The San Jose Sharks returned to the U.S. where they will continue their five-game road trip with a stop in the Windy City against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Thus far, San Jose has gone 2-1 after faltering against the Ottawa Senators on Friday night. The Sharks will look to regroup against one of the best teams in the Western Conference. Currently, Chicago ranks third in the Central Division with a 19-11-4 record, good for 42 points. Even more impressive, the Blackhawks have one of the best home ice advantages in the league with a 13-4-1 record.
It won’t be easy for the Sharks, although they do get a tired Blackhawks team that will be playing the second half of a back-to-back. Chicago took the first meeting between these two teams with a 5-2 victory at SAP Center in late November.
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Sharks: Joe Pavelski. Once again, Pavelski is leading the offensive attack for San Jose this season. He leads the team with 15 goals, 17 assists and 32 points. He’s been really good on this road trip with two goals and four assists through the first three games.
Blackhawks: Patrick Kane. While Kane’s consecutive scoring streak was snapped at 26 games, he continues to be the most dangerous playmaker in the entire NHL. Kane leads the league with 48 points (20 goals and 28 assists), and he was the catalyst for Chicago’s shootout win in his hometown of Buffalo yesterday. Kane scored the game-tying goal with 34 seconds left and scored the lone goal in the shootout to secure the two points.
Keys to the Game
1. Strong Penalty Kill
It wasn’t that long ago that the Sharks possessed one of the worst penalty killing units in the NHL. However, San Jose has been very strong of late, killing off 33 of their last 36 penalty situations. The Sharks are now tied for seventh with a success rate of 83 percent, but they will be tested by the Blackhawks who rank fourth with a power play converting at a 22.2 percent clip.
2. Start Fast
Last time these two teams squared off, San Jose did not record a shot on goal until about six minutes remaining in the first period. The Sharks will have to be on their toes from the get-go, otherwise they’ll be chasing the Blackhawks all game long. San Jose will want to erase their last 20 minutes of hockey in Ottawa so look for some buzz early on.
3. Bury Chances
Peter DeBoer said the Sharks had plenty of opportunities to break the deadlock last time out against the Senators, but were unable to convert their chances. Tonight, San Jose can ill-afford to let those go by the wayside as they face another potent offense as Chicago possesses some of the most dangerous scorers in the West.
Next: Sharks Face Big Tests To Conclude Trip
TV/Radio
TV: CSN-California (4:00 p.m. PST)
Radio: 98.5 KFOX