Sharks’ frustrations growing with number of questionable hits they’ve absorbed

SAN JOSE – The Sharks are becoming frustrated with the number of questionable hits their players have been taking over the last several days.

Two days after he was hit from behind near the boards by New York Rangers forward Ryan Carpenter, Sharks centerman Nico Sturm missed Monday’s game with the Ottawa Senators with what was described by coach David Quinn as an upper-body injury.

Then, in the second period of Monday’s game, Sharks defenseman Nick Cicek was clipped in the head on a check by Senators’ centerman Mark Kastelic behind the San Jose net.

Cicek fought Kastelic and finished the game, although he had just 11:39 of ice time in what became a 5-1 Sharks win, their first regulation-time victory at SAP Center this season. Both Cicek and Kastelic received fighting majors, but Kastelic did not get another penalty for the hit.

“That should have been a penalty (on Kastelic). I mean, if you look at it, it’s a headshot,” Quinn said. “(The referees) shrug their shoulders when I asked them about it. But I know the league is really focusing on protecting our players.”

That’s been in question as well. Defenseman Radim Simek has been on injured reserve since Nov. 14 with a mild concussion after he was hit in the head by Mason Shaw the night before in a game against the Minnesota Wild. Simek told this news organization Monday that he wondered why Shaw wasn’t fined or suspended.

Simek, barring any setbacks, could be available to play Wednesday night when the Sharks play the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena.

Sturm’s status was not immediately known. Saturday night, he was carrying the puck inside the Sharks’ zone in the first period when he was hit by Carpenter and went face-first into the glass. Sturm clutched his helmet as he went down on the ice, then skated off and left for the Sharks’ dressing room.

Carpenter was assessed a two-minute minor for boarding.

Sturm returned to the ice for the second period for what turned into a 2-1 loss to the Rangers and took part in the Sharks’ morning skate Monday before the Senators game. But Sturm did not skate in warmup and was scratched for the first time this season, as Nick Bonino took over third-line center duties.

“Just didn’t feel great today,” Quinn said of Sturm, ”so we held him out.”

The Sharks ended their homestand with a 1-2-0 record to improve to 7-11-3 overall. They entered Tuesday in sixth place in the Pacific Division with 17 points, six points behind the third-place Kraken.

STILL THE LEADER: Erik Karlsson assisted on Timo Meier’s second-period goal Monday and now has 11 goals and 29 points, totals that not only ranked first among all NHL defensemen but were also tied for third among all NHL players going into Tuesday.

Going into Wednesday’s game, Karlsson has scored or assisted on 46.8 percent of the Sharks’ 62 goals so far this season. To put that into perspective, Bobby Orr, widely considered the greatest defenseman in NHL history, had a hand in 43.3 percent of the Boston Bruins’ goals in 1969-70.

Quinn also gave kudos to Karlsson for his work off the ice in what’s been a trying first quarter of the season for the Sharks.

“I’ve been floored by the level of play by him. It’s been unbelievable to watch him,” Quinn said of Karlsson. “But the things that we need a guy like that to do from a culture standpoint, and from an organization standpoint, he’s doing away from the rink.”

KAHKONEN’S NIGHT: Sharks goalie Kaapo Kahkonen made 37 saves Monday in what was arguably his strongest performance of the season.

Kahkonen came into Monday’s game with unimpressive numbers: a 1-4-1 record, a .878 save percentage, and a 3.70 goals-against average. But he worked extensively with Sharks goalie coach Thomas Speer in recent days to get his game and his mind where it needed to be.