Vitek Vanecek News

The Sharks, riding a three-game winning streak, will turn to Vanecek between the pipes on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 28-year-old Vanecek allowed five goals on 31 shots (.839 SV%) in his most recent outing, an 8-5 win over the Seattle Kraken, and has a 3.52 GAA and .894 SV% through 11 appearances this season (3-5-1). The Sharks enter Thursday's contest as sizeable +221 road underdogs against a Lightning team without Nikita Kucherov (undisclosed).

The Sharks, riding a three-game winning streak, will turn to Vanecek between the pipes on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 28-year-old Vanecek allowed five goals on 31 shots (.839 SV%) in his most recent outing, an 8-5 win over the Seattle Kraken, and has a 3.52 GAA and .894 SV% through 11 appearances this season (3-5-1). The Sharks enter Thursday's contest as sizeable +221 road underdogs against a Lightning team without Nikita Kucherov (undisclosed).

Vanecek has been battling an upper-body injury the last two weeks but will return to the crease for the first time since November 16th. The 28-year-old Vanecek has a 3.36 GAA and .899 SV% in 10 games this season (2-5-1). The Sharks enter the action on Friday afternoon as +134 home underdogs against a Seattle Kraken club that has failed to score more than three goals in their previous seven games (4-3-0).

Vanecek is not ready to return to the lineup but appears to be making progress. Mackenzie Blackwood started on Monday and will again on Wednesday against the Dallas Stars with Yaroslav Askarov as the backup.

Vanecek is battling an upper-body injury and will not suit up Monday against the Detroit Red Wings. Mackenzie Blackwood will likely get the start, backed up by Yaroslav Askarov, who was recalled from the San Jose Barracuda (AHL).

On the tail end of a back-to-back, a night after a 1-0 win over the New Jersey Devils courtesy of an incredible 44-save shutout by Mackenzie Blackwood, the Sharks will turn to Vanecek between the pipes. The 28-year-old Vanecek has a 3.32 GAA and .898 SV% in eight games this season (2-5-0). The Sharks enter the action on Monday as +227 road underdogs against a Philadelphia Flyers club that has lost three of their last four (1-2-1).

The Sharks have won three of their last four games, two with Vanecek between the pipes, and will turn to him for a second consecutive start for the first time this season. The 28-year-old Vanecek has been serviceable between the pipes for a Sharks club with a -17 goal differential, second-worst in the league, posting a 3.21 GAA and .902 SV% in seven outings (2-4-0). That said, the Sharks enter the action on Thursday as significant +225 home underdogs against a Minnesota Wild club with only two regulation losses (8-2-2).

Vanecek has taken a back seat to Mackenzie Blackwood lately, starting only two of the last seven games for the Sharks, but will return to the crease on Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 28-year-old Vanecek has an unspectacular 3.65 GAA and .879 SV% through six games this season (1-4-0), but was stellar in his previous outing, saving 26 of 28 shots (.929 SV%) in a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings. The Sharks enter the action on Tuesday as +112 home underdogs against a Blue Jackets club off to a 5-5-1 start.

Vanecek has taken a back seat to Mackenzie Blackwood lately, starting only two of the last seven games for the Sharks, but will likely return to the crease on Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 28-year-old Vanecek has an unspectacular 3.65 GAA and .879 SV% through six games this season (1-4-0), but was stellar in his previous outing, saving 26 of 28 shots (.929 SV%) in a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings. The Sharks enter the action on Tuesday as +112 home underdogs against a Blue Jackets club off to a 5-5-1 start.

The Sharks will opt to give Mackenzie Blackwood the night off as Vanecek gets the nod in the tail-end of their back-to-back on Tuesday. Vanecek struggled his last time out, surrendering seven goals on 42 shots in a 7-3 defeat at the hands of the Golden Knights. He owns an .869 SV% and has failed to record a victory in his first five appearances. He will be hard-pressed to pick up his first win of the season on Tuesday with the Sharks entering action as +260 underdogs.

Through three games this season, the Sharks have alternated between Vanecek and Mackenzie Blackwood between the pipes, a trend that will continue on Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks when Vanecek occupies the crease. Despite a 2-0 losing effort, Vanecek was terrific in his only start this season, saving 28 of 29 shots (.966 SV%) against the Anaheim Ducks. The Sharks enter action on Thursday as +163 road underdogs against a Blackhawks club that has only scored nine times in their first four games (1-2-1).

Vanecek has been on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, but will likely serve in a timeshare with Mackenzie Blackwood between the pipes for the Sharks upon his return. The 28-year-old Vanecek struggled this season with the New Jersey Devils, posting a career-worst 3.18 GAA and .890 SV% in 32 games (17-9-3).

Vanecek was excellent in a losing effort in his last outing, allowing one goal on 32 shots (.969 SV%) in a 1-0 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes but was surprisingly sidelined after with a lower-body injury. Nico Daws has started each game in Vanecek's absence and has done an admirable job filling in between the pipes.