The San Jose Sharks have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL of late, winning five straight games to vault themselves back into a playoff position within the Pacific Division. San Jose will look to extend their winning ways on Saturday night as they hope to put together their second six-game winning streak of the season when the Ottawa Senators come to town.
The Sharks were able to win six consecutive games, with all six coming on the road, in mid-November and the boys in teal will hope to match that streak tonight. The biggest part of the streak is San Jose has been able to turn around their play at SAP Center as three of the five victories have come in front of their home fans.
Ottawa comes into this matchup tied with the Sharks at 48 points and looking to separate themselves from a very crowded Eastern Conference. The Senators are in the midst of a five-game road trip in which they’ve gone 1-2 to this point, although they did pick up a big win in Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon.
San Jose will look to avenge an earlier defeat in Ottawa when the Sharks gave up three goals in the final frame.
Players to Watch
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Sharks: Patrick Marleau. For the improved offensive play of the Sharks recently, Marleau has struggled in recent weeks to put points on the board. In the past nine games, Marleau has just one goal and four assists. While his 14 goals, 16 assists and 30 points still rank fourth on the team, imagine how potent this offense would be if Marleau gets it going again.
Senators: Mike Hoffman. Many fans in San Jose might not have a clue who Hoffman is, but the fourth-year winger is having quite the season in Ottawa. After posting a career-best with 27 goals, 21 assists and 48 points, Hoffman is on pace to smash those totals with a team-best 20 goals. He also leads the Senators with a plus-10 rating and is third with 36 points.
Keys to the Game
1. Stay Hot Offensively
The Sharks offense has really sparked this team over their five-game winning streak, outscoring their opponents 22-9 over that span. The recent offensive outburst has seen San Jose rise all the way up to fifth in the league in scoring at 2.84 goals per game.
2. Beware of Karlsson
Erik Karlsson is one of the most, if not, the most dynamic offensive defensemen in the entire league as he leads all blue liners in scoring with 46 points. The Sharks will need to beware of Karlsson at all times and not allow him to fuel Ottawa’s transition game which can be deadly. San Jose will want Karlsson to spend time defending in his own zone rather than carrying the puck on the rush.
3. Keep the SAP Center Vibes Rolling
It’s been more than a year since the Sharks have won four straight games on home ice, and San Jose has finally seemed to find a winning formula in front of their teal faithful. Against Dallas, the Sharks were able to snap a 19-game home streak of allowing the first goal and losing the game so they’re starting to find new ways to win games on home ice.
Next: San Jose Sharks Weekly Roundup
TV/Radio
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Radio: 98.5 KFOX