Ryan Donato will start the road game with the Minnesota Wild on Friday with Logan Couture and Kevin Labanc on the top line of the San Jose Sharks.
It’s a slightly different role than the last time Donato played a game at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, when he was in Minnesota’s fourth row with Mikko Koivu and Ryan Hartman on March 1st played against the Washington Capitals in 2020.
Donato gets the fresh start he wished for with the sharks after seeing his ice age wane towards the end of his brief tenure with the savages. He played 11 minutes or less in four of his last five regular season games and was a good scratch for two of Minnesota’s four playoff games in August.
« The team did a great job making me feel welcome, » Donato said of the sharks. « The guys here are great. »
At the end of the season, Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin wanted to stir things up after a subpar year. He spoke to Donato, who welcomed a change of scene.
In October, Donato was handed over to the Sharks for a third round of the 2021 draft pick, which Doug Wilson acquired at close of trade in February 2020 when they sent Patrick Marleau to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
« I wanted to play hockey, hockey players do that. They want to play, » said Donato. « And if I’m here and not going to play, maybe I can go somewhere else. I really wasn’t told exactly that way, but I think (that’s it) what the message was after our conversation.
« That’s how things were and that’s why things are the way they are now. »
Donato played with couture and Labanc and had a season high of 15 minutes and 24 seconds ice time for the Sharks in their 2-1 win against the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday. In 62 games last season with the wild, he only played three times for more than 15 minutes.
« When we won it was good, » said Donato. « I think sometimes if you don’t win that much things can get pretty negative. But when we won it was all good. »
Donato has scored a goal this season and was used in both Sharks of the Sharks, which went 1-2. He was also used in the Sharks’ second power play unit and scored his only goal with the man advantage on January 16 against the Arizona Coyotes.
« I think in the league you will see people getting better and better. The more time I am on the ice and the more confident I get, the more games I play and the more you will see how I do things do that I can do, « Donato said. » I just want to make sure I improve and not try to do too much. Then when I get the chance, after doing the right things, I have an opportunity to show offensive things. »
The Sharks will also start the game on Friday with Tomas Hertl centering a line with Evander Kane and Timo Meier, Dylan Gambrell will be in line with John Leonard and Stefan Noesen and Patrick Marleau will be the fourth line with Marcus Center Sorensen and Matt Nieto.
Nobody knows if this top line with Donato, Couture and Labanc will work long term, but trainer Bob Boughner thinks the moves add a little more balance to the sharks throughout their lineup
« We’re still tinkering at this point and trying to find the right combinations, » said Boughner. “But I liked the way our lines played against St. Louis last game, and I think Minnesota is a lot like St. Louis.
« They are a tough pre-screening team whose (defense) problems are. They play a similar style, so it will be another game of its kind. »
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When asked if he felt he was proving something against the wild, Donato said, “It just depends. Hopefully we’ll see it tonight. I know they will bring it, but I’ll try to do my best too. »
AHL SCHEDULE: The American Hockey League announced its regular season schedule on Friday. As of now, the Barracuda will play their first 10 games outside of San Jose. The Barracuda will play his first three games of the season against the Tucson Roadrunners in Tuscon from February 5-8. Their first games in San Jose are scheduled for February 27th and 28th at Solar4America Ice.
Ref: https://www.mercurynews.com
