San Jose face-off against the Dallas Stars tonight as they will try to continue their unbeaten streak and make it seven wins in a row.

The Sharks will be without their defensive leader Dan Boyle for the unforeseeable future after taking a cheap shot from the Blues’ Maxim Lapierre. Fortunately for the Sharks Brad Stuart is eligible to return to the line-up after serving a three game suspension. Stuart will bring some stability to the D corps, but there is no replacing a player like Dan Boyle.

Jason Demers did a decent job on the top power play unit Tuesday night in Boyle’s place so look for him to continue in that role.

Lapierre will have a hearing in New York with the director of player safety Brendan Shanahan on Friday to decide his faith for his hit from behind which left Boyle motionless on the ice. Lapierre is under suspension until the hearing and is a repeat offender.

The word on the street is that Boyle is OK, but in many cases with head injuries it takes time before the symptoms appear. He was kept overnight in a St. Louis hospital and returned to San Jose on Wednesday for further evaluation.

“You kind of have a sick feeling in your stomach” commented Joe Thornton afterwards when asked about the situation with Boyle while he was being tended to after the hit.
“He’s not talking, he’s motionless. It’s very very scary.
“Probably for about five minutes my heart sunk in my chest and it was a horrible feeling.”

The Stars are a team that will have a different look this season after parting ways with long time captain Brendan Morrow and Tyler Seguin filling a role on the top line paired with Jamie Benn.

Seguin was traded to the Dallas from Boston for Loui Erikson among others, but those were the big names in the trade. Seguin was, and still is a highly touted player with his best years ahead of him. In Boston he was relegated to the wing on the third line which isn’t his natural position so look for good things from this young franchise player.

Another former Star that won’t be missed is Steve Ott who is famous for stirring the pot and Glen Gulutzan has been replaced behind the bench by former long-time Sabres coach Lindy Ruff.

San Jose will return home after the game for a clash with the Calgary Flames on Saturday night before they hit the road again.

I am guessing that back-up goalie Alex Stalock will make his season debut either tonight or Saturday.

Keep your sticks on the ice,
Cam Gore

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