Your San Jose Sharks are back in action tonight as the Los Angeles Kings enter town. These two Californian rivals both need the two points. San Jose is looking to continue building off the back of a defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres, while the Los Angeles Kings are desperate for the two points to keep pace in the playoff race in the Western Conference. San Jose wants that feel-good factor, while the Kings want the points.
San Jose had the best first 40 minutes of a game this season against the Sabres, as they dominated the proceedings until the beginning of the third period. When the Sabres took the lead, the Sharks were unable to fight back. With the Kings, there's not as much youth on the forward core, so that 60-minute press the Sabres put on the Sharks isn't an option. It'll let the Sharks defensemen have more time on the puck.
For San Jose, Vitek Vanecek will likely return to the crease tonight. Mackenzie Blackwood had sparkled in the recent games, and Yaroslav Askarov was unreal in his Sharks debut, but the Czech netminder is healthy again. He's been a mixed bag this season, often following up solid performances with absolute stinkers. Even in the same game, he can be unbelievable and have a mistake-of-the-year candidate.
Projected Lineups
Los Angeles Kings
Alex Turcotte - Anze Kopitar - Adrian Kempe
Kevin Fiala - Phillip Danault - Trevor Moore
Warren Foegele - Quinton Byfield - Alex Laferriere
Tanner Jeannot - Samuel Helenius - Trevor Lewis
Mikey Anderson - Vladislav Gavrikov
Joel Edmundsson - Brandt Clarke
Jacob Moverare - Jordan Spence
David Rittich
Pheonix Copley
San Jose Sharks
William Eklund - Mikael Granlund - Fabian Zetterlund
Luke Kunin - Alex Wennberg - Tyler Toffoli
Barclay Goodrow - Macklin Celebrini - Will Smith
Klim Kostin - Nico Sturm - Ty Dellandrea
Jake Walman - Cody Ceci
Mario Ferraro - Timothy Liljegren
Henry Thrun - Jan Rutta
Vitek Vanecek
Mackenzie Blackwood
Puck Drop
A 7:30 puck drop from the Shark Tank will see these two long-time rivals again face off. Can the Sharks get another one over their rivals from the City of Angels, or will the Kings add to the deep pains of this Sharks rebuild? The Sharks can throw a hurdle into the Kings playoff hopes, while the Kings can continue to darken the present of Team Teal.