The San Jose Sharks visit the Colorado Avalanche for the second time this season, as Jack Studnicka is expected to make his team debut.

The San Jose Sharks (9-18-3) visit the Colorado Avalanche (18-10-2) for the second time this season, as Jack Studnicka is expected to make his team debut.

The last time these two teams faced each other was San Jose's second game of the season. Mackenzie Blackwood had one of the best Sharks debuts of all time, making 51 saves, but lost 2-1 in a shootout. 

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLXzkpewCrI[/embed]

San Jose is coming off a tough 1-0 loss to the Arizona Coyotes last Friday, where they had two goals taken away due to coach's challenges. 

"We knew that watching both of [the goals] on replay, there was a chance they would get overturned. You just never know. It was tough to predict," Sharks coach David Quinn said postgame. "We didn't get deflated, and we kept playing. It was just one of those nights."

San Jose made a trade just moments before the last game. GM Mike Grier made the move with the Vancouver Canucks to acquire centerman Jack Studnicka. 

"This is an opportunity he hasn't had before in his career," Quinn said about Studnicka. "Don't try to do too much. Just make sure you're giving an effort and competing, and everything else will just happen." 

Studnicka comes in when the Sharks are decimated at the center position. The 24-year-old will likely be on the third line between Mike Hoffman and Luke Kunin. 

"It was great. It was a short one, but it was nice to get out there and snap the puck around," Studnicka said about skating with the team for the first time yesterday. "Learn some tendencies with potential linemates, and I'm excited for tonight."

Quinn confirmed that Blackwood would start in goal for San Jose, giving him a chance at redemption from earlier in the season.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic rejoined the team for practice in Denver yesterday. He has been out the last three games due to personal reasons. Quinn did not confirm whether he was in the lineup or not. He said that the team is waiting to figure out some injury availabilities. 

Sharks projected lines:

Eklund-Hertl-Barabanov
Duclair-Granlund-Zetterlund
Hoffman-Studnicka-Kunin
Labanc-Zadina-Bailey

Ferraro-Burroughs
Okhotiuk-Rutta
Thrun-Addison

Blackwood
Kahkonen

Puck drop is at 5 p.m. PST and can be seen on NBC Sports California or the Sharks Audio Network. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's San Jose Sharks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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