Preview: Sharks Take on Senators

The San Jose Sharks and Ottawa Senators will complete their season series tonight at the Canadian Tire Centre and the Sharks hope for a season split.

The Senators skated away with a 4-2 victory over the Sharks at SAP Center on December 7, despite being thoroughly outplayed by San Jose in every facet of the game. Goaltender Mike Condon had a stellar showing as he stopped 35 of 37 shots on goal. All-world defenseman Erik Karlsson had three points in the winning effort and his 27 points again is setting the pace for Ottawa.

Norris Finalists, Ottawa Senators, Erik Karlsson, Fantasy Hockey
(Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

The Sharks will be facing a well-rested Senators squad who last played on December 11 when they dropped a 5-1 decision to the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center. The Ducks scored three power-play goals and outshot Ottawa 33-22 in the game.

The Senators are hoping to be rude hosts for the Sharks and are currently on a franchise best five-game winning streak against the Sharks. San Jose is fresh off a 3-2 shootout victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in which San Jose scored two goals in the last half of the third period to force overtime. Logan Couture‘s shootout goal stole the extra point for San Jose, and Martin Jones stopped all three attempts to complete the comeback.


San Jose Sharks at Ottawa Senators

Canadian Tire Centre – 7:30 p.m. EST

Broadcast channels – CSN California, Sportsnet, TVA Sports

Radio: Sharks Radio Network, TSN 1200

2016-17 Season Series: 0-1-0

December 7, 2016 – Ottawa Senators 4 San Jose Sharks 2

Ottawa Senators – 16-11-2 – 34 Points

Home Record: 9-5-2

Key Injuries: D Fredrik Claesson, LW Clarke MacArthur

Projected lines:

Forwards:

Mike HoffmanDerick BrassardMark Stone

Ryan DzingelKyle TurrisBobby Ryan

Zack SmithJean-Gabriel PageauTom Pyatt

Chris KellyCurtis LazarChris Neil

Defense:

Marc Methot – Erik Karlsson

Dion PhaneufCody Ceci

Ben HarpurChris Wideman

Starting Goaltender:

Mike Condon

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San Jose Sharks – 17-11-1 – 35 Points

Road Record: 7-7-1

Hot Players: Brent Burns

Key Injuries: Tomas HertlMarc-Edouard Vlasic

Projected lines:

Forwards:

Patrick MarleauJoe ThorntonJoe Pavelski

Joel Ward – Logan Couture –Kevin Labanc

Mikkel BoedkerChris TierneyJoonas Donskoi

Micheal HaleyTommy WingelsMelker Karlsson

Defense:

Paul Martin – Brent Burns

David Schlemko – Justin Braun

Brenden DillonDylan DeMelo

Starting Goaltender:

Martin Jones (Likely)

https://twitter.com/KKurzCSN/status/809106140458000384

Game Notes

[miptheme_dropcap style=”normal” color=”#222222″ background=””]1)[/miptheme_dropcap]The Senators will be in search of their third consecutive regular-season series sweep against San Jose.

Brent Burns (Photo credit Zeke/THW)
Brent Burns (Photo credit Zeke/THW)

[miptheme_dropcap style=”normal” color=”#222222″ background=””]2)[/miptheme_dropcap]Defenseman Brent Burns is on a five-game point streak with three goals and two assists in his last five games. He played 32:23 last night in the absence of Marc-Edouard Vlasic which lead the team by nearly 10 minutes over the next San Jose skater.

[miptheme_dropcap style=”normal” color=”#222222″ background=””]3)[/miptheme_dropcap]Mike Hoffman leads the Senators with 10 power-play points. The 27-year-old winger has five goals and five assists on the man-advantage.

[miptheme_dropcap style=”normal” color=”#222222″ background=””]4)[/miptheme_dropcap]Justin Braun‘s game tying goal in the last minutes of last night’s game was his first goal of the season. the last time Braun found the back of the net was on March 28, 2016, when he posted two goals against the Los Angeles Kings in a 5-2 Sharks victory.

[miptheme_dropcap style=”normal” color=”#222222″ background=””]5)[/miptheme_dropcap]With last night’s victory over the Leafs, San Jose is leading the Pacific Division with 35 points. Both the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks have the same point totals, but the Sharks hold two more ROW’s (16 for the Sharks, 14 each for the Oilers and Ducks) and have games in hand against both squads.