SAN JOSE – Logan Couture was stationed in the slot on Sunday as the San Jose Sharks went through a power play drill at one end of the ice. Right after he gave himself a bit of space, he took a quick, short pass from forward William Eklund and fired a shot that found the twine past the shoulder of goalie Kaapo Kahkonen.
“Felt nice to see it go in. An actual live goal,” Couture said after practice. “First time since whenever I scored last year. We’ll count that one. I’ve got one on the year now.”
Now it’s a matter of when he’ll score the second.
Couture, out with a lower-body injury since before training camp, will join the Sharks on their upcoming five-game road trip but it remains unclear as to when he’ll play his first game of the season.
Couture has ruled out Tuesday when the Sharks play the Toronto Maple Leafs, a disappointment for him considering this is San Jose’s one trip to his native Southern Ontario. Before he returns, Couture said he’ll have to see how he feels on an everyday basis and consult with the team’s medical staff, as the eight-day trip continues with stops in Montreal, Ottawa, Buffalo, and Chicago.
“Nothing’s changed,” Couture said in terms of his timeline. “I’m closer to playing, I guess you could say. But until I actually get into a game, it’s always just going to be a question mark as to when it’s going to happen here. So nothing really has changed in that aspect.
“Practicing with the guys, I feel like myself more on the ice each time. That’s kind of where we’re at right now.”
Still, Sharks coach David Quinn remained optimistic that Couture will play at some point on the trip, which ends Jan. 16 in Chicago.
“It’s day to day, but that day may come sooner than later,” Quinn said. “There’s a light at the tunnel.”
Couture’s presence on the ice appeared to provide a boost to a Sharks team that’s on an 11-game losing streak and in last place in the NHL’s overall standings. The undermanned Sharks (9-28-3) need to outwork their opponents to have any chance at success, and for the better part of two periods Saturday, that didn’t happen in what became a 4-1 loss to the Maple Leafs.
“No matter how many games in a row you lose, it sucks losing,” Couture said. “Guys still showed up and practiced really hard today. That’s all you can ask after a tough loss is to show up the next day and work and try to improve, and work on different areas of our game. I thought we did that today. Guys worked extremely hard. It was serious. I would chalk it up as a good day.”
Couture’s teammates know his value and how much work he’s had to put into getting closer to full health again and are eager to see what the lineup looks like when he dresses for a game.
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Couture has 323 goals and 700 points in 927 NHL games.
“It’s nice to have him out there. Be around, be a part of it, be in the room,” Sharks forward Luke Kunin said. “He’s our captain. He’s one of our best players, obviously. What he does for the group is huge and it’s always fun having him out there.”
