Sharks’ center reveals painful reason why he missed Monday’s game

Center Tomas Hertl returned to the San Jose Sharks lineup on Thursday against the Boston Bruins

Tomas Hertl of the San Jose Sharks revealed on Thursday the painful reason he had to miss one of the team’s games earlier this week.

Hertl revealed after the Sharks’ 3-0 loss to the Boston Bruins at TD Garden that he had a kidney stone that needed to be removed during a surgical procedure on Monday.

“It was a pretty (crappy) situation,” Hertl, who turned 30 on November 12, said. “It was pretty painful, but I felt good for tonight, so I jumped in.”

Hertl did not take part in the Sharks’ morning skate in Boston, but he did show up for pregame warmups and was later inserted into the lineup once coach David Quinn determined he was healthy.

“We thought there was a chance he could play,” Quinn said of Hertl.

Hertl played 22:08 of ice time and had one shot on goal, while he and linemates Mike Hoffman and William Eklund were both -2 for the game. This season, the Sharks are 0-10-0 on the road.

Still, the Sharks are relieved to have Hertl back, as he leads the team with 16 points and has the highest average time on ice among forwards (20:56 before Thursday).

Hertl had two assists in the Sharks’ game against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday. However, Hertl did not participate in the team’s morning skate before their game against the Washington Capitals, with Quinn providing few details as to why he was absent, only saying he was day to day with a midsection ailment.

The Sharks prevailed 2-1.

Kidney stones, according to mayoclinic.org, are hard deposits of minerals and salts that form inside your kidneys and can be caused by diet, excess body weight, certain medical conditions, and certain supplements and medications. Stones form when a person’s urine becomes concentrated, allowing minerals to crystallize and stick together, according to the website.

Kidney stones are common — and on the rise, according to the National Institute of Health. According to the institute, approximately 11% of men and 6% of women in the United States will develop kidney stones at some point in their lives.

SMITH INJURED: Sharks winger Givani Smith was unable to play in the third period on Thursday after getting into a fight with Bruins forward Trent Frederic near the end of the second period.

It was unclear whether Smith would be available for the Sharks’ game against the Devils on Friday in New Jersey.

After hitting Bruins forward Brad Marchand from behind into the boards to the right of the Sharks’ net, Frederic challenged Smith. Smith, on the other hand, was reacting to Marchand’s earlier rough treatment of William Eklund.

Smith was called for boarding for his hit on Marchand, but the Bruins were unable to score with the extra man.

WILL SMITH, THE OTHER SMITH: The Sharks’ top prospect, Will Smith, attended Thursday’s game. Smith, a native of Boston, is a freshman at Boston College with six goals and 19 points in 14 games, ranking 10th in the country as of Thursday night.

Smith was chosen fourth overall by the Sharks in June, making him the team’s highest-drafted player since defenseman Brad Stuart was chosen third overall in 1998.

Boston College (11-2-1), ranked first in the country, begins a home-and-home series with Northeastern on Friday. Cam Lund, the Sharks’ 34th overall pick in 2022, has 10 points in 11 games for Northeastern.