Sharks-Oilers Preview

The San Jose Sharks have returned from their longest road trip of the season and host the Edmonton Oilers at 7:30 Tuesday, February 17.

San Jose is limping into this game in more than one way. They went 1-1-3 on the road trip and 0-1-1 in the two games preceding it. They also added Marcel Goc to their injury report list, and have several players who are or were recently fighting off the flu.

But Edmonton comes in having played the previous night, and should be even more tired than the Sharks, who have been home since Sunday night and had Monday off. With this advantage, this is a game that the Sharks have to win, for the following reasons:

A team that is looking to win the Stanley Cup cannot continue reeling beyond seven games.
Their lead in the West has shrunk to one point.
After two more home games against non-playoff teams, the Sharks face three playoff teams on the road, including the Detroit Red Wings. The only non-playoff team they face in that six-day stretch is the Ottawa Senators, who are playing better and will get the benefit of facing the Sharks right after their emotionally and physically draining showdown with Detroit.

So far this season, the road team has won both games between the Oilers and Sharks. Edmonton’s Dwayne Roloson stole the last matchup at HP Pavilion. Here is how the teams match-up head to head:

The Sharks have the league’s best record, earning 76.9 percent of possible points; Edmonton is 14th at 54.4 percent. San Jose also has the best home record at 87.5 percent, while Edmonton is seventh on the road at 56.1 percent. Advantage: Sharks
The Sharks have the league’s second-ranked offence at 3.43 goals per game, and the third-best defence, yielding 2.43 goals per game. They are one of only two teams to have scored 50 more goals than they have given up. Meanwhile, Edmonton scores just 2.77 per game (tied for 17th) and gives up 3.00 (tied for 22nd); only ten teams are worse. Huge advantage: Sharks
Despite some problems on the penalty kill, the Sharks still rank fifth with a success rate of 84.1 percent; they also have the league’s second best power play at 24.4 percent. Edmonton, meanwhile, has the league’s 28th penalty kill (76.8 percent) and 18th-ranked power play (18.1 percent). Adding the power play and penalty kill percentages is a good indicator of special teams overall, and the Sharks are best in the league (108.5) while the Oilers are better than only three teams (94.9 percent). Huge advantage: Sharks

With every advantage in the Sharks favour and the fact that they were in every game they lost, they should bounce back tonight. Add to that them needing this win more (which is also an indication they have been struggling more than Edmonton), and the Sharks come out on top, 5-2.