the game is listed below.
- Graf – Celebrini – Smith
- Eklund – Wennberg – Sherwood
- Chernyshov – Misa – Toffoli
- Goodrow – Ostapchuk – Dellandrea
Defense pairs are Orlov-Desharnais, Mukhamadullin-Ferraro, and Dickinson-Leddy. Alex Nedeljkovic will get the start in goal.
The Sharks enter the game with a 36-32-7 record.
Celebrini maintenance day
Macklin Celebrini took a planned maintenance day at morning skate. The club has managed his minutes this way since the Olympics.
Warsofsky said Celebrini resisted the early restrictions but has adapted. This shows how Sharks rest Celebrini while keeping him available for games.
Opposition and broadcast details
The visiting Chicago Blackhawks are 28-35-14. Spencer Knight is scheduled to start in net for Chicago.
Marcus Burakovsky, Ryan Lafferty and Ryan Toninato are expected to be scratches.
Puck drop is at 7:00 PM PT at SAP Center. Watch on NBC Sports California or listen on the Sharks Audio Network.
For ongoing coverage and updates, follow Filmogaz.com.
