Even the simplest of tasks like breathing and eating were painstakingly difficult for Logan Couture heading into the playoffs a year ago.
An errant puck had shattered his face and the injuries hampered Couture during San Jose’s first-round loss to Edmonton. They weren’t fully healed until the summer. The Sharks are counting heavily on a now healthy Couture to anchor a long playoff run this year starting Thursday night in Game 1 of their first-round series at Anaheim.
”It was tough Authentic Sylvester Williams Jersey ,” Couture said about playing through the injury a year ago. ”It was very difficult. I went from playing to not knowing if I would be playing in the playoffs. The injury, it affected my life more than hockey. It was difficult just waking up and dealing with day to day stuff. But I’m happy, happy to be healthy.”
Couture was hit in the mouth a year ago by a shot from teammate Brent Burns and missed the final seven games of the regular season with two fractures in his face. He came back for the playoffs with plastic and wiring to keep his teeth in place and played all six games, scoring two goals in a Game 4 victory, but he was far from his usual self.
Couture was a main factor in San Jose’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016, leading the NHL with 30 points that postseason before the Sharks lost in six games to Pittsburgh. He’s hoping for the same type of spring this year.
”That was probably the most fun I’ve ever had playing hockey,” he said. ”Just a blast to go to the rink every day. That was a special group that we had that year. It’s different each year obviously when personnel changes. I think about that run quite a bit, just how much fun it was. Just hoping to relive it.”
As well as he played during that run Authentic Darius Leonard Jersey , Couture might be at his peak heading into this year’s playoffs after scoring a career-high 34 goals this season, posting 61 points and having the usual responsibility of trying to slow down the opponent’s top scoring line.
That performance helped the Sharks overcome the loss of Patrick Marleau to free agency last summer and Joe Thornton to a knee injury in January and helped Couture win the team’s MVP award, although he has loftier goals still in mind.
”I’ve felt good. The puck’s gone in for me. That’s the big thing. Just capitalized on opportunities. Scoring 34 goals is pretty cool. Definitely to be up in the top 20 in goal scorers in this league, in the best league in the world, is special for sure,” Couture said.
”The season’s not over. Obviously the goal for myself, and as well as our team, is to win it all. It’s tough to say it’s been a successful year until the year’s done.”
Couture will have plenty of responsibility this series to make sure the season doesn’t end too soon.
He’ll be a main part of the top power-play unit Authentic Ian Thomas Jersey , one of the team’s most important penalty killers, tasked with slowing down Ryan Getzlaf’s line and provide offense of his own.
”The one thing about Logan is he has the ability to raise his level in important moments, in important times of the year as he’s shown in my time here,” coach Peter DeBoer said. ”I expect the same thing. I think we kind of take it for granted but that’s what he is. He’s a great player and he has that ability.”
NOTES: DeBoer would not rule Thornton out for the series, saying only he wouldn’t play Game 1. … Eric Fehr and Melker Karlsson, who missed time late in the season, worked on the fourth line at practice Tuesday.
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Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay said the team has increased its "level of urgency" in negotiations with defensive end Aaron Donald.
Donald, a three-time first-team All-Pro Sylvester Williams Jersey , is holding out of training camp for the second consecutive year as he seeks a contract extension. His rookie contract will end after this season, but because he didn't report by Wednesday, he will be a restricted free agent after the season instead of an unrestricted free agent. The Rams could also use the franchise tag on Donald, who is set to make $6.9 million this season.
"Let's put it this way, there's an increased dialogue," McVay said Saturday. "We feel positive about the direction that these things are going. But it's still kind of in the same boat, but I know there is a huge level of urgency from our side in terms of how important he is, wanting to be proactive about trying to find a solution Authentic Johnny Townsend Jersey , get this thing done and we'll see if we can get that situation handled."
General manager Les Snead said Wednesday that the Rams and Donald, the 2017 defensive player of the year, are in the "same ZIP code, area code, ballpark" regarding a contract extension.
Donald has recorded at least eight sacks in each of his four seasons with the Rams, including 11 last season, when he missed all of training camp and reported the day before their season opener.