Matt Nieto remembers coming across the blue line and momentarily putting his head down as he lost the puck inside the Buffalo Sabres’ zone. Then, just as he cut toward the middle of the ice near the faceoff dot, he was leveled by defenseman Rasmus Dahlin in one of the NHL’s more violent hits of the season.
“The hit itself was clean,” Nieto said Friday of the second-period collision at KeyBank Center on Dec. 4. “I kind of lost the puck there and put my head down for a split second. I got rocked, plain and simple. It was a good hit.”
Nieto suffered a lower-body injury from the hit and will miss his fourth straight game Saturday when the Sharks play the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena.
Nieto, though, did practice with the team on Friday and is optimistic he’ll be able to play Sunday when the Sharks host the Calgary Flames in their third-to-last game before the Christmas break.
Nieto remained in the game after the Dahlin hit but started to feel its effects as the second period ended and the third period began. He did not play the final six minutes of what became a 6-3 Sharks loss to the Sabres.
“It could have been a lot worse for how big of a hit it was,” Nieto said. “So I’m just fortunate I didn’t miss too many games here, and I’m looking forward to being back really soon.”
It’s unclear where exactly Nieto will fit into the Sharks’ lineup when he does return.
Nieto had been playing some of his best hockey of the season prior to the injury, collecting five goals and two assists in 11 games as he skated mainly on a line with Logan Couture and Alexander Barabanov.
But Nick Bonino has slid into that left-wing spot on Couture’s line and is riding a four-game goal streak going into Saturday. The Sharks, before the Kings game, had earned five of a possible six points since that loss to Buffalo and coaches are typically adverse to adjusting lines when things are going well.
“We’ve got a better Nick Bonino,” Sharks coach David Quinn said. “Matt Nieto, I could put him (with media members) and he’s going to do what he does, right? That’s the wrestling match when Matt comes back.”
Nevertheless, Nieto, who has 11 points in 28 games for the season, will have a vital role whenever he does return.
Perhaps if Luke Kunin (lower body) remains unavailable for Sunday’s game, Nieto, if he plays, will be slotted on the third line with center Nico Sturm. Kunin was injured in Tuesday’s game with the Arizona Coyotes and has not practiced this week.
Nieto also leads all Sharks forwards in shorthanded time on ice. San Jose had went 8-for-11 on the penalty kill in the last three games without Nieto before Saturday.
For now, Nieto just wants to help the Sharks climb back into the playoff picture if they can. San Jose entered Saturday in seventh place in the Pacific Division, seven points out of a playoff spot.
“I think the boys are doing a really good job,” Nieto said. “We’re playing a smarter game. The effort from our group is always there and sometimes, it’s mental errors and breakdowns that end up costing us. But I think the game management part of it the last few games has been good and resulted in points.”
Defenseman Mario Ferraro also practiced Friday but his return is less imminent. Ferraro suffered a foot injury when he blocked a shot in a Nov. 25 game against Los Angeles. After Sunday, the Sharks host the Flames again on Tuesday and the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.
NOTE: Barabanov returned to the Sharks’ lineup Saturday after he missed Tuesday’s game with a lower-body injury. He had two goals and seven assists in his last 10 games before Tuesday.