EDMONTON, Alberta — Tomas Hertl was already going to play a critical role for the Sharks in their first round playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers.
If Joe Thornton remains out of the lineup, Hertl’s importance as a power forward will only continue to grow.
Hertl picked a perfect time to one of his best games of the season, as he did the grunt work on Paul Martin’s third period goal, was a physical presence and dominated the faceoff circle in the Sharks’ 3-2 overtime win over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.
“I thought he was a beast out there tonight,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said.