San Jose Sharks Back On The Road Against Ducks

Overview

While the San Jose Sharks‘ performance at home still has not lived up to expectations, they hope to continue their road success against the Anaheim Ducks. San Jose ranks second in the league behind only the Dallas Stars with 10 road wins, and they’ll be searching for their eighth consecutive road victory when they face Anaheim in a big Pacific Division matchup.

The Sharks and Ducks have split their season series to this point, with each team securing low-scoring, shutout victories at SAP Center. Martin Jones recorded his first shutout in teal, making 27 stops on Oct. 10 as San Jose walked away with a 2-0 win.

However, Anaheim responded about one month later as Corey Perry scored the lone goal of the game as the Ducks emerged with a 1-0 victory. The Sharks hold a five-point lead over the Ducks heading into tonight’s tilt with two games in hand, so a victory from the boys in teal would leave Anaheim with a big mountain to climb.

Team Stats

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Players to Watch

Sharks: Patrick Marleau has grown comfortable in his position at center, with 10 points (six goals, four assists) in his last nine games. He is currently on a four-game goal streak, and is second on the team with 10 goals as well as fourth in scoring with 19 points.

Ducks: Sami Vatanen had 11 points in the month of November, tied for fourth in the NHL among defensemen. He has five points (one goal, four assists) in his last five games.

Starting Line-Ups

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Injuries/Scratches

Sharks: Logan Couture (fractured right fibula) and Ben Smith (concussion) are out.

Ducks: Frederik Andersen (flu) is questionable. Simon Despres (upper body) and Jiri Sekac (lower body) are out.

Key to the Game

Take Advantage

While the Sharks obviously can’t gain any traction at home for whatever God forsaken reason, they can certainly do so on the road and they showed that on their previous road trip. Tonight, against the Ducks, they have an opportunity to distance themselves from a struggling team in the standings. Take advantage of the opponents’ miscues. Convert on those shots, and get pucks to the net.

I would expect this to be a pretty physical battle as well, but the Sharks also need to play with controlled emotion while gaining the upper hand. So for the Sharks, take advantage and earn whatever they can, because at this point, they’re road warriors looking to secure two points ahead of their return home tomorrow night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Next: San Jose Barracuda Report: Barracuda Split Pair With Stars

TV/Radio Broadcast

TV: CSNCA

Radio: 98.5 KFOX

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