Logan Couture might as well swap out the No. 39 on the back of his teal jersey for a bullseye because the Edmonton Oilers are treating him like target practice.
The Oilers haven’t shied away from throwing hits that might cause severe pain to Couture’s restructured mouth in the first two games of their Stanley Cup playoff series against the Sharks, which is tied 1-1. By targeting his injury, they’ve limited his effectiveness, raising questions about whether the Sharks need to do more to protect him in Game 3 at the SAP Center on Sunday.
The worst hit in the Shark’s 2-0 loss in Game 2 Friday was a high blow from Zack Kassian, who hurled his body at Couture like he was diving off a cliff.