San Jose Sharks Head To Edmonton With Little To Play For

Feb 2, 2015; San Jose, CA, USA; Edmonton Oilers right wing Jordan Eberle (14) shoots the puck against San Jose Sharks goalie Antti Niemi (31) during the first period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

The San Jose Sharks have just two games remaining in their season of turmoil and disappointment. San Jose travels to Canada one final time to square off against the lowly Edmonton Oilers Thursday night, looking to salvage some sort of pride.

After realizing they had been eliminated last time out, the Sharks put together a putrid effort in their final home game of the season. San Jose allowed five goals as the Dallas Stars dominated the Sharks in front of their home fans. It was a fitting send off from a franchise that has ignored the voice of their fans for much of the season.

Meanwhile, the Oilers have suffered through yet another season of awful hockey. Edmonton will finish with the third-worst record in the NHL that included a stretch where they won only one game in 21 contests, although that one win came against San Jose.

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Players to Watch

San Jose: Chris Tierney. Tierney has been one of the pleasant surprises of the second half of the season. After being recalled from Worcester at the beginning of March, Tierney has registered five goals and eight assists, including a current three-game point streak. Tierney has settled into the third line center role for the Sharks and appears to have solidified his position in the lineup.

Edmonton: Jordan Eberle. Eberle leads the Oilers in assists (39) and points (62) and is right on his scoring pace from a season ago. Last season, Eberle scored 28 goals and 37 assists for an Edmonton team that continues to struggle. Eberle is one of the young stars the Oilers are counting on to help turn things around at some point.

Quick Take

There’s nothing but pride on the line in this one as the Oilers are locked into the third-worst record in the league, while the Sharks’ odds don’t improve much in the upcoming draft with a loss. After San Jose was dominated last time out, expect a better effort from a team that won’t want to lose in that fashion again.

Meanwhile, the Oilers bounced back in their last game by damaging the playoff hopes of the Los Angeles Kings with a 4-2 victory. It should be a high-scoring affair as the Oilers rank dead last in goals against per game, while the Sharks rank 24th.

San Jose’s struggles against teams like Edmonton are one of the reasons why the Sharks are on the outside of the playoff picture. The Sharks won’t want to lose to the Oilers for a third time this year.