Raffi Torres' status is still uncertain for tonight's game against the Los Angeles Kings in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals, but the San Jose Sharks are ready to play with or without him. You can watch the game live from the Staple Center here, and listen here, the puck drops at 10pm ET.
"Well, we've got other players if Raffi can't play," coach Todd McLellan told the team's website Wednesday. "We've got other people that we can put in. We'll look at our lines, we'll look at how we can best use those people. "There's been a number of players that have been skating, and I've been waiting for this opportunity. So if it does come to that, we feel confident."
Torres is attending a hearing in New York with the NHL Department of Player Safety for the hit he delivered to Kings center Jarret Stoll late in the second period of Game 1.
McLellan would not address who might take Torres' place. "I'm assuming he is going to play," McLellan said. "Until all the work is done, we have to assume that."
Torres joined the Sharks in a trade April 3. His new teammates backed him Wednesday.
"It's unfortunate Jarret was hurt, but we just thought it was a clean hit," captain Joe Thornton said. "We've even seen it again today and we thought it was a clean hit, he was just hurt. I think when players get hurt, [the NHL is] just probably going to review things and just have a talk with him, and hopefully he'll be back in the lineup tomorrow night for us."
Linemate Logan Couture said, "We're going to support Raffi; whatever happens, happens. "I was on the ice, basically right beside it, and I thought it was shoulder to shoulder, clean hit. Obviously he was injured on the play, so you hope the other guy's OK, but from what I saw it was a clean hit, and we'll see what happens."
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