San Jose Sharks Right Back At It Against The Winnipeg Jets
The San Jose Sharks are right back at it tonight as they look to sweep this two-game road trip in Winnipeg. The Sharks will be looking to avenge a loss to these same Jets just 10 days ago as San Jose dropped a 4-1 decision to Winnipeg to kick off 2016.
San Jose picked up a big win in Calgary last night as they gutted their way to a 5-4 victory despite playing below their capabilities and losing some players for long portions of the game. The Sharks will need to be better on the penalty kill as you can’t make a living winning games by allowing three power play goals.
It will be interesting to see whether the Sharks will have the services of Justin Braun and Tommy Wingels, as both were injured last night. Wingels appears less likely as he failed to return after colliding with Joonas Donskoi during the first period. Braun took a shot off his face in the third period, but he was able to return before the final horn sounded. Braun’s loss would definitely hurt more as the Sharks are awfully thin on the blue line even with a healthy Braun.
This should be another big test for this San Jose team, as they look to win three games in a row for the first time since Nov. 22.
Players to Watch
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Sharks: Joonas Donskoi. Donskoi has found himself bouncing all throughout the lineup during his first campaign in teal, but he seems to be settling in nicely with the Sharks. Donskoi has started to show his scoring touch of late, as he has scored in back-to-back games for the first time in his NHL career. Donskoi has six goals and nine assists in 35 games during his rookie season.
Jets: Blake Wheeler. Wheeler is the unquestioned offensive leader and playmaker for Winnipeg, pacing the Jets with 41 points (11 goals, 30 assists). The six-foot-five winger brings tremendous skating ability to the ice and he is on pace for a career year as he looks to surpass his career-high of 69 points. When these teams squared off on Jan. 2, Wheeler recorded two assists with a plus-two rating in leading Winnipeg to victory.
Keys to the Game
1. Defensively Sound
Last time these two teams met, the Sharks experienced too many defensive breakdowns which allowed the Jets to cash in with easy goals. San Jose can ill-afford to allow the Jets and their 11th-ranked offense to get things going in this one, otherwise they will be in for a long, especially with the Sharks playing on back-to-back nights.
2. Keep The Offense Flowing
While San Jose has been struggling on the defensive end of the ice, they haven’t had any problem finding the back of the net in recent games. In fact, the Sharks have lit the lamp 12 times over their past two games, and the scoring has been coming from throughout the lineup. San Jose and their eighth-ranked offense will want to keep rolling along in Winnipeg as they face the league’s 24th-ranked defense.
3. Avenge Earlier Effort
As already mentioned, the Jets waltzed into SAP Center and emerged with a convincing 4-1 win back on Jan. 2 in what Peter DeBoer deemed as one of the worst efforts by the Sharks this season. San Jose gets the opportunity to make up for that clunker and add on to their winning streak. You can bet the coaching staff will be reminding their players about what transpired last time.
Next: Sharks Outlast Flames In Pacific Division Duel
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