Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic will miss Saturday's game in Los Angeles after getting hurt on Friday night against Philadelphia.
Vlasic was hit in the face with a Shayne Gostisbehere slap shot with 30 seconds to go in the Sharks' 2-0 win over the Flyers at SAP Center. The team is reportedly calling him day-to-day.
In a text message to CSNBayArea.com's Brodie Brazil, Vlasic said: "I'm doing better than yesterday. Still in pain but will eventually make a full recovery. Oh, and I still have all my beautiful real teeth."
The shot hit Vlasic "everywhere in the lower face," according to the defenseman, who took several moments to get up before being helped off the ice.
Speaking to the San Jose Mercury News before the Sharks-Kings game, head coach Pete DeBoer said: "It looked really scary. It even sounded scary on the ice. You knew as soon as it hit him that it could have been really bad.
"Today I think we're optimistic that it was fortunate that it wasn't closer to his eye or there wasn't more damage done."
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In 35 games this season, Vlasic has nine points (3g, 6a) and a plus-one rating. He's second on the team in average time on ice (21:06 per game).
Dylan DeMelo will draw into the lineup against the Kings.
