Without Stanley Cup winner Nico Sturm, the San Jose Sharks ended their Germany guest appearance with a successful NHL dress rehearsal.
At the German champions Eisbären Berlin, the Californians won their final test before the start of the season 3-1 (0-0, 2-1, 1-0). Sturm missed the game with post-concussion injuries from last Friday’s preseason game against the Vegas Golden Knights.
“It’s a matter of health,” Sharks coach David Quinn said on Tuesday morning, and offered Sturm a chance to play against the Nashville Predators in Friday’s season opener in Prague: “We expect him to be ready for the weekend, but we don’t know yet.” Also on Saturday the Sharks meet the Predators in the Czech capital.
Sturm, who had sounded optimistic about his assignment in Berlin on Monday, had to leave the ice prematurely after a check against the Golden Knights. The 27-year-old made the summer move to San Jose after winning the Stanley Cup with Colorado Avalanche last season.
In front of 12,013 spectators in the Berlin Arena at the Ostbahnhof, Tomas Hertl, Steven Lorentz (both 38th) and Luke Kunin (52nd) shot the Sharks to victory, Giovanni Fiore (33rd) scored for the polar bears.
