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DETROIT -- So much for veteran Thomas Vanek helping rookie Filip Zadina in his NHL debut.
Originally, Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill had planned to have Vanek and Zadina on a line with center Luke Glendening.

"Thomas Vanek will be out tonight," Blashill said before the game. "He had a little tweak yesterday that he thought was fine when he left the rink and I found out this morning it wasn't. So he'll be out tonight. So some of the concern I had of (Zadina) deferring to Thomas Vanek obviously isn't since he's not going to play now."

Blashill said the lines would be decided after the team took warmups.
Blashill said he didn't have anything special to tell Zadina before his first game.
"Not much," Blashill said. "He's put himself in this position by playing good. I told him yesterday just make sure he's a shooter first. Other than that, he's got to go play. I don't want to make a bigger deal of it than it is. Not that it's not a big deal but I think sometimes it's a normal game, go play."
Zadina was Detroit's first-round pick, sixth overall, in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.

SHARKS IN TOWN: It won't be an easy matchup for Zadina in his debut as the San Jose Sharks are one of the top teams in the league.
The Sharks are currently second in the Pacific Division with 80 points, just behind the Calgary Flames, who have 83 points.
"They're a really good team," Blashill said. "I thought even in the first period yesterday -- I know they lost and they weren't happy with the way they played but I thought in the first period they carried the play. It was a real good hockey game. They don't beat themselves. They have a simple but very good offensive plan. They have two of the most elite offensive defensemen in the league.
"They've got a really good set of forwards. Some of their young guys, (Tomas) Hertl and (Timo) Meier and those guys are really starting to come and I think (Joe) Pavelski and (Logan) Couture, those are two of my favorite players in the league anyways. Well-coached, they've got a really good hockey team so we're going to have to be at our best tonight."
One concern for the Sharks is the status of defenseman Erik Karlsson, who did not finish the Sharks' game in Columbus after tweaking his groin injury.
"The plan's the same," Blashill said. "They don't change the way they play so the plan will be the same. Certainly Karlsson with them, they're a more dynamic hockey team than without him. But they still have lots with (Brent) Burns."
Karlsson has three goals and 42 assists in 51 games. Burns leads the team in points with 68.
SATERI BACKING UP AGAIN: Veteran goaltender Jimmy Howard has not quite recovered enough from his flulike symptoms to back up Jonathan Bernier against the Sharks.
"Howie, I think is feeling better," Blashill said. "I'm hoping he's able to practice tomorrow. I think he's on the correct side of this and hopefully he's able to practice tomorrow."
So the Wings recalled Harri Sateri under emergency conditions from the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins.

Sateri also served as Bernier's backup on Friday against the Minnesota Wild.
In 14 games against the Sharks, Bernier is 6-5-1 with a 3.11 goals-against average and .906 save percentage.