Sharks winger gets by with a little help from his friends: ‘These guys have my back’
It’s something that San Jose Sharks forward Kevin Labanc hasn’t experienced all that often before, if ever. Certainly, he’s never gone through it in his six-plus seasons in professional hockey.
No, spending four straight games as a healthy scratch was rather unprecedented for Labanc, the offensively gifted winger who has sometimes left Sharks coaches past and present scratching their heads with what was – in their eyes – a wavering commitment to defense, among other issues.
But the mercurial Labanc has usually been able to bounce back, and that was the case again Tuesday when he dressed for his first game in 11 days.
Labanc, Tomas Hertl, and Timo Meier, per Natural Stat Trick, created 10 scoring chances as a line at 5-on-5 play against the Detroit Red Wings and allowed just one. Labanc didn’t collect a point but was credited with nine shot attempts and one hit in 14:30 of ice time.
“I just wanted to work hard, forecheck, be structurally sound and make sure that I’m playing the right way,” Labanc said after the Sharks’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. “That’s what our line did and at the same time, we weren’t giving any chances and we were getting a ton of chances.”
Labanc also earned some kudos from his head coach, with whom he’s had some differences in opinion.
“Banker was solid. He was solid,” Sharks coach David Quinn said. “We’ve had probably four conversations since he sat and we just talked about the things he needed to do.
“Obviously we believe in him and guys go through some highs and lows in the season.”
The “believe” part of Quinn’s postgame comment is perhaps the most notable.
It’s not often that a team’s fourth-highest-paid forward is a healthy scratch multiple times in a row. But Quinn said last week that he felt Labanc’s overall game had been tailing off since before Christmas.
Quinn said at the time of Labanc’s first scratch on Jan. 16 that he needed him to be “a little bit more consistent overall, in a lot of aspects. When he’s on his game, there’s a swagger to him, there’s an edge to him. Makes life hard on the other team, makes good decisions, and I just think he’s lost his way just a little bit.”
So Labanc sat out the Jan. 16 game against New Jersey, a Sharks 4-3 shootout loss, and the game two days later against Dallas, a 5-3 San Jose win. Labanc also sat out the Sharks’ dismal 5-3 loss to Columbus on Saturday, and, perhaps surprisingly, remained out for the next day’s game against Boston, where San Jose was outclassed 4-0 by the league-leading Bruins.
Labanc knew he hadn’t been perfect, but perhaps not bad enough to be scratched a career-high four straight games. It was clear he had a different opinion about his own performances than Quinn.
Asked Tuesday about some of the emotional support he’s received from his teammates in the last week, Labanc said, “Guys were just telling me to stick with it and I should be in the lineup – just kind of lifted me up when I’m down.
“It’s nice to know that these guys have my back and they’re family. So, it’s a good team here and it’s good team culture.”
Asked Tuesday about what he might have said to Labanc in recent days, Sharks captain Logan Couture said, “Just hang in there. Keep doing what you’re doing. When you get a chance, play hard and I thought he did.
“He’s been a great teammate, very supportive. doesn’t complain, comes to work with a smile on his face, and works extremely hard on the ice. It’s not an easy situation. I think a lot of good players in that position may handle it differently than Banker has. He’s done an admirable job in a tough situation.”
There doesn’t appear to be much dispute that the Sharks’ coaching staff and management want the team to become harder to play against and to have more of an in-your-face style. That’s a big reason why the Sharks claimed Mikey Eyssimont off waivers earlier this month, to try and fill that void while still playing solid two-way hockey.
Does Labanc fit into the Sharks’ long-term vision? For now, it appears so. He has one more year left on his contract that carries a $4.725 million salary cap hit, and depending on what happens at the March 3 trade deadline and in the summer, the Sharks might be in need of an experienced winger with scoring touch.
Still, Labanc’s long-term future in San Jose could depend on whether he continues to meet Quinn’s expectations over the final 33 games of the season. Having more nights like he did Tuesday, and fewer ones that result in a seat in the press box, would accomplish that goal.
The Sharks finish their road trip with games against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.