San Jose Sharks look to snap losing streak as they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs
This season for the San Jose Sharks has been endured by the fans. Its been painful, and the Sharks are now on an eleven game losing streak. They have not won a game since beating the Winnipeg Jets in early December. Now, the Sharks are back on the road and visiting the east coast once again as they complete a home and home set with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Losing tonight would make it 12 straight for the team in teal.
With the disappointment over the last few weeks, the Sharks have opted to make a personnel change, with Jack Studnicka being sent down to the Barracuda to try and help him regain some of the confidence he lost while playing with the NHL roster. It's a struggle to watch this team week after week at the moment, and the players are going to feel it more than anyone as they suffer loss after loss.
For the Sharks, tonight they just need to start well. Early in games of late, they have been played out of the rink. They need to be attentive from the start and get themselves into the game early. If they are unable to do that, they are very likely going to find their losing streak at 12. An early goal or two would do this roster a world of good, but things like this are always easier said than done.
Projected Lineups
San Jose Sharks
William Eklund - Tomas Hertl - Mike Hoffman
Anthony Duclair - Mikael Granlund - Fabian Zetterlund
Alexander Barabanov - Luke Kunin - Justin Bailey
Filip Zadina - Ryan Carpenter - Kevin Labanc
Mario Ferraro - Ty Emberson
Henry Thrun - Jan Rutta
Calen Addison - nikita Okhotyuk
Kaapo Kahkonen
Mackenzie Blackwood
Toronto Maple Leafs
Matthew Knies - Auston Matthews - Mitchell Marner
Tyler Bertuzzi - John Tavares - William Nylander
Pontus Holmberg - Max Domi - Calle Jarnkrok
Bobby McMann - David Kampf - Noah Gregor
Morgan Rielly - TJ Brodie
Simon Benoit - Jake McCabe
Mark Giordano - Timothy Liljegren
Martin Jones
Dennis Hildeby
Puck Drop
This will be a 4 p.m. pacific puck drop from Scotiabank Arena in downtown Toronto. This is going to be a difficult game for the Sharks against a team that can score almost at will. This is the sort of game that a rebuilding team suffers a defeat in to help the tank job in an effort to get closer to a good pick. An upset tonight would be fun for the team in teal, but the end goal of this season is to be drafting Macklin Celebrini.