NHL Gameday: Another new look for Sharks as they open road trip

Share

Programming note: Sharks-Capitals coverage starts today at 3:30 p.m. with Sharks Pregame Live on CSN California

WHERE THEY STAND

Sharks: 6-6-0, 12 points, 3rd Pacific Division
Capitals: 8-2-1, 17 points, 3rd Metropolitan Division

PREGAME NEWS AND NOTES

***The Sharks begin their longest road trip of the season tonight in the nation’s capital on Election Day. Over the next 12 days, San Jose will visit the Capitals, Lightning, Panthers, Hurricanes, Blues and Coyotes. San Jose has lost its last three in regulation, and was whacked by the Penguins on Saturday, 5-0.

***Forward Kevin Labanc is set to make his NHL debut after he was recalled from the Barracuda on Monday, likely on a line with Logan Couture and Joonas Donskoi. The 20-year-old is tied for the team lead on the Sharks’ AHL affiliate with four goals and 10 points. Last season, Labanc, a sixth round pick of the Sharks in 2014, led all of junior hockey with 127 points in 65 games for Barrie (OHL).

***The Capitals, winners of five in a row, are wrapping up a three-game homestand today. They are 5-1-0 against the Western Conference this season, including four straight wins, and have scored the first goal in nine of their 11 games (7-1-1).

KEEP AN EYE ON...

Sharks: Joel Ward. The veteran forward has just one point, a goal way back in the second game on Oct. 15, in 12 games this season. He will be the latest player to get a look on the top line with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski, the first time he has ever started a game in that place. Ward spent four seasons with the Capitals before joining the Sharks in the 2015 offseason.

Capitals: T.J. Oshie. The forward scored a pair of goals against the Panthers on Saturday, including the game-winner, and is tied for second on the team behind Alex Ovechkin’s seven. In 91 career games with the Capitals, Oshie has five multi-goal efforts.

PROBABLE LINES

Sharks
Joe Pavelski – Joe Thornton – Joel Ward
Kevin Labanc – Logan Couture – Joonas Donskoi
Patrick Marleau – Tomas Hertl – Mikkel Boedker
Melker Karlsson – Chris Tierney – Tommy Wingels

Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Justin Braun
Paul Martin – Brent Burns
Brenden Dillon – David Schlemko

Martin Jones
Aaron Dell

Capitals
Alex Ovechkin – Nicklas Backstrom – T.J. Oshie
Marcus Johansson – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Justin Williams
Andre Burakovsky – Lars Eller – Tom Wilson
Zachary Sanford – Jay Beagle – Daniel Winnik

Karl Alzner – Matt Niskanen
Dmitri Orlov – John Carlson
Brooks Orpik – Nate Schmidt

Braden Holtby
Philipp Grubauer

INJURIES

Sharks: None.

Capitals: None.

QUOTEABLE

“We have a good group. We feel good. Just got to execute a little bit better and [fix] some small details. When you get a chance to finish, you’ve just got to take advantage of it.” – Joel Ward

Contact Us