San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic is expected to play after being hit in the face with a puck against the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 2. Vlasic, who has missed the past four games, took part in an optional morning skate Tuesday. "It was unlucky, it could have happened to anybody," Vlasic said. "It's your turn to block and you get it in the face, it's not something you want to get. I was fortunate enough not to lose any teeth and I'm glad I'm feeling better today. The swelling is going down. Until the nerves heal, there will still be some pain." San Jose ended a three-game losing streak with a 6-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. The Sharks begin a two-game Alberta road trip tied for first place with the Anaheim Ducks in the Pacific Division and one point ahead of the Edmonton Oilers. "When you get to that halfway mark you start thinking a little bit more about positioning," center Joe Pavelski said. "These guys have played well, they gave us a good game the other night [3-2 overtime win on Dec. 23], so it'll be competitive. We understand the situation in the standings. Everyone is so close together, so any time you can get a couple of points, it's important." Forward Patrick Marleau will play his 1,452 NHL game, passing Teemu Selanne (1,451) for 24th place on the all-time list.
