At the Rink: Sharks at Maple Leafs

TORONTO -- Sam Carrick wants to show the Toronto Maple Leafs he can be a regular in the NHL.

Carrick, 23, will get another opportunity to do that when the Maple Leafs host the San Jose Sharks at Air Canada Centre on Thursday. Carrick was called up from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League to replace center Nazem Kadri, who was suspended four games by the NHL Department of Player Safety on Wednesday for an illegal check to the head of Matt Fraser of the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.

The Maple Leafs (27-38-6) have lost three straight games and their 60 points are second-fewest in the Eastern Conference. The Sharks (34-28-8) have lost two straight and are six points behind the Winnipeg Jets for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the Western Conference and six points behind the Los Angeles Kings for third place in the Pacific Division with 12 games remaining.

Carrick has been projected as a solid candidate to be the Maple Leafs’ checking-line center next season and he views his latest call-up as another chance to show management what he can do. It’s the fourth time this season Carrick has been summoned from the Marlies. In 10 NHL games he has no points and a minus-1 rating. In 50 AHL games he has seven goals, 25 points and 76 penalty minutes.

“Obviously there’s an opportunity for me,” Carrick said. “I just want to develop into the best player I can be. If they want me with the Marlies playing a bigger role with that team, that is fine. If they want me up here playing a fourth-line role and playing physical, I’m ready to do that, too.”

While the Maple Leafs will not qualify for the playoffs this season, Carrick still views any NHL opportunity as an important step in his career.

“It’s exciting,” Carrick said. “I feel fortunate to play in my home town for the Leafs. And with the way things have gone this season there are opportunities for me moving forward. It’s not too often that you get the opportunity to play in the NHL so I want to make the most of it.”

Toronto interim coach Peter Horachek said Carrick is in the same boat as a number of young Maple Leafs players who are trying to prove they can be regular NHL players moving forward.

“They are on exhibit and are showcasing themselves,” Horachek said. “His comfort level has to be a little better. What you want to see [from Carrick] is a little bit more confidence and that part of his game where he is not overly respectful of his opponents. He is an aggressive player that can score some goals.”

If Carrick and the Maple Leafs’ other young players are fighting for an opportunity to be noticed for next season, veteran Sharks center Joe Thornton and his teammates know they are fighting for their playoff lives.

“We’ve got to win every game,” Thornton said. “It starts tonight and really that is all we can focus on; one game at a time. We all know our backs are against the wall so we’ll see how tonight goes and we’ll go from there.”

Thornton said it is imperative for the Sharks to be better on special teams against the Maple Leafs. In a 5-2 loss against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, San Jose gave up two power-play goals and was 0-for-3 with the man advantage.

“Special teams cost us the game against Winnipeg,” Thornton said. “We have to be sharper.”

Here are the projected lineups:

SHARKS

Melker Karlsson - Joe Thornton - Joe Pavelski

Tomas Hertl - Logan Couture - Tommy Wingels

Matt Nieto - Chris Tierney - Patrick Marleau

John Scott - Ben Smith - Barclay Goodrow

Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Justin Braun

Matt Irwin - Brent Burns

Scott Hannan - Brenden Dillon

Antti Niemi

Alex Stalock

Scratched: Mirco Mueller, Daniil Tarasov

Injured: Mike Brown (leg), Raffi Torres (knee)

MAPLE LEAFS

Richard Panik - Tyler Bozak - Phil Kessel

James van Riemsdyk - Trevor Smith - David Booth

Brandon Kozun - Leo Komarov - Joffrey Lupul

Joakim Lindstrom - Sam Carrick - Zach Sill

Eric Brewer - Morgan Rielly

Jake Gardiner - Dion Phaneuf

Tim Erixon - Andrew MacWilliam

Jonathan Bernier

James Reimer

Scratched: None.

Suspended: Nazem Kadri

Injured: Stephane Robidas (shoulder), Roman Polak (hernia), Nathan Horton (concussion), Peter Holland (upper body)

Status report: The Maple Leafs plan on using Komarov at center to start the game; Komarov typically plays left wing. If Komarov struggles in the middle Horachek indicated he would switch Sill from right wing to center and move Komarov into Sill's spot on the fourth line. … There is a chance San Jose will sit Hannan and insert Mueller into the lineup.

Who’s hot: Phaneuf has assists in two of his past three games. … Kessel has points in back-to-back games. … Pavelski snapped a five-game goal drought against Winnipeg with two. … Thornton has three points in his past two games.