Twelve games remain as the San Jose Sharks host the Dallas Stars at the Shark Tank
By Conor Power
Just twelve games separate the San Jose Sharks players and fanbase from the sweet relief of the summer. We will all get to have our hopes crushed when the Sharks end the season in last overall and still only end up with the fourth overall pick, but that is a conversation for a different day. Right now, the Sharks know they have a limited time to make anything out of this season, and it continues tonight at home to the Dallas Stars.
For the San Jose Sharks tonight, we're expected to see Mackenzie Blackwood again take his place between the pipes. He's kept the Sharks in many games this season when the team in front of him has wobbled or faded. This Dallas roster has its murderer's row of forwards, though, so this will be a tough test for the Team Teal backstop. If he can keep the Sharks around, you never know what can happen. San Jose has already given the Stars a scare this season.
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Look for production from the younger Shark forwards. In particular, William Eklund, Fabian Zetterlund, and Thomas Bordeleau are the trio that need to be watched. Those three have shown that their skating ability and speed can cause problems for opposition defenses. Zetterlund already has 20 goals this year under his belt, and Eklund is closing in on the 50-point plateau, which would be a big success given the struggles this season.
Projected Lineups
Dallas Stars
Jason Robertson - Roope Hintz - Joe Pavelski
Mason Marchment - Matt Duchene - Tyler Seguin
Jamie Benn - Wyatt Johnston - Logan Stankoven
Radek Faksa - Sam Steel - Craig Smith
Thomas Harley - Miro Heiskanen
Esa Lindell - Chris Tanev
Ryan Suter - Nils Lundkvist
Jake Oettinger
Matthew Murray
San Jose Sharks
Klim Kostin - Mikael Granlund - Fabian Zetterlund
Filip Zadina - Luke Kunin - Alexander Barabanov
Thomas Bordeleau - Nico Sturm - Justin Bailey
William Eklund - Ryan Carpenter - Jacob MacDonald
Mario Ferraro - Kyle Burroughs
Henry Thrun - Jan Rutta
Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Calen Addison
Mackenzie Blackwood
Devin Cooley
Puck Drop
A 7:30 puck drop from the SAP Center will move us another game closer to the draft lottery and the right to pick Macklin Celebrini if the Sharks come up with the winning numbers. Some progress would be excellent, even if it is a hard-fought defeat. No one wants to see the Sharks roll over and die against a team with Stanley Cup aspirations like the Stars.