Programming note: Sharks-Islanders coverage starts tonight at 7pm with Sharks Pregame Live on CSN California.
Where they stand
Sharks: 7-7-0, 14 points, 4th Pacific Division
Islanders: 7-5-3, 17 points, 5th Metropolitan Division
The latest
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Sharks: Corey Perry’s first period breakaway goal was the only scoring in a 1-0 Ducks win over the Sharks on Saturday at SAP Center. San Jose is wrapping up a four-game homestand tonight after losing two of the first three, while a six-game road trip starting in Detroit on Friday.
Islanders: New York dropped a 2-1 decision at home to Boston on Sunday, its fifth loss in the last six games (1-3-2). The Islanders, who have two or fewer goals in their last six games, visit Los Angeles and Anaheim later this week.
Keep an eye on…
Sharks: Melker Karlsson. The Sharks’ 2014-15 rookie of the year will make his season debut tonight, finally getting over a nagging lower body injury. The Sharks are still in desperate need of more quality minutes from their depth players, and Karlsson could provide that after 13 goals and 24 points in 53 games last season.
San Jose Sharks
[KURZ: Sharks' Karlsson aims to 'get in the grease' in his return]
Islanders: Johnny Boychuk. The defenseman scored New York’s only goal on Sunday on the power play, and is second on the team in ice time at 21:58 per game. The former Bruin is in his second season with the Islanders, and with former Blackhawk Nick Leddy, forms a solid top pairing.
Probable lines
Sharks
Joonas Donskoi – Joe Thornton – Joe Pavelski
Patrick Marleau – Tomas Hertl – Joel Ward
Melker Karlsson – Chris Tierney – Tommy Wingels
Matt Nieto – Micheal Haley – Mike Brown
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Justin Braun
Paul Martin – Brent Burns
Brenden Dillon – Matt Tennyson
Martin Jones (confirmed starter)
Alex Stalock
Islanders
Brock Nelson – John Tavares – Kyle Okposo
Anders Lee – Frans Nielsen – Josh Bailey
Nikolay Kulemin – Mikhail Grabovski – Steve Bernier
Matt Martin – Casey Cizikas – Cal Clutterbuck
Nick Leddy – Johnny Boychuk
Calvin de Haan – Travis Hamonic
Brian Strait – Marek Zidlicky
Jaroslav Halak
Thomas Greiss
Vitals
Sharks
Goals per game: 2.64 (13th)
Goals-against per game: 2.57 (15th)
Power play: 11.9 percent (30th)
Penalty kill: 76.1 percent (26th)
Islanders
Goals per game: 2.67 (12th)
Goals-against per game: 2.40 (9th)
Power play: 23.1 percent (4th)
Penalty kill: 87.8 percent (4th)
Injuries/Scratches
Sharks: Ben Smith (head) and Logan Couture (fractured right fibula) are out.
Islanders: Eric Boulton (lower body) and Thomas Hickey (lower body) are out.
Season series
New York won the first meeting on Oct. 17 at Barclays Center, 6-3, in what was the Sharks’ first loss of the season. Kyle Okposo led the way with three points (1g, 2a), while the Sharks’ Nikolay Goldobin scored his first career NHL goal.
Odds and ends
*Joe Thornton will skate in his 1300th career game tonight, the 58th player in league history to reach that mark.
*Joe Pavelski leads the Sharks in goals (8), points (13), and plus-minus (+8).
*Mirco Mueller and Nikolay Goldobin were called up on Tuesday morning, but neither is expected to play.