San Jose Sharks Return Home In Critical Matchup With Canucks

Mar 3, 2015; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Daniel Sedin (22) battles for the puck against San Jose Sharks defenseman Brenden Dillon (4) at Rogers Arena. The San Jose Sharks won 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

The San Jose Sharks return to the ice after four days off looking to continue the momentum they’ve built to begin March. Standing in their way tonight at SAP Center will be a familiar foe: the Vancouver Canucks.

These two Pacific Division rivals don’t like one another and both teams will be looking to win the season series. The Sharks need this game to keep pace in the Western Conference playoff hunt. San Jose has turned their game around in March winning both of their games by a combined 10-2 score, including a 6-2 victory over the same Canucks on March 3.

Despite their back-to-back victories, the Sharks still sit in 10th place in the West; however, San Jose is only four points back of the Canucks for second place in the Pacific Division.

Meanwhile, the Canucks have been on a mini slide of late losing three of their last four games which has allowed the Calgary Flames to catch them in the standings. It will be an uphill battle for Vancouver to maintain their positioning with starting goaltender Ryan Miller out with a lower-body injury.

Needless to say, it will be a big two points on the line as San Jose wants to jump right back into the mix in the Pacific Division, while Vancouver is looking to retake sole possession of second place.

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Players to Watch

San Jose: Matt Nieto. Nieto has had a tough luck sophomore season in San Jose, but he finally snapped a prolonged scoring slump with two goals last time out against the Canucks. The Sharks will need Nieto to put the puck in with more frequency down the stretch if San Jose wants to make the playoffs. Nieto has six goals and 14 assists thus far.

Vancouver: Henrik Sedin. Sedin continues to roll along as one of the best playmakers in the league. Sedin leads the Canucks with 59 points (15 goals and 44 assists) and is a plus-nine on the season. Sedin scored both goals for Vancouver in the last meeting with San Jose and will be counted upon heavily if the Canucks are going to hold on to a playoff spot.

Quick Take

This will be the final matchup between these two teams and the visiting team has won each game thus far. The Sharks are playing some of their best hockey in over a month and will be looking for their first three-game winning streak since the end of January. Meanwhile, the Canucks will look to regain their form and prevent a three-game losing streak that would allow San Jose to pull within two points.

It will be a huge matchup in the Pacific Division, but look for the Sharks to continue their recent play and come out hungry against the Canucks at home. Vancouver will hope for a much better start after the San Jose raced out to a 3-0 lead within the first eight minutes. This will be a pivotal game for the Sharks who want to kick off their four-game homestand on a high note.