SAN JOSE — The San Jose Sharks are set to face the Calgary Flames on Saturday, with goalie Alex Nedeljkovic looking to extend his winning streak to six games. Nedeljkovic has posted an impressive .931 save percentage during this stretch, and his recent success can be attributed to a positive mental approach.
“Just trying to have the right attitude, the right mindset,” Nedeljkovic stated on Sunday before the team embarked on a five-game road trip. “I feel like I’ve had it at times throughout the year. At times it’s maybe… trying to do too much. So, I think I’m in a good spot right now.”
Nedeljkovic has transformed his performance after a rocky start to the season. He had only won three of his first ten games but now enters Saturday’s matchup with a record of 10-8-2 and an .899 save percentage.
The Sharks (27-21-4) are looking to bounce back from a tough 4-3 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. In that game, starting goalie Yaroslav Askarov stopped 20 shots in the first two periods as the Sharks built a 3-0 lead. However, a determined Oilers team, led by stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, managed to turn the tide in the third period.
After Draisaitl’s goal early in the third, the Sharks struggled to regain their momentum, managing only two shots on goal in the final frame. McDavid and Evan Bouchard scored in the closing minutes, while Zach Hyman sealed the win for Edmonton in overtime, leading to one of the Sharks’ most disappointing losses of the season.
“
I think our 6-on-5 was not good enough and that’s something that we’ll look at,
” said Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky. “There were moments in the third where we needed to continue to make plays and push forward and we didn’t do enough of that.”
Despite the setback, the Sharks remain strong contenders. They are currently tied with the Utah Mammoth for the best points percentage (.700) among Western Conference teams since the Christmas break. With ten wins in their last 15 games, they are just outside of a playoff spot and only one point behind the Seattle Kraken for third place in the Pacific Division.
Nedeljkovic attributes part of his success to the team’s solid performance in front of him. “(Guys have been) playing really well in front of me too, so that obviously helps a lot,” he noted. “It can get you into a rhythm a little bit sooner and be a little bit better. I think we’re clicking all around.”
Roster Changes Ahead of Calgary Matchup
On Friday, the Sharks placed defenseman Vincent Iorio on waivers, creating an opportunity to activate players currently on injured reserve. The team had been operating with 22 players, one shy of the maximum allowed, while forwards Kiefer Sherwood and Philipp Kurashev, along with defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin, were sidelined due to upper body injuries.
Warsofsky expressed optimism regarding Mukhamadullin’s potential return and indicated that both Kurashev and Sherwood could be activated during the road trip. Sherwood, who joined the Sharks from the Vancouver Canucks on January 19, participated in an optional practice in Calgary on Friday. His status will be reviewed Saturday morning.
Iorio, who had been a healthy scratch for the previous six games, was claimed by the Sharks on October 16 after being waived by the Washington Capitals. He recorded three assists in 21 games with San Jose and averaged 16:30 in ice time.
Teams have until Saturday morning to claim the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Iorio. If he goes unclaimed, he will be assigned to the Barracuda of the AHL.
Following their game against the Flames, the Sharks will conclude their five-game road trip with matches in Chicago on Monday and Colorado on Wednesday before the Olympic break begins.
