San Jose Sharks Finish Three-Game Home Stand Against Predators

Overview

The San Jose Sharks are coming off one of their better team performances of the year after a decisive 5-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes last Saturday. They hope to continue their collective team effort tonight with another win as they end their home stand against Pekka Rinne and the Nashville Predators.

The Sharks are getting some reinforcements back up front as rookie forward Joonas Donskoi and Ben Smith will both return after missing the last four-to-five games. San Jose’s forward ranks should look much closer to the unit that began the season with four-straight victories.

Team Stats

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Players to Watch

Sharks: Joel Ward is coming off his best offensive performance of the year after recording only his second National Hockey League hat trick against the Canes, his first in teal. He has four goals in his last two games. Donskoi is back in the line-up after sustaining a lower body injury from blocking a shot. He rejoins the top line with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski.

Predators: James Neal leads the team with six goals and nine points, while Rinne is off to another great start with a 5-1-1 record with a 1.84 goals-against-average and a .932 save percentage.

Starting Line-Ups

Injuries/Scratches

Sharks: Logan Couture (fractured right fibula) is out.

Predators: Calle Jarnkrok (illness) is probable.

Keys to the Game

1. Traffic In Front

Rinne is one of the elite goalies in the league, and has continued to be throughout the beginning of this season. The Sharks have to get traffic in front, and try to cash in on second and third opportunities since Rinne is rarely beaten by the first shot.

2. Defend Well

The Predators are a great transition team so limit their offense by remaining disciplined on the back end. After allowing just two goals through their first four games, the Sharks have allowed 16 goals over the next four. Obviously, that’s a trend that needs to be reversed beginning tonight against Nashville.

3. Limit Turnovers

The Sharks get themselves into trouble when they’re turning the puck over in their defensive end and the neutral zone. The Predators possess one of the better defensive units in the league led by Shea Weber and Seth Jones. They thrive off turnovers and generate a lot of offense from the blue line. San Jose must be mindful with the puck in order to control the ebb-and-flow of this game.

TV/Radio Broadcast

TV: NBCSN (Wednesday Night Rivalry)

Radio: 98.5 KFOX

Next: Sharks Have Opportunity To Reestablish Identity