Programming note: Sharks-Kings coverage starts tonight at 7pm on NBCSN.
Where they stand
Sharks: 41-28-6, 88 points, 3rd Pacific Division
Kings: 45-25-5, 95 points, 1st Pacific Division
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Playoff picture
The Sharks will clinch a playoff berth if they defeat the Kings in any fashion OR if they get one point against the Kings AND the Coyotes lose to the Flames in any fashion OR if the Coyotes lose to the Flames in regulation.
The Sharks trail the Kings by seven points and the Ducks by four points. Anaheim, which has one game in hand, visits Edmonton on Monday.
The latest
San Jose Sharks
Sharks: The Sharks lost their third straight game, all in regulation and all at home, on Saturday to Dallas, 4-2. San Jose is 2-3-0 on its season long six-game homestand, which concludes tonight. The Sharks will be trying for the fourth straight game to clinch a playoff spot.
Kings: Los Angeles halted its three-game losing streak by beating the Oilers at home on Saturday, 6-4. It was their ninth straight home win over lowly Edmonton. The Kings are one win away from tying their franchise record for most in a season.
Keep an eye on…
Sharks: Roman Polak. In 17 games with the Sharks since he was acquired from Toronto, the defenseman has two assists and a minus-four rating. More importantly, he’s added some physicality and meanness on the back end, and that’s been on display recently. Considering how heavy Sharks-Kings meetings typically are, Polak should show his value in games like tonight.
Kings: Tyler Toffoli. The 23-year-old forward leads the Kings with 29 goals, and is coming off of a four-point effort against the Oilers on Saturday (2g, 2a). The former second round pick in 2010 is trying to become the Kings’ first 30-goal scorer since Anze Kopitar in 2009-10.
Probable lines
Sharks
Tomas Hertl – Joe Thornton – Joe Pavelski
Melker Karlsson – Logan Couture – Joonas Donskoi
Patrick Marleau – Chris Tierney – Joel Ward
Micheal Haley – Dainius Zubrus – Tommy Wingels
Paul Martin – Brent Burns
Dylan DeMelo – Justin Braun
Brenden Dillon – Roman Polak
Martin Jones (confirmed starter)
James Reimer
Kings
Tanner Pearson – Anze Kopitar – Dustin Brown
Milan Lucic – Jeff Carter – Tyler Toffoli
Dwight King – Vincent Lecavalier – Trevor Lewis
Kyle Clifford – Nic Dowd – Andy Andreoff
Brayden McNabb – Drew Doughty
Jake Muzzin – Alec Martinez
Rob Scuderi – Luke Schenn
Jonathan Quick
Jhonas Enroth
Vitals
Sharks
Goals per game: 2.88 (3rd)
Goals-against per game: 2.57 (14th)
Power play: 22.1 percent (4th)
Penalty kill: 79.9 percent (23rd)
Kings
Goals per game: 2.72 (13th)
Goals-against per game: 2.31 (1st)
Power play: 22.8 percent (8th)
Penalty kill: 81.4 percent (15th)
Injuries/Scratches
Sharks: Joonas Donskoi (lower body) is questionable. Marc-Edouard Vlasic (lower body), Matt Nieto (hand) and Matt Tennyson (concussion) are out.
Kings: Kris Versteeg (upper body), Matt Greene (shoulder surgery), Marian Gaborik (knee) and Jordan Nolan (herniated disc) are out.
Season series
The Sharks are 2-1-1 against the Kings this season headed into tonight’s fifth and final meeting of the season series. The road team has won all four.
Joe Pavelski leads the Sharks with eight points against the Kings (4g, 4a) while Jeff Carter has five points versus San Jose (2g, 3a).
Odds and ends
*The Sharks are 2-5-1 without defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic in the lineup.
*Brent Burns has 324 shots on goal this season, a new franchise record.
*San Jose has not lost four straight games in regulation since Dec. 1-8.