Sharks close to full health for rematch with Golden Knights

The San Jose Sharks were one of the league’s elite teams this season when their roster was healthy and intact.

The biggest question mark down the stretch was star defenseman Erik Karlsson. His return in the regular-season finale on Saturday night has bolstered the Sharks’ hopes of making a deep playoff run as they enter their first-round playoff series against the Golden Knights.

“Even a rusty Erik Karlsson is still a pretty good player,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said after Karlsson played 22:01 in a 5-2 win over Colorado. “I think he’s going to really help us on Wednesday when we get started.”

Karlsson missed 17 straight games and 27 of the past 32 because of groin injuries, but says he could have played sooner.

Instead, he took advantage of the extra rest and insists he is ready to go full speed in the postseason.

“I think I did it in the right way and got the right help I needed,” he said Saturday. “Everybody was supportive. It was just something we had to do. I think it was the right call. Everything feels good. My lungs feel good. It’s nice to be out there and be in some situations and figure some things out. I’m pleased about that. I didn’t go too hard because I didn’t want to risk anything. I’m going to be ready to go full out on Wednesday and hopefully pick it up where I left off.”

That would make the Sharks a far more dangerous opponent for the Knights. Karlsson is one of the game’s elite blueliners and recorded three goals and 42 assists in 52 games this season.

“He’s a guy that brings a hell of a lot (of deception to our game),” forward Evander Kane said. “It makes the other team guess and kind of freezes the other team on their forecheck and in the neutral zone. It’s nice. All you have to do is get open and he finds your stick. Definitely helps out our back end and us up front. It’s great to have him back. Looked like he didn’t miss a step. He’s going to be a big part of our team moving forward here.”

Karlsson isn’t the only key Shark to miss time down the stretch.

Winger Timo Meier suffered a wrist injury Thursday and missed Saturday’s game, though DeBoer said it was just precautionary and expects Meier to play on Wednesday.

Forward Joe Pavelski, who led the team with 38 goals, missed seven games with a lower-body injury before returning for the final three games. Melker Karlsson played the last two games after missing three with a minor injury.

The news is not as good on the team’s top rookie, defenseman Radim Simek, who had surgery to repair knee ligaments last month.

San Jose’s defensive numbers have suffered without him in the lineup, though Erik Karlsson’s return should help pick up the slack.

“There’s always bumps and bruises and guys in and out, but we’re starting to get healthier,” Pavelski said. “Hopefully we can keep getting healthier and the confidence will keep rising and we can just play some good hockey.”

Erik Karlsson insists he’s ready to jump right into games that matter despite missing so much time.

“I played in a lot of important games over the course of my career, both for my club and national team,” he said. “That will help. But I don’t approach playoff games any differently. I don’t try to build them up any more than they are. We all know they mean a little bit more and they will be special, but I know what I have to do within the team to be successful and that’s not going to change just because it’s a playoff game.”

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Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.