San Jose Sharks Look To Match Longest Streak Of The Year
The San Jose Sharks have found their stride on their current season-high, six-game road trip as the Sharks have taken the first three games, all by one-goal margins. San Jose will look to match their longest winning streak of the season when they head to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the struggling Philadelphia Flyers.
The Sharks have played well of late, finding different ways to win on their trek thus far. San Jose will look to continue their momentum as they will ice the same lineup that defeated the Boston Bruins in a high-scoring affair last time out. If the Sharks can emerge victorious in this one, they will already have clinched a winning road trip which is a pretty impressive feat considering San Jose had three out of their four games on their home stand prior to heading back East.
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Sharks: Joe Pavelski. The first-year captain for San Jose has been the catalyst on the ice. Pavelski leads the Sharks with 10 goals, 18 points, a plus-10 rating and leads all forwards with 20:16 of total ice time per game. He’s been everything the Sharks were hoping for when they named him captain, and they will look to Pavelski for another strong outing against the Flyers.
Flyers: Claude Giroux. Peter DeBoer noted in his pregame quotes that Giroux is one of the top five players in the world, and it’s hard to argue with that sentiment. Giroux leads a faltering Philadelphia offense (29th in goals per game) with six goals and 13 points, the only Flyers player to reach double-digits in the points category.
Keys to the Game
1. Special Teams Play
It was a mixed-bag for the Sharks last time out as they flourished on the power play, but could not contain Boston’s potent unit. San Jose finished 2-for-5 with the man advantage, but were only successful in killing off 1-of-3 opportunities by the Bruins. DeBoer would like to see the power play continue to bury their chances, while seeking some improvement on their penalty killing numbers where they currently rank 23rd in the league.
2. Jump on them Early
After going through a pretty rough stretch of allowing the first goal, San Jose has jumped on their opponents by scoring within the first two minutes of their past two games. The Sharks will be looking to continue that trend against the Flyers who are tied with the Anaheim Ducks in scoring only 34 goals for the entire season. Apply the pressure early on a team that has struggled to find the back of the net.
3. Keep it Rolling
The Sharks have been a streaky team this season, so why not keep it going on this road trip. San Jose can use all the points in the bank, and chalking up another “W” in the win column can only help boost this team’s confidence. Securing a winning road trip would be a huge accomplishment for a team finding their swagger.
Next: Pacific Division Stock Report: Sharks Shoot Up To Second Place
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