The San Jose Sharks face one last challenge right before the All-Star break as their three-game home stand comes to an end as they host the Colorado Avalanche in a battle of two teams that have been playing really good hockey of late.
San Jose heads into this matchup with a nine-game point streak (7-0-2), while Colorado is riding a four-game winning streak which has vaulted them right back into the Western Conference playoff picture.
The two teams met way back at the beginning of November with the Sharks scoring a 4-3 victory in Colorado as Brent Burns broke open a 2-2 tie with under two minutes remaining to help lead San Jose to the win.
This should be another quality hockey between two teams that will look to extend their impressive streaks.
Players to Watch
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Sharks: Joonas Donskoi. Donskoi has been one of the key role players for the Sharks who has picked up his game in recent weeks. With a beautiful assist on Logan Couture’s goal against Los Angeles, Donskoi extended his point streak to a career-best five games (one goal, five assists). For the season, Donskoi has seven goals and 14 assists as he’s found a great chemistry with Couture of late.
Avalanche: Matt Duchene. The former third overall pick by Colorado back in 2009 is one of the fastest, and most dynamic offensive players in the NHL. Duchene leads the Avalanche with 22 goals and 40 points for the season, and the Sharks defense will have to be on their toes when he’s on the ice.
Keys to the Game
1. Contain Transition Game
Colorado thrives by getting the puck up the ice and utilizing their speed to their advantage. San Jose will need to make smart decisions with the puck in the neutral zone and limit their turnovers, otherwise this will turn into a track meet the Sharks will likely lose.
2. Keep The Offense Going
This game features two of the best offensive teams in the league with the Sharks ranking fifth at 2.85 goals per game while the Avalanche rank seventh at 2.74. San Jose has been buoyed by a balanced attack of late spearheaded by the top line of Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Tomas Hertl. The Sharks will need to continue utilizing their depth as they look to wear down the Avalanche in this one.
3. Finish Strong
With only one game remaining before one week off, San Jose doesn’t want to head into the All-Star break on a sour note. The Sharks have been much better on home ice of late going 4-0-2 in their last six games at SAP Center and they will want to continue that trend. Look for San Jose to lay it all on the line with plenty of time off afterwards.
Next: Sharks Reclaim Sole Possession Of Second Place
TV/Radio
TV: NBC Sports Network (7:00 p.m. PST)
Radio: 98.5 KFOX