Programming note: Sharks-Islanders coverage starts today at 3:30om with Sharks Pregame Live on CSN California.
WHERE THEY STAND
Sharks: 2-1-0, 4 points, 3rd Pacific Division
Islanders: 1-2-0, 2 points, 6th Metropolitan Division
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NEWS AND NOTES
*Sharks backup goalie Aaron Dell is likely to make his NHL debut on Tuesday night, although there was no morning skate for the Sharks, so nothing has been made official just yet. The 27-year-old Alberta native played in two preseason games, posting a 2.48 goals-against average and .894 save percentage (five goals allowed on 47 shots).
*The Sharks are 1-1 on their current five-game road trip, which continues in Pittsburgh on Thursday with a Stanley Cup Final rematch. New York will play its second of a five-game homestand, beating the Ducks in overtime on Sunday in its Barclays Center opener, 3-2.
*Tonight marks the first back-to-back situation for San Jose after a loss to the Rangers on Monday, 7-4. The Sharks have 16 back-to-backs this season, but don't have another until Nov. 25-26, when they host the Islanders and Ducks on consecutive days at SAP Center.
San Jose Sharks
KEEP AN EYE ON
Sharks: Brent Burns. The defenseman is the Sharks’ leading scorer with six points (3g, 3a), tying him for second in the NHL. At the same time, the defensive zone miscues that plagued Burns prior to last season’s second half are reappearing. Prior to the pair of late empty net markers by the Rangers on Monday, Burns was on the ice for four of San Jose’s goals and three of New York's.
Islanders: Brock Nelson. The Isles’ left wing has one point in each of the New York’s first three games (2g, 1a) while centering the second line. The 25-year-old, a late first-round pick in 2010, is coming off a career high 26 goals last season.
PROBABLE LINES
Sharks
Tomas Hertl – Joe Thornton – Joe Pavelski
Mikkel Boedker – Logan Couture – Joonas Donskoi
Patrick Marleau – Chris Tierney – Joel Ward
Matt Nieto – Tommy Wingels – Melker Karlsson
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Justin Braun
Paul Martin – Brent Burns
Brenden Dillon – David Schlemko
Aaron Dell (likely starter)
Martin Jones
Islanders
Andrew Ladd – John Tavares – Josh Bailey
Anders Lee – Brock Nelson – Jason Chimera
Anthony Beauvillier – Ryan Strome – Alan Quine
Nikolay Kulemin – Casey Cizikas – Cal Clutterbuck
Nick Leddy – Travis Hamonic
Thomas Hickey – Johnny Boychuk
Calvin de Haan – Dennis Seidenberg
Jaroslav Halak
Thomas Greiss
INJURIES
Sharks: None.
Islanders: Casey Cizikas (leg) is day-to-day. Mikhail Grabovski (concussion), Eric Boulton (lower body) and Shane Prince (lower body) are out.
QUOTEABLE
“I don’t think we were bad, we just didn’t have that energy that we needed, that compete level. … Just [tried] to turn it on in the third and get away with it. Something we’ve got to learn from and go forward.” – Paul Martin, after the 7-4 loss to the Rangers on Monday