San Jose Sharks confirmed captain Joe Thornton will be in the lineup for Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday (9 p.m. ET, Versus, CBC, RDS) against the Vancouver Canucks. The Sharks trail the series 3-1.
Thornton was injured on a shoulder-to-shoulder check by Raffi Torres midway through the third period of the Sharks' 4-2 loss in Game 4. Thornton did not return to the game.
"Joe is fine. He'll play," Sharks coach Todd McLellan told reporters Monday. "Getting treatment and rest. When Joe comes to you and says he'll play, he'll play."
Thornton had told the San Jose Mercury News he would play Sunday via text message to a reporter: "100 percent. It's playoffs, got to play through everything."
With 17 points (3 goals, 14 assists) in 17 games, Thornton leads the Sharks and is tied for second in playoff scoring.
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