The San Jose Sharks are turning back to Antti Niemi for the biggest game of their season.
Niemi will start Game 7 against the Los Angeles Kings Wednesday at SAP Center after being benched in Game 6. Sharks captain Joe Thornton broke the news to reporters following the team’s morning skate.
The Finnish netminder has struggled throughout the series. In the five games he started, Niemi went 3-2 with an embarrassing 3.90 goals-against average and .882 save percentage. He was pulled in Game 5 in favour of youngster Alex Stalock; coach Todd McLellan elected to start Stalock in the next game as well. Stalock allowed four goals in a losing effort Monday, setting the stage for a seventh and deciding game.
The Sharks were up 3-0 in the series, outscoring the Kings 17-8 along the way, but have dropped three straight since.
In other Sharks news, defenceman Marc-Edouard Vlasic will not play in Game 7. The Canadian Olympian sat out Game 6 with an upper-body injury and is still not ready to return.
