SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks activated goalie Mackenzie Blackwood off injured reserve Thursday and reassigned Magnus Chrona, to the Barracuda of the AHL.
Blackwood hasn’t played since he injured his groin in a Feb. 27 game against the New Jersey Devils. The Sharks went 1-8-2 in his absence and are carrying a five-game losing streak into their game tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Blackwood, who will start Thursday, said he appreciated the team’s patience with him. Earlier in his NHL career when he was injured, Blackwood said he, at times, felt some pressure to return before he was 100 percent ready.
With the Sharks in last place in the NHL’s overall standings, Blackwood didn’t have to worry about that this time.
“They’ve been great. Especially in a year like this, where you don’t want to come back too soon,” Blackwood said “If you’re fighting for a playoff spot, it puts a little bit of added pressure internally to want to get back. But (the Sharks) have been really patient and really good.
“Let this thing get back to 100% and have no setbacks.”
So far this season Blackwood is 9-18-3 with a .899 save percentage in 35 games.
Following Blackwood’s injury, and after Kaapo Kahkonen was traded to the Devils on March 8, Chrona took over No. 1 goaltending duties. From March 7 to Tuesday’s game against the Nashville Predators, an 8-2 Sharks loss, Chrona, who was on an emergency loan, went 1-5-0 with a .862 save percentage.
“I thought he did a good job,” Sharks coach David Quinn said of Chrona. “I thought he got better while he was up here. I thought his game improved. Obviously, you don’t want to be giving up that many goals. We certainly didn’t help him in a lot of situations, but I think it was a great experience for him.”
The Sharks kept Devin Cooley on their active roster to back up Blackwood. Cooley, in his first NHL start, made 26 saves on Sunday in a 5-2 Sharks loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Cooley, a Los Gatos native, was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres on March 8 for a 2025 seventh-round draft pick.
The Sharks start a three-game homestand tonight against Tampa Bay in the return of Anthony Duclair, who was traded to the Lightning on March 7. The Sharks also play the Blackhawks on Saturday and the Dallas Stars next Tuesday.
