The San Jose Sharks and their home ice struggles have been well documented. Perhaps, the perfect opponent is heading into SAP Center tonight to help the Sharks alleviate their problems.
Tonight, San Jose will play host to the Calgary Flames as they look to snap a three-game home ice losing streak and finally begin to bank some points in front of their home fans.
After being one of the surprise teams of last season and making a run to the Western Conference Semifinals, Calgary has really faltered out of the gates in 2015-16. Currently, the Flames are 12th in the West with 18 points (8-13-2) on the season, mainly due to their defense being an utter mess.
Last season, Calgary was led by their defense, but this year has been a completely different story. The Flames are last in the league having allowed 81 goals on the season (3.52 goals against per game), which is seven more than the next closest team. Also, Calgary possesses the league’s worst penalty killing unit at 73 percent, while the power play hasn’t been much better at 29th with a conversion rate of 14.1.
This will be the first meeting of the season between these two clubs, and the Sharks will want to perform much better than last year. Last season, San Jose went 1-3-1 against Calgary with the Flames securing seven out of a possible 10 points. You can bet the Sharks will be reminded about their struggles against this Calgary team before tonight’s matchup.
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Players to Watch
Sharks: Tomas Hertl. Hertl was strong out of the gates for the Sharks, scoring two goals in his first three contests. However, it’s been tough sledding for Hertl since that point as he’s now goalless in his past 19 games, and pointless in his last five games. Peter DeBoer sent Hertl a message last game that he needs more from the 22-year-old forward as he was benched for the third period.
Flames: Johnny Gaudreau. The 22-year-old Gaudreau is living up to his billing of “Johnny Hockey.” Though he stands just 5-foot-8, Gaudreau possesses outstanding skill and playmaking ability. He leads the Flames with 21 points (five goals and 16 assists) thus far, and the Sharks will need to key in on this bright young talent.
Keys to the Game
1. Convert on the Power Play
The Sharks power play, which is tied with the Flames at 14.1 percent for the year, showed signs of life against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday. San Jose was able to score their first goal on home ice with the man advantage, and though they finished just 1-for-5 on the night, the Sharks fired 15 shots on net. The Sharks want to carry that momentum from the Chicago game into tonight’s contest when they face the league’s worst penalty kill.
2. Contain the Neutral Zone
The Flames are a young team with tremendous speed so the Sharks will need to control the neutral zone in order to have any success tonight. The Blackhawks took the game to San Jose and used their speed to hem the Sharks in their own zone for a majority of the first period. The Sharks will need to be on their toes from the get-go otherwise it will be a long night in their defensive zone.
3. Dictate the Game
Too often, San Jose has allowed the visitors to dictate the game when they come into SAP Center. It’s time the Sharks reverse that trend and start taking the game to their opponents, beginning tonight with a weary Flames team that played last night and has struggled for a majority of their season. San Jose can’t make it easy for them and needs to push the pace with sharp, clean execution.
Next: Sharks Three Areas Of Concern At Quarter Mark
TV/Radio
TV: CSN-California (Puck Drop @ 7:00 p.m.)
Radio: 98.5 KFOX