Eurolanche

Sharks, Avs add new players to lineups

Season series: The San Jose Sharks have won two of three games against the Colorado Avalanche. San Jose defenseman Brent Burns scored two goals in a 4-3 victory at Pepsi Center on Nov. 1. Nathan MacKinnon had three goals in Colorado's 6-3 win on Dec. 28 at SAP Center. Six Sharks scored, and Joe Thornton had two assists in a 6-1 victory at San Jose on Jan. 26.

Sharks (32-21-5) team scope: Defenseman Roman Polak and forward Nick Spaling, acquired Monday in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs, are expected to arrive in time for this game. "[Polak is] hard to play against, plays with an edge," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer told the San Jose Mercury News of the 6-foot, 237-pound defensive defenseman. "You know you're playing against him, you know you're going into a corner with him, you're going to be in a battle in front of the net with him. We've been trying to be harder to play against all year, and I think he fits that bill." Polak could take the place of Matt Tennyson, who was hit from behind by Ryan Reaves in the first period of San Jose's 6-3 victory at the St. Louis Blues on Monday and didn't return. Tennyson did make the trip to Denver. Goalie Martin Jones, who earned his League-leading 19th road win defeating St. Louis, is likely to start.

Avalanche (31-27-4) team scope: Backup goaltender Calvin Pickard will start because No. 1 goalie Semyon Varlamov has the flu, though coach Patrick Roy said he expects to have Varlamov available as the backup. "Because [Varlamov] didn't practice [Tuesday] and [Pickard] played really well in Edmonton [a 3-2 win Saturday], I'm comfortable going with [Pickard]," Roy told the Avalanche website. "He'll be more fresh. We'll give [Varlamov] a chance to skate [Wednesday] morning and have a good practice Thursday and be ready for the outdoor game." This is Colorado's final game before playing the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday at Coors Field in the 2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series (8 p.m. ET; NBC, SN, TVA Sports 2). Roy said MacKinnon, who sat out practice Tuesday, also has the flu but is expected to play. Forward Shawn Matthias, acquired from Toronto on Sunday, was added to the active roster Tuesday after practice, with Andreas Martinsen sent to San Antonio of the American Hockey League. Roy said he plans to use Matthias as the left wing on a line with center Carl Soderberg and right wing Blake Comeau.

-- by NHL.com --