San Jose Sharks keys to victory against Edmonton Oilers

Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

Tonight the San Jose Sharks will take on the Edmonton Oilers for the fourth game in their five-contest long road trip. The Sharks are coming off of what amounts to a stolen victory last night against the Vancouver Canucks. After trailing through the first 58 minutes or so, San Jose managed to tie the game late off of a Tomas Hertl goal.

Dan Boyle found the net with a power-play marker, and San Jose managed to come out on top despite not playing particularly well. That’s two consecutive victories in a row for the Sharks now though, and they’ll look to keep the ball rolling against the Oilers here in a few hours.

Edmonton recently became the final team in the NHL to reach double digits in points and has struggled mightily this season. They still have the guns to make the Sharks pay for mistakes though, if they go to sleep like they have during long stretches of play in November.

San Jose’s struggles have already showed up in the Pacific Division standings. While they’re sitting in second place at the moment, they’re tied with the Phoenix Coyotes with 29 points, and the Los Angeles Kings are only four points behind and are in a tie with Vancouver with 25 points.

Needless to say, every victory matters more than usual at this stage of the season. Here’s what the Sharks need to do to to down the Oilers tonight.