Blades of Teal
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San Jose Sharks Face Big Test In Matchup With Flames

By Patrick Leiva

Dec 8, 2015; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl (48) and Calgary Flames left wing Jiri Hudler (24) fight for position during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Calgary Flames won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 8, 2015; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl (48) and Calgary Flames left wing Jiri Hudler (24) fight for position during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Calgary Flames won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The San Jose Sharks face a brief two-game road trip as they travel to Canada for a set of back-to-back games. Standing in their way tonight are the Calgary Flames as these two teams look to leapfrog one another in the Pacific Division.

Currently, the Sharks and Flames are tied with 40 points for the season, with San Jose holding a game in hand over their division foes.

The Sharks head to Calgary on a high note after breaking out for seven goals on Saturday night as they overwhelmed the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs. San Jose will be looking to build some momentum off that victory and win consecutive games for the first time since mid-December.

It won’t be an easy task against the Flames who have righted the ship somewhat after a dreadful start to the season. The two teams have split their season series thus far as San Jose took home a 5-2 victory at SAP Center at the end of November, while Calgary scored a 4-2 win on Dec. 6, the last time these two teams met.

Players to Watch

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Sharks: Logan Couture. Since his return to San Jose from injury on Dec. 30, Couture has registered two assists with both coming in a victory over Philadelphia. In nine games this season, he has mustered only four assists and has yet to find the back of the net. The Sharks will need Couture to find his scoring touch in short order as he continues to work himself back into a regular flow.

Flames: T.J. Brodie. While Mark Giordano and Dougie Hamilton are bigger names nationally, it’s Brodie who has been having a very solid season for Calgary. In 31 games for the Flames, Brodie ranks fourth on the team in scoring with 21 points (four goals, 17 assists) while leading Calgary with a plus-seven rating and 25:34 of ice time per game.

Keys to the Game

1. Net Front Presence

While the Sharks obviously did many things right last time out against the Maple Leafs, one of their strong points was making their presence known in front of the net as many of their goals were scored in and around the blue paint. Calgary possesses one of the worst defensive units in the NHL, ranking 29th in goals against per game at 3.08. San Jose will want to emphasize the front of the net and make life difficult for the Flames defense in this one.

2. Make Them Pay

Calgary possesses the worst penalty killing unit in the league at 74.2 percent, while San Jose brings the seventh-best power play into this matchup. While the Sharks have failed to convert on the man advantage in their past two games, the Flames offer a perfect opportunity for San Jose to cure their woes. The Sharks can ill-afford to squander their power play chances in this one.

3. Start Building Something

Since the start of December, San Jose has struggled to build any kind of consistent play or momentum as they have won just two games in a row on one occasion. If the Sharks want to have any sort of impact during the second half of the year, they need to start stringing together wins. It’d be a good place to start by downing one of their division foes tonight.

Next: Sharks Destroy Maple Leafs By Seven-Goal Margin

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